Introducing Acronyms on First Use
Introducing Acronyms on First Use records Microsoft’s default first-use pattern and its familiarity exceptions.
For most acronyms, spell out the term on first use and put the acronym in parentheses; later mentions can use the acronym alone.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Do not mechanically expand every acronym: Microsoft allows familiar and dictionary-listed forms to stand without expansion and discourages one-off acronym creation.
Further guidance
Content
For most unfamiliar acronyms, introduce the spelled-out term first and put the acronym in parentheses.
Practical Application
For most unfamiliar acronyms, introduce the spelled-out term first and put the acronym in parentheses, then use the acronym on later mentions. Do not expand a familiar/dictionary-listed form mechanically, and avoid creating an acronym that appears only once.
Purpose
Give readers the full meaning before relying on the shortened form.
Reader Check
Will the intended reader understand the acronym without expansion, and will the shortened form be used enough to justify introducing it?
Worked Example
Write “service-level agreement (SLA)” on first use and “SLA” thereafter when readers need the expansion; do not create a one-off abbreviation for a phrase mentioned only once.
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.
- Acronyms checklist — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · Microsoft technical-style checklist for first-use acronym expansion and capitalization of spelled-out forms