Canada.ca Content Style Guide

1.1 Help people complete tasks

Most people come to a government website to complete a task and expect us to provide information that will help them. Tasks can be:

• transactional (submit a form or download a report)
• informational (find out how to collect a benefit or find a phone number)

People trying to complete a task online usually don't read word by word. They scan quickly for words and links related to what they want to do.

Government of Canada web content must be:

• intuitive: give people who have no previous knowledge of the topic or process just enough information to complete a task on their own
• comprehensive: give the appropriate details to specialists who have more knowledge of a topic or process
• targeted: present the most important information first, in a way that is tailored to the needs of the audience, instead of giving all the options and leaving people to figure out which ones apply to them
• consistent: use a standardized approach so that people can scan content quickly and easily with a sense of confidence and trust

1.2 Consider the needs of the audience

When planning web content, consider people's needs. Make sure that the content is accessible, clear and adapted to the widest audience.

1.3 Provide equivalent content in both official languages

Government content must:

• be professionally translated
• reflect Canadian writing conventions in English and French
• include fully bilingual images, multimedia files and transcripts, or contain equivalent information in both official languages

2.1 Start with the most important information

Start your content with the most important information, and be direct. When people scan web pages, they tend to start in the top left hand corner and scan to the right and down. As they move down the page, they scan less and less to the right.

Organize your content using an inverted pyramid structure to:

• guide your audience to the information they need to complete their task
• place supporting and relevant details toward the end of the text

Figure 1 - Text version

Inverted pyramid divided into four sections, from top to bottom. The image shows the order of information on a web page.

• First:
  • start with the most important idea, step or information
• Second:
  • add details and tasks in order of importance
  • keep all task related content in the centre of the page
  • use links to direct people to key information and tasks
• Third:
  • include information for audiences who want to learn more or have more knowledge of the topic or service, but only if it makes sense
• Fourth:
  • add links only if they relate to content that supports completion of the task on the web page (for example, laws or publications)

2.2 Use simple and common words

Replace long words with short, simple and everyday words that most people understand and use. Simple words have 2 syllables or less. They're easier to scan than long, complex words.

2.3 Use active voice and positive form

Whenever possible use the:

• active voice instead of the passive voice
• positive form instead of the negative form

2.4 Use verbs instead of nouns formed from verbs

Avoid using nouns that are formed from verbs. They can be vague. Verbs alone clearly express the action needed.

2.5 Avoid jargon, idioms and expressions

Where possible, avoid using jargon, idioms and expressions. Use the clearest, most popular term for your audience.

Legal and technical terms and "government-speak" confuse most people.

People who don't speak English or French might use online tools to translate text. These tools don't always translate idioms and expressions accurately.

Identify keywords your audience is using to find your content

Tools you can use to see which search terms are most popular:

• Google Trends
• Google Keyword Planner
• Bing Keyword Research
• Mozilla Firefox's Keywords Everywhere 

Refer to your analytics to find out which search terms your audience uses to find related content.

2.6 Use simple sentences

Keep sentence structure simple by putting the subject and the verb at the beginning of the sentence and by using the subject + verb + object construction. This structure helps the reader understand what the subject of the sentence is doing by placing the subject first, followed by the verb.

Avoid complex and compound sentences. They generally contain too much information for people to understand when they're scanning.

Replace complex sentence structures with direct statements.

Replace noun strings (a series of 2 or more nouns used to name something) with direct statements.

Surround a long sentence with shorter ones because it helps people understand the long sentence.

2.7 Use short sentences and paragraphs

Be concise. Use as few words as possible to express an idea. By being concise, you'll help everyone, even specialists, complete the task they set out to do.

Keep sentences and paragraphs short to make them easier to scan on any screen size. People who have learning disabilities may find it difficult to scan and understand long sentences and paragraphs.

Try to keep sentences under 20 words. You can do this by: 

• breaking long sentences into shorter ones
• limiting each sentence to 1 idea
• removing unnecessary words

Try to keep paragraphs to 3 sentences. You can do this by:

• developing 1 main idea per paragraph
• presenting a series of more than 2 ideas or words as a vertical list
• using a short form for a long title instead of repeating it

2.8 Explain references to legislation

When explaining a requirement that comes from an act or regulation, avoid mentioning the act or regulation by name. Include only the information people need to complete the task.

If you must include the name of the act or regulation, always give a plain-language description. First, explain what your audience needs to know and why they need to know more about the act or regulation. Then, you may add the reference to the act or regulation.

2.9 Check the reading level of the content

Check the reading level of your text. Make sure that it meets the reading level you're targeting based on the literacy needs of your audience. Do this every so often while you're writing content. You can use various tools to do this.

Readability tools help you check if content is too wordy or complex. Writing content at a reading level above grade 8 can make it difficult for many people to understand or complete their task.

Use a readability tool

You can use a readability tool like Flesch-Kincaid to check the reading level of your English content. This tool is available as part of Microsoft Word. It generally reflects the years of education needed to understand the text.

To use Flesch-Kincaid:

1. in Word 2010 and later, click the File tab, and then click Options
2. click Proofing
3. under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word, make sure the Check grammar with spelling check box is selected
4. select Show readability statistics  

You can check the reading level of a whole page or just part of a page. To check the reading level:

1. accept any tracked changes
2. place periods at the end of any bulleted items and headings (remove the periods before publishing)
3. highlight the text in your Word document
4. click the Review tab
5. click Spelling & Grammar
6. when Word has finished checking the text, it will ask whether you want to check the rest of the content
7. click No

If your text contains technical terms that consist of long, multi-syllable words that you need to use for your specialized audience, remove these terms before you test the content for readability to see whether the surrounding text can be simplified. Reinsert the technical terms once you've simplified the surrounding text.

The Readability Statistics dialog box will appear and show the Flesch-Kincaid grade level.

Figure 2 - Text version

A screen capture of Microsoft Word's readability statistics dialog box shows that a sample of text got a Flesch-Kincaid reading level of 5.8.

In newer versions of Microsoft Word, search for "Flesch-Kincaid" using the help feature.

3.1 Write directly to the person

Use an informal tone, and speak directly to people by using the second person ("you," "your").

3.2 Use "we" to refer to the Government of Canada

We generally provide information to people from the perspective of the government as a whole rather than from a specific institution.

Use "we" and "our" when writing on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Use "Government of Canada" when:

• describing Canada's stance on a topic relative to another named jurisdiction (country, province, territory city, etc.)
• explaining Canada's role with respect to a topic or issue

Use the name of a specific institution in situations when the:

• institution will be contacting the person
• person needs to contact the institution by phone, mail or online process
• role of the institution in a process is relevant to the task

Don't include references to your website on your website.

3.3 Expressing an obligation or a recommendation

As a government organization, we often publish rules, information and instructions that are set out in law. We also provide advice on how to follow them.

4.1 Capitalization and punctuation

Use these styles for capitalization and punctuation of content in text, links and applications.

Capitalize the main words of:

• titles of official publications (such as reports, frameworks, strategies and plans)
• institution names
• program names
• titles of policy instruments
• titles of legislation (in other words, acts and regulations)
• Government of Canada

Lowercase the short form of proper names.

Titles, headings and subheadings

• Capitalize the first letter of the first word (sentence case) of all page titles, headings, subheadings, table captions and table headers
• Capitalize proper nouns in page titles, headings and subheadings
• Don't use punctuation at the end of page titles, headings and subheadings

Exceptions

• You may use punctuation at the end of page titles, headings and subheadings for campaign slogans
• Only use question marks when asking for information in a form, wizard, survey or quiz

Example of question marks being used in forms, wizards, surveys or quizzes

Figure 3 - Text version

A web page containing a heading with a question mark.

• Title of page
  • Find out if you need to charge GST/HST
• Plain language summary of page
  • Answer a few questions to find out if you need to charge or collect the tax and register to get a GST/HST account number. Businesses with lower revenue and those that deal in certain goods and services might not need to charge tax.
• Heading
  • Do you or your organization already have a GST/HST account?
• 2 clickable options
  • Yes
  • No
• Action button to continue process
  • Next

4.2 Underlining, bold and italics

Formatting must support the most important information on the page.

Don't combine styles, like underlining and bold formatting, unless it's part of the hyperlinked text found on a topic page.

4.3 Symbols

Some symbols make web content more difficult to read while others improve readability. Research whether they're understood by a wide audience before using them.

4.4 Abbreviations and acronyms

Don't use an abbreviation or acronym unless it's better known to the widest audience than its long-form equivalent. For example:

• EI
• RCMP
• T4

Research common keywords

Check your analytics to find out what keywords your audiences are using to find your content.

If you have to use a multi-word term more than once on a web page, use the full term the first time you use it. For any further uses of the term:

• use a short form such as "the program" or "the plan," in lower case instead of repeating the full term or using an abbreviation
• only use an abbreviation for a secondary reference if analytics data or usability testing determines that people often use and search for the abbreviation

Always spell out an abbreviation the first time you use it on a page. 

Include abbreviations that your audience uses in your metadata (for example, in the description field) to help search engines find your page more easily.

Avoid abbreviations and acronyms by rethinking the content

If your content contains a lot of abbreviations and acronyms, rethink its structure. Consider placing related content under distinct headings and sections.

For example, when introducing legal requirements, use the title of the act once, if necessary, and then talk about what people "must" do. The context will make it clear that the things they "must" do are requirements under the act. Don't use the abbreviation for the act, because it makes the text harder to follow.

Close the topic before referring to other obligations under different legislation.

4.5 Contractions

Use contractions that people use when they speak. They're easier to scan than the full form.

Use most positive contractions of auxiliary verbs. For example:

• you've (you have), you're (you are), you'll (you will) or you'd (you would)
• we've (we have), we're (we are), we'll (we will) or we'd (we would)

Use some negative contractions of auxiliary verbs. For example:

• can't (cannot)
• don't (do not) or didn't (did not)
• won't (will not)
• isn't (is not)
• weren't (were not) or wasn't (was not)
• aren't (are not)

Use, but don't confuse:

• its (possessive) and it's (it is)
• they're (they are) and their (possessive)

Uncommon or more complex contractions can be harder for people with low literacy skills to understand.

Don't use:

• should've (should have) or could've (could have)
• shouldn't (should not), couldn't (could not) or wouldn't (would not)
• mightn't (might not)
• mustn't (must not)
• it'll (it will)

4.6 Numbers

4.7 Dates

• Write dates without an ordinal indicator ("st," "nd," "rd," "th")

Write: July 31, 2016, or just July 31 if the year is already clear
Instead of: July 31st, 2016, or July 31st

• Use non-breaking spaces between the month and the day
• Use the numeric date format only when space is limited (for example, in a table)
  • write yyyy-mm-dd
  • explain the format in surrounding text (for example, notes, legends)
• Capitalize the first letter of the month (for example, January, February, March)
• Abbreviate month names when space is limited (for example, Jan, Feb, Mar)

4.8 Times

• 4:30 pm
• 9 am to 5 pm

4.9 Phone numbers

Use non-breaking hyphens (Ctrl+Shift+Hyphen) in phone numbers. For example:

• if you need help, call 1-800-622-6232
• 613-999-9900 ext. 123

4.10 Addresses

4.11 Words and expressions in transition

Words and expressions in transition are those written commonly in 2 or more different ways. Reduce confusion by using the following spellings:

• website (not "web site")
• web page (not "webpage")
• web (not "Web")
• email (not "e-mail")
• online (not "on line")

On a web page

Make sure you:

• divide the page into logical sections to give an overview of the information it contains
• focus on the task and show only the information people need to complete the task

Structure the content components efficiently to make your page:

• more visible to search engines and easier to find
• easier to view on mobile devices

Across multiple web pages

Think about how a person will journey through the content. If:

• your web page content covers too many topics, you might need to divide it into several pages
• several web pages contain pieces of content that relate to the same subject, consider combining them into a single page

5.1 Write useful page titles and headings

In your page title, accurately describe what's on the page. A descriptive page title is important because search engines often display the title without the context that the rest of the page provides.

Most people scan page titles and headings, looking for keywords that will confirm that they have found what they're looking for. People who use assistive technology may listen for keywords using software or may use keyboard shortcuts to access all the headings on a page.

When writing a page title, heading or subheading, make sure that it:

• gives a clear idea of what follows
• is short and contains no unnecessary words
• contains the most relevant terms at the beginning
• makes sense on its own
• is followed by text and not by another heading, unless the heading introduces a table of contents on the same page
• has no punctuation at the end
• contains no abbreviation unless the audience knows it better than it knows its long-form equivalent
• contains no promotional messaging (boastful, subjective claims) because it might confuse and stop people from navigating to the page

Lead-in sentence

If you need to clarify the relationship between each element, start the list with a lead-in paragraph that:

• introduces or applies to all the list items
• emphasizes the common element between all the items

If necessary, specify "all" or "or" in the introductory paragraph to clarify whether the list is comprehensive or conditional. For example, you can write:

• "You must meet all of the following requirements:"
• "To be eligible, you must meet 1 or more of the following requirements:"

Numbered lists

Use numbered lists to show:

• ranking
• order
• priority
• step-by-step instructions

Bulleted lists

Place only one idea in each bulleted item. If you need to include more information to explain an idea, use sub-bullets, but use them sparingly.

Alphabetical lists

Only present your web content in an alphabetical order if it's the most logical and intuitive approach for the audience.

For example, listing provinces and territories in alphabetical order could be appropriate.

If you present content in alphabetical order in English, also present it in alphabetical order in French to provide the same intuitive experience.

Example of a table that organizes data

Use column and row headers

Each column and row of a table must have a header that describes the information in that column or row.

Column and row headers are different from headings and subheadings:

• column and row headers appear in the cells at the top and on the far left of a table
• headings and subheadings refer to the title of a table or a section of content that appears on a web page

Check that there is a consistent relationship between the columns and rows.

For example, to check the table above, ask yourself whether you can align the information that appears in:

• the column, with the column header that appears directly above it ("Vote 1," "2011 to 2012" ($ millions) and "2012 to 2013" ($ millions))
• a row, with the row header that defines it ("Net budgetary authorities" and "Year-to-date expenditures ending December 31")

Your web team will use the information in the headers to code the table. Afterwards, screen readers will be able to correctly interpret the data within the table.

In the following example, all the cells in the first:

• row are column headers and appear bolded and in grey 
• column are row headers (except the top-left cell) and appear bolded

By looking at the column headers "Date contract was awarded," "Vendor name" and "Value," people can understand that on February 23, 2010, Management Consulting Group Limited was awarded a contract valued at $285,575.89.

Use the simplest structure possible

It can be difficult to make tables accessible and easy to read for people using screen readers or mobile devices.

To make information useful to the widest possible audience:

• turn a complex table into one or more simple tables
• convert a table to a list if the data is simple

Limit the use of texture and colour

Avoid formatting cells with textures or colours, because it can make text difficult to read.

If you must use textures and colours in a table, explain what they mean (for example, in a table note or in a legend). Make sure you comply with the minimum colour contrast rules (1.4.3) from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

Never rely on colour or texture alone to convey important information.

Avoid having blank cells

Assistive technologies like a screen reader will notify the person if the cell is blank. If a cell has no value, explain why in your table's:

• notes
• legend
• caption
• surrounding content

You may also write one of the following in the cell, as long as it's clear and doesn't create visual noise that would distract your audience:

• "no data"
• "0" (zero)
• "n/a" (not applicable)

Help with images, audio files or videos on Canada.ca

For specific information about consent forms or licensing requirements related to Canada.ca, contact the Principal Publisher: na-web_support-soutien_du_web-gd@servicecanada.gc.ca.

Functional images

Functional images:

• illustrate information or data to help people understand it
• explain a complex concept
• illustrate concrete things (such as a valid passport, species at risk, standard symbols)
• convey branding (such as approved logos and campaign graphics)

Functional images add value to the content because they provide more information than can be provided through text alone. Examples of functional images:

• infographics
• charts
• graphs

Include the appropriate alternative text to describe the image for people who are unable to view it.

Example of functional images

Figure 4 - Text version

City	Condition	Temperature
Calgary	Mainly sunny	0°C
Charlottetown	Drifting snow	-11°C
Edmonton	(no data)	0°C
Fredericton	Sunny	-12°C
Halifax	Mainly sunny	-7°C
Iqaluit	Drifting snow	-22°C
Montréal	Sunny	-16°C
Ottawa (Kanata - Orléans)	Mainly sunny	-15°C
Prince George	Partly cloudy	2°C
Québec	Partly cloudy	-19°C
Regina	Cloudy	-4°C
Saskatoon	Mist	-8°C
St. John's	Mist	2°C
Thunder Bay	Partly cloudy	-14°C
Toronto	Light snow	-6°C
Vancouver	Mostly cloudy	9°C
Victoria	Light rain	8°C
Whitehorse	Partly cloudy	-19°C
Winnipeg	Sunny	-18°C
Yellowknife	Mainly sunny	-28°C

Figure 5 - Text version

	Education	Task	Navigation	Support	Information	Corporate
General	2	0	20	4	100	50
Students	2	2	1	5	50	0
Business	60	10	20	90	50	8
Professional	46	26	5	101	200	142
Lawyer	0	2	4	0	300	300

Decorative images

Use decorative images only to provide visual context for the following templates:

• a theme or topic page
• the home page
• campaign pages
• promotional features on a topic page or home page (Government of Canada activities and initiatives)

Don't place meaningful text, such as campaign or program titles, in decorative images.

Include the appropriate alternative text to describe the image for people who are unable to view it.

Get details about the templates above in the Canada.ca Content and Information Architecture Specification.

Image sizing and placement

Learn where to place images and videos on Canada.ca and what size they should be:

• use the templates in the Canada.ca Content and Information Architecture Specification
• see the Canada.ca page types on GitHub

Example: Long description for the balanced scorecard

Alternative text

You could write the following alternative text for the image shown in Figure 1:

A balanced scorecard showing how business activities align with an organization's vision and strategy to monitor key performance indicators. Text version below.

Long description

You could write the following long description for the image shown in Figure 1:

A balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system used worldwide to align business activities with an organization's vision and strategy.

Business activities are grouped into 4 perspectives, all of which are interdependent and come from the vision and strategy. These are learning and growth, internal business processes, financial, and customer. Each has a question associated with it.

• Learning and growth

To achieve our vision, how will we sustain our ability to change and improve?

• Internal business processes

To satisfy our shareholders and customers, what business processes must we excel at?

• Financial

To succeed financially, how should we appear to our shareholders?

• Customer

To achieve our vision, how should we appear to our customers?

Each perspective can be monitored using the following 4 components:

• objectives
• messages
• targets
• initiatives

Example: Long description for the bar chart illustrating the proportion of men and women in the public service for selected years from 1983 to 2010

Source: Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Note: Includes all tenures. Figures do not include employees on leave without pay.

Alternative text

You could write the following alternative text:

Comparison of the ratio of women and men in the civil service between 1983 and 2010. Text version below.

Long description

You could write the following long description text:

Figure 2: proportion of men and women in the public service for selected years 1983 to 2010

Gender (by percentage)	1983	1988	1993	1998	2003	2008	2010
Men	58.2	55.7	52.9	49.6	46.7	45.1	44.8
Women	41.8	44.3	47.1	50.4	53.3	54.9	55.2
Source: Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Note: Includes all tenures. Figures do not include employees on leave without pay.

7.1 Use links strategically

Be strategic about how you place and create links on a web page and about how many links you provide:

• include links that directly support the topic or task on the current page
• link to the original information posted by the authoritative source
• don't include links to intranet sites unless the content targets government employees, in which case you should add "(accessible only on the Government of Canada network)"
• don't bury links that are crucial to completing a task in the middle of a paragraph or at the bottom of the page

7.2 Write descriptive links

A link must describe the content a person will find once they click on it. It's easier to complete a task when a link's destination matches a person's expectations. Make sure links are descriptive so that person will understand what they'll get when they click on them.

The text you hyperlink doesn't have to match the title of the destination page to be compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Text in a link gets some context from the web page's content. Make sure the main keywords of the link text correspond to the page title so that people know they're in the right place.

Tips for providing useful links:

• use the first words of the target page or its entire title if it's descriptive enough
• start with keywords that accurately describe the target page if the page title isn't enough
• make sure that all links on the same page use unique descriptive text if they link to different target pages
• when more than one link on a web page links to the same destination page, use the same words for the hyperlink
• describe any content that must be downloaded
• write email addresses in full, in lower case and as active links (contact helpdesk@canada.ca)

Don't use:

• the same link text to point to 2 different pages
• vague statements such as "click here" or "read more"
• promotional messaging that might confuse someone who is deciding whether to go to the page that is being linked to

7.3 Make sure that links work

Make sure that your links work. Check that they take people to the correct page, which contains up-to-date information, in the appropriate official language. Links that don't work frustrate people and hurt the credibility of your content.

7.4 Linking to non-government content

Some non-government web content isn't available in both official languages. If you're linking to external web content that isn't available in the language of the current page, say in which language(s) it is available after the link.

On English pages, write the following after a link that leads to content that isn't available in English: "(XXXX only)".

If the link leads to content only available in:

• French, write "(French only)"
• Inuktitut, write "(Inuktitut only)"
• Spanish and Portuguese, write "(Spanish and Portuguese only)"

Case study A: improve plain language and content structure

Case study B: improve and simplify tables