Bullets
Guidelines
Bulleted lists rarely require punctuation. However, bulleted lists made of longer phrases or sentences may need some kind of punctuation.
Periods should only be used at the end of bulleted list items every item is a complete sentence. Don't mix-and-match complete and incomplete sentences.
Commas can be used to separate series in a bulleted item, but the series could also be split up into sub-bullets where appropriate.
How to Order Bullets
There are a number of different ways to order bullets depending on the context of the list. Every page is different, so if you have a situation that doesn't fit any of these examples, ask someone for a second opinion.
The default order for a bulleted list is however the client submitted it, but otherwise A-Z order is a good choice.
A-Z
This is used for lists of nouns (person, place, or thing).
Duties & Responsibilities (A-Z Example)
The Public Works Department is responsible for the following:
- There should be no space above bulleted lists.
- Avoid over-bulleting.
- Bullets should only go (at the most) two levels deep.
- The first letter of each item in a bulleted list should be capitalized.
- There should be a break between the bottom of a bulleted list and the next text.
Bulleted lists rarely require punctuation. However, bulleted lists made of longer phrases or sentences may need some kind of punctuation.
Periods should only be used at the end of bulleted list items every item is a complete sentence. Don't mix-and-match complete and incomplete sentences.
Commas can be used to separate series in a bulleted item, but the series could also be split up into sub-bullets where appropriate.
How to Order Bullets
There are a number of different ways to order bullets depending on the context of the list. Every page is different, so if you have a situation that doesn't fit any of these examples, ask someone for a second opinion.
The default order for a bulleted list is however the client submitted it, but otherwise A-Z order is a good choice.
A-Z
This is used for lists of nouns (person, place, or thing).
Duties & Responsibilities (A-Z Example)
The Public Works Department is responsible for the following:
- Crack sealing
- Fleet maintenance
- Pothole repair
- Street sweeping
In this example, crack sealing, fleet maintenance, pothole repair, and street sweeping are all things - duties that the department handles.
Duties & Responsibilities (Example with No A-Z Necessary)
Community Development is responsible for: Duties & Responsibilities (Example with No A-Z Necessary)
- Encouraging businesses to relocate to Civic City
- Helping existing businesses to expand their operations within Civic City
- Studying and preparing initiatives to help the city attain the goals in the Comprehensive Plan
These bullet items are more than just simple nouns - they are more like full phrases - and users will not be trying to skim these in alphabetical order.