Recommended: When you add or update
content to an existing project, remember to take these steps: review the style
guide, use checklists, enlist a fellow writer or an editor to copyedit your
work, and request a developmental edit if you feel that it's warranted.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2024-10-15 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eColons are used after introductory phrases that can stand alone as complete sentences to introduce closely-related information like lists.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe first word after a colon is generally lowercase, with exceptions outlined in the capitalization guidelines.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eLists introduced by colons should have introductory phrases that form grammatically complete sentences, unlike constructions that simply end with "are:".\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eFor further guidance on punctuation in introductory material, refer to the sections on list and code-sample introductions.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTo understand the distinctions between colons and dashes, consult the dedicated section on dashes.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["Colons signal that related information will follow. When introducing a list, the preceding text must be a complete sentence. The first word after a colon is typically lowercase, though exceptions exist. Examples include: \"Recommended: Tone: concise,\" and \"Recommended: remember to take these steps: review the style guide.\" Colons are also used within run-in headings, and are preferred over dashes in some contexts, and further details regarding introductions are covered in the list and code sample section.\n"],null,["# Colons\n\nA colon indicates that closely-related information follows.\n\nFor information about using colons with run-in headings, see\n[Description lists that use\nrun-in headings](/style/lists#description-lists-that-use-run-in-headings).\n\nIntroductory phrase preceding colon\n-----------------------------------\n\nWhen a colon introduces a list, the text that precedes the colon must be able\nto stand alone as a complete sentence.\n\nRecommended: The fields are defined as\nfollows:\n\nNot recommended: The fields are:\n\nColons within sentences\n-----------------------\n\nIn general, the first word in the text that follows a colon should be in\nlowercase. For exceptions, see\n[Capitalization and colons](/style/capitalization#capitalization-and-colons).\n\nRecommended: Tone: concise,\nconversational, friendly, respectful\n\nRecommended: When you add or update\ncontent to an existing project, remember to take these steps: review the style\nguide, use checklists, enlist a fellow writer or an editor to copyedit your\nwork, and request a developmental edit if you feel that it's warranted.\n\nSee also\n--------\n\nFor more information about how to punctuate introductory material, see the\nsections on [list introductions](/style/lists#intros) and [code-sample introductions](/style/code-samples#intros).\n\nFor information about when it's better to use colons than dashes, see [Dashes](/style/dashes#colons)."]]
