Writing standards

Our writing standards guide how we communicate across Simpler.Grants.gov, ensuring content is consistent, clear, and aligned with user needs. These standards help create a unified voice across all product surfaces — from page headings to form instructions — while reinforcing accessibility, usability, and trust.

These guidelines are grounded in user research, principles of plain language, and established style conventions. They’re designed to help content designers, product teams, and developers write in a way that supports user understanding and reflects the purpose of our service.

This section includes:

• Voice and tone – How we express our brand personality and adjust tone to match user context, especially in moments of support, success, or difficulty.

• Editorial style – Grammar, punctuation, and formatting conventions, as well as guidance on pronouns, contractions, and capitalization, grounded in trusted external style guides.

• Content patterns – Reusable content structures for things like form fields, headings, and error messages that promote clarity and consistency across experiences.

• Terminology usage – Vocabulary decisions based on user research, focusing on words that are familiar, accurate, and inclusive.

Use these standards to create content that is consistent, accessible, and aligned with user expectations.