Content

Anchor to Voice and toneVoice and tone

Your written content's voice and tone help you talk to merchants in a consistent, recognizable way.

Voice refers to aspects of writing that are consistent across all contexts and audiences. Tone can change based on the audience and their current context.

Learn how to apply Shopify's voice and choose the right tone, no matter what app you're building, by referring to the Polaris guidelines on voice and tone.

Anchor to Product contentProduct content

The following are some principles behind writing product content for a quality merchant experience.

Anchor to Use plain languageUse plain language

Shopify merchants are located all over the world, have varying levels of literacy, and might not speak English as their first language. Content can easily be mistranslated or misinterpreted.

Structure your content in a clear, efficient way.

Anchor to Be consistentBe consistent

To help merchants understand key concepts and actions, use terms in a consistent way.

One way to ensure consistency is to identify and eliminate synonyms for key concepts and actions.

Anchor to Encourage actionEncourage action

Merchants use Shopify to get things done for their businesses. Write content that helps merchants understand and take the most important actions.

Anchor to Guide, don't prescribeGuide, don't prescribe

Write in a way that puts your merchant at the center and in control. Provide merchants with tools and knowledge for making the best decision.

Anchor to Grammar and mechanicsGrammar and mechanics

For spelling, punctuation, and other grammatical considerations, refer to the Polaris guidelines on grammar and mechanics.