Formatting UI Element Names in Instructions captures Microsoft’s bolding, capitalization and clarity conventions for buttons, checkboxes and options.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionWriting & Style
Quick answer
When you must name a UI control in Microsoft-style instructions, bold its name, normally use sentence-style capitalization, and omit words such as “button” unless they add clarity.
Key details
Core IssueMicrosoft instructs writers to avoid unnecessary UI-element labels, but when a button, checkbox or option name must be referenced, to bold the name and normally use sentence-style capitalization unless matching the UI.
Registertechnical procedures and instructions
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
The convention is Microsoft technical style; preserve literal UI text when exact matching is necessary.
Further guidance
Content
Bold a referenced UI control name when needed and normally use sentence-style capitalization unless the actual interface requires matching capitalization.
Purpose
Make procedural actions easy to scan without cluttering instructions with unnecessary control-type words.
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 Command Names in Instructions records the relevant Microsoft Style Guide convention while keeping it explicitly house-style scoped rather than presenting it as a universal grammar rule.
Formatting Dialog 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.
Formatting Menu 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.
Formatting Palette 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.
Formatting Pane 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.
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.
Formatting Window 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.
