This page describes how to use product names. ## Capitalize product names In general, Google product names are in *title case*, sometimes called *init-capped*, which means that every word is capitalized except for prepositions like *of* or *on* and articles like *a* or *the*. When you refer to a Google product, use title case except when you're matching a UI label. For information about how to refer to UI labels, see [UI elements and interaction](https://developers.google.com/style/ui-elements). When you write about any product, follow the official capitalization for the names of brands, companies, software, products, services, features, and terms defined by companies and open source communities. - For example, if you're using Kubernetes-related terms, then follow the capitalization that's shown in the Kubernetes [Concepts documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/). Recommended in a Kubernetes context: A Job creates one or more Pods. Recommended: The Cloud Scheduler job publishes a message to a Pub/Sub topic at one-minute intervals. - If an official name begins with a lowercase letter, then put it in lowercase even at the start of a sentence. But it's better to revise the sentence to avoid putting a lowercase word at the start, if possible. Recommended: You can use macOS to run the app. Not recommended: macOS can run the app. ### Feature names A *feature* is a distinctive attribute or capability of a product. Features are usually described in terms of what they can do as part of a product. In general, feature names are lowercase, although there are exceptions. When you write about a feature, don't capitalize it unless the name is officially capitalized. If you're unsure, follow the precedent that's set by other documents that describe the feature. As with products, match the capitalization of a UI label if you're referring to one. For more general information about capitalization, see [Capitalization](https://developers.google.com/style/capitalization). ## Shorten Google product names When referring to a Google product, sometimes you might want to abbreviate the product name. For example, when you're referring to Google Spreadsheets, it can be awkward to refer to it as Google Spreadsheets every time; sometimes you might want to call it Spreadsheets. Use the full trademarked product name. Don't abbreviate product names, except in cases where you're matching a UI label. In such cases, make it clear that you're referring to the Google product and not some other thing with a similar name. Also consider whether you need to refer to a product name throughout a document, or if you can use a more general term. For example, if you've established that you're talking about *Anthos Service Mesh*, you can probably frame your discussion around the concept of *a service mesh* throughout much of the document. ## Possessives of product names For information about forming possessives with product names, see [Product, feature, and company names](https://developers.google.com/style/possessives#product,-feature,-and-company-names). ## Articles before product names Don't use *the* before a product name unless you're using the name to modify something else. *Do* use *the* before tool and API names. Recommended: Using Cloud Datastore with Cloud Dataproc Recommended: The Cloud Datastore options page Recommended: The Google Cloud console Recommended: The Transcoder API Recommended: The `gcloud` CLI Not recommended: Using the Cloud Datastore with Cloud Dataproc If you use a product name as a modifier with an indefinite article (*a* or *an*), pay close attention to which article precedes the product name. Recommended: An Anthos Service Mesh environment Recommended: A Service Mesh environment For more information about using articles, see [Articles](https://developers.google.com/style/articles). ## Use "service" to refer to multiple products It's OK to refer to Google products as services, such as *the Google Kubernetes Engine service* or *the Compute Engine service*. However, if the term *services* leads to ambiguity, use the product names. ## Don't use product names as verbs Don't use product names or feature names as verbs.