An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock
( )
or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Do not use a hyphen for commonly recognized terms such as governmentwide and agencywide. At GSA, we have an exception where there is a hyphen in Office of Government-wide Policy.
The AP Stylebook has an entry on suffixes with some guidance and examples for other words. If the word is not listed in their entry, use Merriam-Webster’s. In general, we do not hyphenate.
Examples
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Using pre-competed governmentwide acquisition contracts will help …
Using pre-competed government-wide acquisition contracts will help …
Our Office of Government-wide Policy provides forward-thinking policy, guidance, and best practices …
Our Office of Governmentwide Policy provides forward-thinking policy, guidance, and best practices …
An abbreviation is any shortened form, like St. for Street, or MD for Maryland. You can use accepted abbreviations in lengthy navigation titles, forms, charts, and tables.
Avoid using them where you can, including Latin abbreviations and in headlines (unless your audience will know it). If you must use them, define them and follow the guidelines that make copy easier to read.
Use abbreviations with full names, dates and numbers and with numbered addresses.
Examples
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Gov. Jane Doe
Governor Jane Doe
The meeting starts at 4 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2022.
The meeting starts at 4pm on January 4, 2022.
The courthouse at 400 E. 9th St. in Kansas City, Missouri.
The courthouse at 400 E 9th St in Kansas City, MO.
An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of a series of words: MAS stands for Multiple Award Schedule.
Since you cannot assume users have seen other pages on our site, spell out the acronym the first time you use it in body copy on the page. Then use the acronym in all other references that follow. Using acronyms in page titles or headings is OK, but try to rephrase them soon in the body copy.
Remember:
Do not follow first references with the acronym, parentheses, quote marks, or all of the above.
Do not capitalize acronyms or initialisms when they are spelled out, unless it is a proper noun.
Also, avoid spelling out U.S. General Services Administration or using third-person language, except in products like news items that are designed to be reused outside our site where first person language would not be effective. See GSA, U.S. General Services Administration entry.
Examples
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FBI, EU, U.S., CIA, IRS, NASA, NATO, etc. (these are widely recognizable on first reference).
Federal Bureau of Investigation, European Union, United States, Central Intelligence Agency, Internal Revenue Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and North American Treaty Organization.
Today the Technology Modernization Fund announced investments to modernize networks. These planned projects are the result of close collaboration between the TMF and agency partners.
Today, the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced investments to modernize networks. These planned projects are the result of close collaboration between the TMF and agency partners.
Our asbestos management plans are building specific and address the types of asbestos containing materials, the quantity and the location. GSA minimizes asbestos exposure to building occupants by managing ACM in place as long as it is in good visual condition.
Our Asbestos Management Plans are building specific and address the types of asbestos containing materials, the quantity and the location. GSA minimizes asbestos exposure to building occupants by managing ACM in place as long as it is in good visual condition.
Today the Technology Modernization Fund announced investments in several federal agencies. The TMF will help to modernize networks in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and help the U.S. Federal Trade Commission implement zero trust architecture to boost cybersecurity.
Today, the Technology Modernization Fund announced investments to modernize networks in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while also helping the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) implement zero trust architecture to boost cybersecurity.
Treat them as headings — use sentence case (capitalize first letter and proper nouns only).
Examples
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Address form
Address Form
Mailing address
Mailing Address
Source: GSA local style
Capitalization
For page titles and headings (using HTML tags h2, h3, h4) use sentence case, which means to capitalize only the first word, proper nouns and the first word following a colon. Do not use ending punctuation in headlines, headings or page titles, unless required for abbreviation or clarity.
In body copy, only capitalize the first word after a colon if it is a proper noun or would be a complete sentence.
Do not capitalize acronyms or initialisms when they are spelled out, unless it is a proper noun.
Capitalize all acronyms and initialisms on subsequent references, but do not put the acronym directly after the first reference with parenthesis or comma.
See our glossary for more capitalization examples.
Examples
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[Headline] Teamwork key during Region 10 relocation project
[Headline] Teamwork Key During Region 10 Relocation Project
[Heading] Accessible facility design
[Heading] Accessible Facility Design
There were three considerations: expense, time and feasibility.
There were three considerations: Expense, time and feasibility.
A land port of entry, or border station, provides controlled entry to or departure from the United States for persons or materials.
A Land Port Of Entry (LPOE), or border station, provides controlled entry to or departure from the United States for persons or materials.
GSA supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
GSA supports Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
Our blanket purchase agreements with Multiple Award Schedule holders offer charging stations and ancillary services …
The GSA Blanket Purchase Agreements with Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) holders offer charging stations and ancillary services …
When you need to include a contact, use a single generic contact (phone number, email or both) that feeds into a group inbox or customer relationship management system. Avoid putting the contact information on the right rail; put it in the body of the page instead.
If you must use more than one contact, clarify the specific purpose for each contact. Avoid using contact information that names individuals. This means you might need to establish a Google Group to have a generic email address with members that can be switched out.
Abbreviate months with more than five letters when using the month and day or month, day, and year. Do not abbreviate any months if the day is not included.
Use commas to separate the day and year, or to set off the year in a sentence.
Always use Arabic figures, without st, nd, rd or th.
If you use numbered dates such as 02/16/2022 in a table, consider formatting as YYYY/MM/DD if the table is sortable or exportable.
If you use dates with the month as a word in a table, use the first three letters of the word without periods.
When publishing digital content, use HTML whenever possible. Burying key information inside documents, such as PDFs and Microsoft or Google products, makes it hard for users to find information or complete a task. Do not force users to browse documents online. Instead, pull out important information and place it directly on the webpage.
Why you should not use PDFs or other documents
OMB says to use HTML as the default when creating and publishing content online and not to use PDF or DOCX formats that are designed for printing or preserving and protecting the content and layout of the document.
They are difficult to read on a screen because they were typically planned for a printed sheet of paper. These layouts are jarring to users and hard to navigate in a different layout from the webpages where there is standard navigation to stay oriented with where they are or how to get back to where they were before.
Users tend to ignore content in PDFs. When users must find information they need in them, you put the burden on them to follow the link, get the browser to open or download the file, and pore over the document to find what they need. They may also be slower to load, which is frustrating to users.
PDF content may not show up in search results because search engines prioritize webpage results over PDFs or may not be able to search them at all.
They are more difficult to keep updated and compliant with Section 508. PDFs need special remediation in order for assistive technology to read the content of the PDF correctly. If you need to make a change to a PDF, you need to remediate the document all over again. You don’t need to do this if the information is simply in HTML.
It can be harder to see how users interact with them (clicks inside of them or reading them).
GSA.gov and InSite content management systems do not flag them to be updated regularly like webpages, which leads to outdated, inaccurate, or conflicting info. We do not keep records or standard procedures regarding PDF maintenance or content.
It can be harder to control versions and stop unauthorized access and distribution of outdated content or revoked document access. Once a user downloads a file, they can distribute it to others as they see fit. To combat this, consider QR codes or short URLs to point to your webpage for physical meetings instead of printing marketing material and other leave-behinds. It’s easy to update a page with the latest info, and hard copies you hand out can quickly become inaccurate.
PDFs or other documents may be suitable when
Documents that should not be converted to HTML and must be posted for legislative compliance, transparency, or posterity. For example, memorandums of understanding, leases, contracts, reports, or other documents. This does not include meeting agendas, minutes, discussion papers, or other documents that can be converted to HTML for better user experience.
Necessary for the target audience to have in a printed format. For example, if your target audience does not work in front of a screen or have ready internet access.
A user needs to complete a task, such as printing out a list or submitting an official form.
Avoid publishing the following types of content on public-facing sites:
Internal memos, except for:
Freedom of Information Act documents posted in the FOIA section.
GSA internal directives, which are published in the directives library as public information.
Documents
Old or outdated documents. Use our records retention schedule to determine when it should be deleted from the site.
Duplicate copies of documents, directives, or forms. Instead link directly to the original source.
Forms
Do not link to Google forms or publish PDF versions of forms that are not available in the GSA Forms Library. If you’ve created a fillable PDF that you’d like added to our forms library, contact forms@gsa.gov.
Avoid FAQs, and instead incorporate answers to common questions within context for readers. Include important information, like which services are available and how people can get them, into page content where it makes the most sense for readers and helps them answer their own questions.
Reasons to avoid FAQs
FAQs require more cognitive load to process the extra words. For example, it takes 21 words to say Q: How long will it take to hear from you? A: It usually takes us 1–2 business days to hear from us. If you write it in the content, it only takes 10 words to say: It usually takes us 1–2 business days to contact you.
FAQs that reiterate information already on the page increase cognitive load for users.
Users may spend extra effort looking for their question in a list and become frustrated when you have not listed every possible question.
FAQs can become a lengthy repository where content accumulates without standard reviews to remove irrelevant, duplicative, or inaccurate information.
The questions are often not phrased in the way a user would ask.
Examples
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You should receive access within three business days after we receive your supervisor’s approval. For more help, contact eRETA@gsa.gov.
Q: How long should it take for me to gain access after my supervisor forwards my application? A: It should take no longer than three business days. If it takes longer or if you experience any issues, reach out to eRETA@gsa.gov.
Consider using a question format only if:
You have actual questions that the target audience repeatedly asks.
The content would be more clear and scannable for the user, due to the nature or number of questions.
You formulate a written answer that is helpful to the user.
Limit the number of FAQs to only what is truly required. Divide long lists into sublists with user-centered subheadings.
If your content meets the above criteria, use a heading style to display the question and normal style for the answer. See an example on the federal ID card contact page.
Less means not as much. Use less when referring to things that you cannot count. Fewer means not as many. Use fewer when referring to things you can count.
On first reference, use fiscal year 2023 (as an example). On subsequent references, use FY 2023. Use Q1, Q2, etc., in headings if it would be clear to your audience.
Examples
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Do not do this
The U.S. General Services Administration today released the fiscal year 2021 travel per diem rates …
The U.S. General Services Administration today released the Fiscal Year 2021 travel per diem rates …
As of July 2021, you can view the fiscal year 2020 Small Business Goaling Report, per the SBA’s instructions.
As of July 2021, you can view the FY20 Small Business Goaling Report, per the SBA’s instructions.
On GSA sites, users understand the context to be all things GSA by default. Most of the time, you do not need to specify GSA as the agency that owns the program, product, service, policy, and so on. On most pages we should talk to our audience rather than about our agency.
When we need to talk about the agency, simply use GSA. If the full agency name appears in the global header, consider it to be the first reference on every page. In news releases, speeches and biographies spell out the full agency name on first reference, since they may be consumed outside GSA.gov.
To write with a more conversational style, use pronouns “we,” “us,” and “our.”
Avoid making GSA possessive. AP style considers the agency name an adjunct noun modifier acting as a descriptive, rather than a possessive, so you do not need an apostrophe.
Do not add “the” before GSA, because there are General Services Administrations in some states. Also “GSA” is more concise than “the GSA” is more concise without losing clarity. You can use “the GSA” as a modifier.
Examples
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Our portfolio of owned and leased buildings
GSA’s portfolio of owned and leased buildings
GSA Federal Acquisition Service
GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service
GSA Public Buildings Service
GSA’s Public Buildings Service
Our administrator
GSA’s administrator
Our Northeast and Caribbean Region
U.S General Services Administration’s Northeast and Caribbean Region
Visit the glossary on GSA.gov to find the right style for GSA-specific terms.
When using the term in digital content, consider adding an adjacent link to the glossary definition for the convenience of users who may be unfamiliar with the term.
How to build a link to a specific glossary entry
Select a term in the glossary.
Locate the anchor ID in the source code associated with the term.
To build a direct link to a glossary term
From outside GSA.gov, use: gsa.gov/glossary#[anchorID]. For example, a direct link to our multiple award schedule information technology entry is: gsa.gov/glossary#MAS-IT.
From other GSA.gov pages, remember to format it as a link to a GSA page (node/139462#[anchorID]).
Source: GSA local style
Headings, including page titles and headlines
A heading is the title or topic of a content item such as a page, document, article, chapter or section.
Use sentence case (capitalize first letter and proper nouns only), not title case. Do not put periods or other punctuation, such as a colon, at the end. You can put a question mark if the heading is a question.
Headings communicate the organization of the content on the page. They must follow a logical order to be compliant with web accessibility requirements. There are six different levels of headings: H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6. A heading 1, or H1, is the largest and most important heading. An H6 is the smallest and least important heading. When creating pages, you must properly rank headings to structure the page so that web browsers, plug-ins, and assistive technologies can use them to provide in-page navigation.
When transferring content from a word processing program to the web, your CMS likely relies on starting with plain text. You may need to reapply your heading styles again.
In a Microsoft Word or Google document, do not introduce Heading 1 style before Title style — if your document has a Title style which is usually reserved for separate title pages.
Use short, clear, and descriptive link language so readers understand what they’ll get if they click, and people who use assistive technology can better scan and use the information.
Link noun phrases (without the article) instead of verbs.
Avoid duplicating content. Link to content in its original location.
Do not:
Use “click here,” “read more” or other vague phrases. Instead, consider using the title of the page you’re linking to as the clickable link.
Link a full sentence.
Link to a destination more than once in the same paragraph.
Link from a GSA.gov page to the GSA.gov homepage.
Link to a GSA shortcut URL, as it can change or expire without warning.
Link to Google docs, sheets, slides, or forms from GSA.gov.
Link to an intranet site from an internet site.
Underline phrases that are not links.
When transferring content from a word processing program to the web, your CMS likely relies on starting with plain text. You may need to rebuild your links again.
External website links
Do not add “non-government site” for external website links. The GSA.gov CMS automatically displays an external link icon for links you designate as external. For other sites, follow USWDS style or local style for designating external links.
Document links
GSA.gov
The GSA.gov CMS automatically displays the document type and size alongside links you designate as internal documents.
If you add a link to a document on an external site, you will need to manually add the document type inside the link like this: [PDF].
Non-GSA.gov sites
Functionality varies depending on the CMS you use. Use whatever means are appropriate to your CMS to ensure the type and size is annotated for internal documents and the type is annotated for external documents.
We do not follow AP style for lists, which uses dashes instead of bullets in front of list items.
Format list items (using the bulleted list tool provided in your CMS editor) as follows:
Capitalize the first word following the bullet (this is called sentence case) and proper nouns.
Use periods, not semicolons or commas, at the end of each list item, if it is a full sentence. Do not use a period if the list item is a phrase or single word.
Use parallel construction for each item in a list (parallel verbs are boldface):
Start with the same part of speech for each item (in this example, a verb).
Use the same voice (active or passive) for each item.
Use the same verb tense for each item.
Use the same sentence type (statement, question, exclamation) for each item.
Use just a phrase for each item, if desired.
If you need to include more than one sentence, preferably make it a paragraph.
Using other punctuation is OK as needed.
Order dated lists from the most current to the oldest.
Use numbered lists only for steps or counting. Otherwise choose bulleted lists. Do not use parentheses.
Examples
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Generally speaking, federal contractors and businesses interested in providing goods and services to the government must:
Find available opportunities with the government relevant to their business.
Make necessary preparations for bidding on a GSA contract.
Submit an offer.
Generally speaking, federal contractors and businesses interested in providing goods and services to the government must:
find available opportunities with the government relevant to their business,
make necessary preparations for bidding on a GSA contract, and
submit an offer.
In addition to office buildings, GSA properties include:
Land ports of entry
Courthouses
Laboratories
Post offices
Data processing centers
In addition to office buildings, GSA properties include:
Land ports of entry.
Courthouses.
Laboratories.
Post offices.
Data processing centers.
Federal agencies can meet their small business contracting goals while also meeting their needs for state of the art IT support through GSA trusted small business industry partners, including:
Small businesses
Women-owned small businesses
8(a) small disadvantaged businesses
HUBZone small businesses
Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses
Federal agencies can meet their small business contracting goals while also meeting their needs for state of the art IT support through GSA trusted small business industry partners, including:
Small businesses;
Women-owned small businesses;
8(a) small disadvantaged businesses;
HUBZone small businesses; and
Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs).
Do not burden users by forcing them to mentally process instructions about where to go to click on something. Just provide the link in the proper context to make it easy for users.
GSA Fleet avoided approximately $1,455,000 in installation costs.
GSA Fleet avoided approximately $1.455M in installation costs.
To date, users of the GSAAuctions platform have successfully bid for a total of over 25 bitcoin and 150 litecoin, with a total estimated value of more than $1 million.
To date, users of the GSAAuctions platform have successfully bid for a total of over twenty-five bitcoin and one-hundred and fifty litecoin, with a total estimated value of more than $1M.
IDIQs are used when GSA cannot determine, above a specified minimum, the precise quantities of products or services that the government will require during the contract period (which often spans more than five years).
IDIQs are used when GSA can’t determine, above a specified minimum, the precise quantities of products or services that the government will require during the contract period (which often spans 5+ years).
Any eligible entity with an interest in acquiring the property for a use consistent with the purposes stated above should submit a letter of interest to the address below within 60 days from the date of this notice.
Any eligible entity with an interest in acquiring the property for a use consistent with the purposes stated above should submit a letter of interest to the address below within 60 (sixty) days from the date of this notice.
List of eligible entities.
How to request an eligibility determination.
I. List of eligible entities II. How to request an eligibility determination
Numbers used to indicate order (first, second, 10th, 25th, etc.) are called ordinal numbers. Spell out first through ninth (fourth grade, first base) and use figures starting with 10th. If in a series, consider recasting to be tighter.
Examples
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Vending machines are on Floors 5, 7, 9 and 11.
Vending machines are on the 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th floors.
The U.S. General Services Administration kicked off its second season of the …
The U.S. General Services Administration kicked off its 2nd season of the …
In this course you will learn about our second generation Information Technology Blanket Purchase Agreements that …
In this course you will learn about GSA’s 2nd Generation Information Technology Blanket Purchase Agreements (2GIT BPAs) that …
Use the % sign when paired with a number, with no space, in most cases (an AP change in 2019). Also use figures, even under 10.
Examples
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By 2030, the federal government is expected to use 100% carbon pollution-free electricity on a net annual basis, including 50% on a 24/7 (hourly matching) basis.
By 2030, the federal government is expected to use 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity on a net annual basis, including 50 percent on a 24/7 (hourly matching) basis.
A primary courthouse is a courthouse where the judiciary … occupy 75% or more of the rentable square footage in the facility.
A primary courthouse is a courthouse where the judiciary … occupy 75 percent or more of the rentable square footage in the facility.
Do not put “coming soon” or “under construction” pages on live sites. Publishing pages that are empty creates credibility issues. Just wait until the new content is complete, and post it then.
There are also SEO repercussions to posting “coming soon.” Publishing pages that are empty can also affect an established page’s ranking in search engines. When search crawlers discover that a page with previously rich content is now blank, it can drop it at the bottom of its search engine results ranking or exclude it altogether. Without the ranking, a site could lose organic traffic.
Examples
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The Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-463) created a structured process for creating, operating, and terminating federal advisory committees that provide advice to the U.S. Executive Branch.
Page coming soon! Watch this space for news about the 50th Anniversary of FACA!
Plain language law requires that anyone who needs our web content can find, understand, and use it the first time. Plain language also helps us reach more people with our missions, messages, products, and services. When creating information for web distribution:
Focus on the user and their top tasks. Only include information that helps users complete those tasks and use clear, intentional calls to action.
Keep it simple and meet the user’s level of understanding of the topic.
Use clear page titles and headings. Skip the acronyms and government jargon.
Use files and formats that allow all users to access information.
Use short sentences and words for easy scanning.
Just because information is out there does not mean your intended audiences can find it.
Consider a content audit to clean up, clear out, move, and relabel content to make it easier for users to find. Email webstyleguide@gsa.gov if you have questions or need more information about content audits.
Use analytics to see if users are engaging and following calls to action.
Regularly remind users that they can find up-to-date information on your webpage.
Readability
There is not a standard readability level your content must meet. Where possible, try to incrementally lower it from where it started. Email us at webstyleguide@gsa.gov if you need access to Siteimprove, a tool for quality assurance.
Examples
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We will use the information to develop a contract vehicle so you can get proactive and reactive cybersecurity services. Some of the services are:
Penetration testing.
Incident response.
Security engineering (including after an incident or to fix assessment findings).
The information gained will be used to develop a contract vehicle to help our customers procure both proactive and reactive cybersecurity services, such as penetration testing, incident response, and security engineering to include post-incident or post-assessment remediation.
The life cycle of our projects includes planning, design and construction, and operations and maintenance. In all of these phases, we use sustainable performance markers to make sure our site work landscapes support natural ecological functions — both protecting existing ones and regenerating capacity where it’s been lost.
Throughout the life cycle of each GSA-owned or -operated site—from planning to design and construction, and through operations and maintenance—sustainable performance benchmarks in the area of site work enable built and managed landscapes to support natural ecological functions while lowering overall development and maintenance costs by protecting existing healthy ecosystems and regenerating ecological capacity where it has been lost.
Identify your audience and address them directly. Use pronouns such as “you” or ”your” to refer to the reader and use “we” or “our” when referring to GSA or our organization. Using pronouns makes the actor clear and makes the tone more conversational.
Use the ampersand when it is part of an organization’s formal name or composition title: American Bar Association Debarment & Suspension.
Do not use it in place of the word “and” except in accepted abbreviations.
Examples
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The utility is not required under the areawide contract to provide guaranteed performance, measurement and verification, and O&M services.
The utility is not required under the areawide contract to provide guaranteed performance, measurement and verification, and O and M services.
The SBIR program is a highly competitive awards-based program coordinated by the U.S. Small Business Administration that encourages domestic small businesses to explore their R&D potential …
The SBIR program is a highly competitive awards-based program coordinated by the U.S. Small Business Administration that encourages domestic small businesses to explore their R and D potential …
Performance, measurement and verification, and operation and maintenance needs.
Performance, Measurement & Verification, and Operation & Maintenance Needs.
Use an apostrophe to create possessives, plural nouns, omitted letters (contractions), and omitted figures. Use only an apostrophe (without s) when making a possessive out of a singular proper name, such as PBS or FAS.
Use an apostrophe (not an open single quote) when omitting characters. Type the apostrophe key twice and delete the first entry to get an apostrophe, or type Alt 0146 for a closing single quote).
Examples
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SBA’s annual scorecard measures how successfully federal agencies reach their small business and socioeconomic prime contracting and subcontracting goals.
SBAs annual scorecard measures how successfully federal agencies reach their small business and socioeconomic prime contracting and subcontracting goals.
Prior to that, Jane worked for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Prior to that, Jane worked for the U.S. House of Representatives’s Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
PBS’ Office of Portfolio Management and Customer Engagement offers free “virtual classroom” webinars to help inform our Federal customers about workplace initiatives, real property policies/processes and value-added services.
PBS’s Office of Portfolio Management and Customer Engagement offers free “virtual classroom” webinars to help inform our Federal customers about workplace initiatives, real property policies/processes and value-added services.
If a comma does not help clarify what is being said, it should not be there. If omitting a comma could lead to confusion or misinterpretation, then use the comma.
We do not follow AP Style so we use a comma before “and” or “or” in a series of three or more items — unless it’s a very simple series and a comma would not provide clarity.
Examples
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“The American dream must be open to every American, including the 1.4 million LGBTQ business owners that help power the national economy.”
“The American dream must be open to every American including the 1.4 million LGBTQ business owners that help power the national economy.”
Historically we have worked with federal agencies, travelers, and the travel industry to improve the process of establishing federal lodging per diem rates.
Historically, we have worked with federal agencies, travelers, and the travel industry to improve the process of establishing federal lodging per diem rates.
Whenever possible, client agencies are located in existing government-owned space.
Whenever possible client agencies are located in existing government-owned space.
GSA considers certain criteria including availability of service, total number of flights, flight availability, average elapsed flight time, and price of service.
GSA considers certain criteria including availability of service, total number of flights, flight availability, average elapsed flight time and price of service.
Browse real estate auctions, opportunities, and sales at …
Browse real estate auctions and opportunities and sales at …
Colons may be used for emphasis, lists, dialogue, Q and A, and with quotes. Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. If you apply bold to the word or phrase before the colon, make the colon bold too.
Do not use colons when you have a heading style.
Do not put a space before the colon, but put one space after the colon.
Examples
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The U.S. Digital Corps launched last year to recruit early-career technologists to work on priority projects in five skill tracks: software engineering, data science and analytics, product management, design, and cybersecurity.
The U.S. Digital Corps launched last year to recruit early-career technologists to work on priority projects in five skill tracks: Software engineering, data science and analytics, product management, design, and cybersecurity.
Please note that eligible entities have distinct entity types: state and local, educational, tribal, and other.
Please note that eligible entities have distinct entity types: State and Local, Educational, Tribal, and Other.
Cloud first storage: Cloud computing enables convenient, rapid, and on-demand computer network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources.
Cloud First Storage: cloud computing enables convenient, rapid, and on-demand computer network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources.
In lists (on GSA.gov and InSite), we use bullets; not dashes.
Put a space on both sides of an em dash in all uses.
AP does not use en dashes (the width of the letter N).
Use hyphens as joiners, such as for compound modifiers and ranges. To decide whether or which words to hyphenate in compound modifiers, first look up the phrase in Merriam-Webster’s.
Here are general guidelines for hyphens:
Usually the verb form is not hyphenated, but the noun form is.
Usually a compound modifier that follows a noun does not take a hyphen.
Be aware that hyphenating compound modifiers makes them multi-syllable “words” that drive up readability scores.
Do not hyphenate compound modifiers that end in -ly.
There should be no spaces surrounding a hyphen.
Examples
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Do I — a wage grade or General Schedule employee — get Sunday premium pay for overtime worked?
Do I - a wage grade or General Schedule employee - get Sunday Premium Pay for overtime worked?
As we approach that date, using on-site power generation becomes more critical.
As we approach that date, using onsite power generation becomes more critical.
GSA cannot answer tax-related questions or provide tax advice.
GSA cannot answer tax related questions or provide tax advice.
If a GSA-controlled facility does not have security officers at building entrances, do contractors need to present the certification of vaccination to any other individuals (such as a tenant agency or building manager)?
If a GSA-controlled-facility does not have security officers at building entrances, do contractors need to present the certification of vaccination to any other individuals (such as a tenant agency or building manager)?
GWACs provide access to best-in-class IT solutions.
GWACs provide access to best in class IT solutions.
PBS manages GSA-owned properties and private sector-leased properties, which include office buildings, courthouses, land ports of entry, and warehouses.
PBS manages GSA owned properties and private-sector-leased properties, which include office buildings, courthouses, land ports of entry, and warehouses.
To surround the exact words of a speaker or writer.
In composition titles.
For irony or unfamiliar terms.
Use single quotes if quoting within a quote or a headline.
Do not put quotes in Q-and-A dialogue.
Examples
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Do not do this
Search our database for GSA forms, standard government forms that start with the letters “SF,” optional government forms that start with the letters “OF,” and other forms …
Search our database for GSA forms, standard government forms that start with the letters SF, optional government forms that start with the letters OF, and other forms …
Also known as Multiple-Award Schedules, Federal Supply Schedules or GSA Schedules, these are the primary contract vehicles …
Also known as Multiple-Award Schedules (MAS), “Federal Supply Schedules (FSS)” or “GSA Schedules,” these are the primary contract vehicles …
To separate information more than a comma can convey but less than a period can.
To clarify a series.
To link independent clauses.
When they are used with quotation marks, place them outside the quote mark.
Examples
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This first cohort of fellows includes veterans; technologists who have reskilled from other fields; and recent graduates from certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs.
This first cohort of fellows includes veterans, technologists who have reskilled from other fields, and recent graduates from certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs.
The GSA City Pair Program began in 1980 with 11 markets; it will serve 12,139 line item markets next year.
The GSA City Pair Program began in 1980 with 11 markets, it will serve 12,139 line item markets next year.
Identify load reduction measures appropriate for the facility. Investigate separating loads into:
Life, health and safety-driven.
Mission critical.
Non-critical.
Identify load reduction measures appropriate for the facility. Investigate separating loads into: (1) Life, health and safety driven; (2) Mission critical; and, (3) Non-critical.
Avoid them. If you must use one, there is no space on either side.
Note: a slash or forward slash (/) is different from a backslash (\).
Examples
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GSA anticipates making the first awards later this summer in its new governmentwide construction and design/build IDIQ contracts, established …
GSA anticipates making the first awards later this summer in its new governmentwide construction and design / build IDIQ contracts, established …
Engine status data for engine protocols (fuel usage/KWh percentage of charge, voltage, coolant and temp)
Engine status data for engine protocols (fuel usage/KWh % of charge/voltage/coolant/temp)
Are the testing services under Schedule 66 conducted on-site or in a contractor’s facility? Either (or a combination of both) is possible, depending on the customer’s requirement.
Are the testing services under Schedule 66 conducted on-site or in a contractor’s facility? Both, either/or depending on the customer’s requirement.
Use curly (also known as smart) quotes and apostrophes instead of straight. If the font uses straight quotes, use the table below to manually adjust them to curly.
Special character
Windows
Mac
HTML
Opening single quote (‘)
alt 0145
option + ]
‘
Closing single quote (’)
alt 0146
option, shift + ]
’
Opening double quotes (“)
alt 0147
option + [
“
Closing double quotes (”)
alt 0148
option, shift + [
”
Vertical bar (|)
Also called a pipe, this symbol was used in math, computing and physics. You can use it to separate content where appropriate. Put a space on either side.
Use register when it’s part of a proper noun or to describe enrolling in training or tracking vehicles. Do not use register to describe creating an account.
Examples
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Do not do this
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of our country’s historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. Listing historic properties in the national register encourages their preservation and marks them as important touchstones of our shared heritage.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of our country’s historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. Listing historic properties in the database encourages their preservation and marks them as important touchstones of our shared heritage.
Register online by Sept. 30.
Sign up online by Sept. 30.
We will register vehicles in the Federal Motor Vehicle Registration System.
We will log federal vehicles in the Federal Motor Vehicle Registration System.
Your business must create an account in SAM before it can be awarded a contract.
Your business must register in SAM before it can be awarded a contract.
Requests for paper copies of GSA forms may be sent to forms@gsa.gov. Please include form number, title, and quantity needed.
Requests for paper copies of GSA forms may be sent to forms@gsa.gov. Please include form number, title, and quantity needed.
We are committed to ensuring a strong culture of evaluation, evidence building, and learning. We generate and use rigorous evidence to inform policy and programmatic decisions.
We are committed to ensuring a strong culture of evaluation, evidence building, and learning. We generate and use rigorous evidence to inform policy and programmatic decisions.
Use sign in or sign out to describe starting or ending a digital session that requires a username and password.
Do not use other variations like log in, login, log into, log on, logon, log onto, log off, log out, logout, sign into, sign-in, signoff, sign off or sign on unless these terms appear in the user interface (and you’re writing instructions).
In general, avoid adding text styling, such as bold, italics, color, font, or size. Your website’s content management and design systems are automatically programmed to provide a consistent style and user experience.
When transferring content from a word processing program to the web, your CMS likely relies on starting with plain text. If you had bold or italics in your word processing version, you will need to reapply it in the CMS.
In the rare cases where you need to manually add bold or italics in the source code, make sure the HTML uses <strong> and <em> (not <b> or <i>). In Microsoft Word, use the Styles pane “Strong” and “Emphasis,” rather than using the Bold or Italic buttons in the Font pane. These are better for accessibility.
AP style does not use italics. As with all style guidance, the author can choose to use italics as appropriate.
Do not underline any words or phrases that are not links. Use the links guidance when creating links.
Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes only when displaying a time other than the beginning of the hour (do not use a colon or following 00 with a time at the beginning of an hour). Also use a hyphen with no spaces before and after for time ranges.
Capitalize the full name of the time in force within a particular zone. Lowercase all but the region in short forms.
The abbreviations EST, CDT, etc., are acceptable on first reference for zones used within the continental United States, Canada and Mexico only if the abbreviation is linked with a clock reading.
Examples
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Sundays 8 p.m. to Fridays 8:30 p.m. Central time
Sundays 8 PM to Fridays 8:30 PM Central Time
Agenda (all times in Central Daylight Time)
Agenda (all times in central daylight time)
We’re available Sunday 9 p.m.–Friday 9:30 p.m. Eastern time
We’re available Sunday 9:00pm – Friday 9:30pm Eastern Time
Hours of operation are 6 a.m.–6 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday.
Hours of operation are 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (CST), Monday through Friday.
Capitalize all words except articles (a, an, the), prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.) and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, etc.) —unless they start or end the title.
Put quotation marks around books, movies, plays, poems, albums, songs, operas, radio and television programs, lectures, speeches, and works of art.
Do not use quotation marks for sculptures.
Do not use quotation marks for reports, guides, handbooks, and guidance documents.
Examples
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Alexander Calder’s painted steel Flamingo (1974) was the first artwork commissioned under the Art in Architecture program.
Alexander Calder’s painted steel Flamingo (1974) was the first artwork commissioned under the Art in Architecture program.
Flutter consists of a pair of sculpted lawns that mimic rippling water or sand, a familiar sight to residents and visitors of coastal south Florida.
“Flutter” consists of a pair of sculpted lawns that mimic rippling water or sand, a familiar sight to residents and visitors of coastal south Florida.
The Federal Fleet Report
The federal fleet report
Fiscal Year 2022 Congressional Justification
This fiscal year’s Congressional Justification.
2021 Agency Financial Report
Get all of our Agency Financial Reports.
Leasing policy and procedures are reflected in the Leasing Desk Guide.
Leasing policy and procedures are reflected in this Guide.
Most of the time, use lowercase for URLs, email addresses, and newsgroup addresses.
To refer to an entire website or top-level domain, such as Microsoft.com, omit http://www from the URL.
If the website name uses an acronym, write the acronym in all caps.
But for other websites, capitalize according to the context of the use. If in a list or starting a sentence, capitalize the first letter; otherwise, follow the proper noun for the name of the site.
This style allows screen readers to distinctly pronounce every word in the address (as they do in hashtags) instead of reading it as one long jumbled word. This pattern helps visually impaired screen reader users, as well as someone with dyslexia or an intellectual disability.
The abbreviation is acceptable as a noun or adjective for United States. In body copy you can write U.S. (with periods) or United States. In headlines, refer to proper nouns as they are named. Even though AP Stylebook guidance is to remove periods from “U.S.” in headlines, we keep them in.
Examples
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Find current rates in the continental United States by searching below.
Find current rates in the continental US by searching below.
We have offices across the country and overseas, including eleven regional offices located in major U.S. cities.
We have offices across the country and overseas, including eleven regional offices located in major US cities.
[Headline] Administrator Carnahan joins Texas officials, U.S. District Courts for San Antonio Federal Courthouse dedication
[Headline] Administrator Carnahan joins Texas officials, US District Courts for San Antonio Federal Courthouse dedication
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations,
unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where
lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within
those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties,
including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties
(unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is
located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the
entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties,
even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
U.S. General Services Administration