Formatting Slashes in Instructions
Formatting Slashes in Instructions records a distinct Microsoft Style Guide authoring convention and keeps it scoped to technical instructions rather than presenting it as a universal grammar rule.
When instructing users to enter a slash or backslash, spell out the term and include the symbol when that improves clarity.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
This convention concerns instructional wording for typed symbols, not general punctuation choice in prose or programming-language syntax.
Further guidance
Content
When instructing users to enter a slash or backslash, spell out the term and include the symbol when that improves clarity.
Purpose
Reduce ambiguity between the two slash characters when the user must type one of them.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Formatting text in instructions — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · Current Microsoft technical-style conventions for formatting UI references, user input, commands, code-related elements, and other text in instructions.