We aim to inspire and empower every person who engages with our content. This means writing with an awareness of how certain language—especially terms rooted in historical or societal context—can impact our audience.
Guidelines
Reference Atlassian’s guide to inclusive language and ask yourself:
Do I need to specify personal characteristics such as age, sex, disability, religion, or racial group?
Does my writing use language that is inclusive of the diversity of my readers?
Does my writing use language that is accessible to my broad audience?
Am I including cliches or adages that don’t make sense globally?
Am I including customer stories specific to only one country?
Best practices
Don’t call women “girls.”
Don’t use sexist or heteronormative language.
Don’t call groups of people “guys” (try “folks” instead).
Don’t use outdated and insensitive language. Example: “cripple.”
Capitalize “Black” and don’t use “master” or other racist language.
Don’t use violent language. Examples: “war,” “overkill,” “pull the trigger.”
Don’t use ableist or ageist language. Examples: “seniors,” “handicapped.”
Don’t use terms rooted in religion. Examples: “guru,” “martyr,” “holy grail,” “pow wow.”
Don’t refer to mental health and related struggles in insensitive ways. Examples: Using “cheers” as an email sign-off or referring to behaviors, situations, or people as “bipolar” or “OCD.”
Consider the global reach of content. Do not use region-specific terms or phrases unless intended for a regional audience.
