Writing & StyleStyle guide

Formatting Tab Names in Instructions

Formatting Tab Names 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.

Quick answer

When a tab must be named in Microsoft-style instructions, bold the tab name and normally use sentence-style capitalization unless matching the UI requires otherwise.

Key details

Core Issueformatting tab names in instructions
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Important caveats

Scope Boundary

Avoid unnecessary discussion of tabs when the instruction can name the selectable item directly.

Further guidance

Content

When a tab must be named in Microsoft-style instructions, bold the tab name and normally use sentence-style capitalization unless matching the UI requires otherwise.

Purpose

Keep tab references scannable while prioritizing the action the user needs to take.

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.

  1. 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.

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