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Timeless documentation is documentation that avoids words and phrases that anchor the
documentation to a point in time or assume knowledge of prior or future products and features. In
general, document the current version of a product or feature.
Timeless documentation is especially important for technical documents that might be read a long
time after they are written. Words like now, new, and currently can render
such documentation inaccurate, outdated, or unmeaningful. In contrast, timeless documentation
focuses on how the product works right now—not on how it has changed from previous versions,
and not how it might change in the future.
Recommended
Not recommended
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These new subcommands let you interact with HTTP load balancing.
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The following command-line options aren't currently supported:
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If you're writing procedural or time-stamped content such as press releases, blog posts, or
release notes, such time-based words and phrases are okay. For example, new is okay in a blog
post that announces updates to a product: Dataflow includes several new features. Or,
soon is okay in procedural content to emphasize a change in state after a user performs a
step: The VM goes offline soon after you send the shutdown command. However, some of these
words can become outdated or incorrect when used in product documentation to refer to a product's
features and capabilities, so we recommend against using such words in that context.
Writing timeless product documentation has the following value:
It reduces the maintenance required to keep documentation up to date.
It avoids assuming the reader is familiar with earlier versions of the product.
Words and phrases to avoid
The following words and phrases can undermine timelessness in documentation:
Words and phrases that make promises or project plans and
strategies. In the context of describing product or feature capabilities, words and phrases such
as at present, as of this writing, or eventually can prematurely disclose plans
for a product or feature, or they can inappropriately imply that a product or feature might change.
In those cases, don't use such words and phrases.
Words and phrases that are implied. At Google, we assume our documentation is
current unless a specific release version is specified. Thus, words and phrases such as
currently and as of this writing are implied by the existence of the documentation
itself.
Words and phrases that become outdated soon after publication. Words such as soon
and latest quickly become irrelevant.
Words and phrases that assume prior knowledge of a product or feature. If you must use
words like new, give a reference point such as a date or version release number—for
example, The January 14, 2021 release of BigQuery includes a new resource panel.
When describing product or feature capabilities in product and reference documentation, avoid
the following words and phrases:
[[["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\u003eTimeless documentation avoids time-sensitive language to ensure accuracy and longevity, focusing on the current state of the product.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIt's crucial for technical documents as words like "now" or "new" can quickly become outdated, hindering comprehension.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eWhile acceptable in time-sensitive content like blog posts, these terms should be avoided in product documentation to reduce maintenance and prevent assumptions about prior product knowledge.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTimeless documentation benefits users by providing clear and current information without relying on past or future context.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTo achieve timelessness, avoid phrases like "currently," "new," or "latest" when describing product features and capabilities, instead focusing on factual and enduring descriptions.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["Timeless documentation avoids time-sensitive words (e.g., *new*, *currently*) to maintain accuracy over time. It focuses on the product's present functionality, not past changes or future plans. Avoid projecting future states and assuming prior user knowledge. Instead, document the current product version using present tense. Time-based terms are suitable for time-stamped content like release notes. Using this method reduces documentation maintenance and prevents content from quickly becoming outdated.\n"],null,["Timeless documentation is documentation that avoids words and phrases that anchor the\ndocumentation to a point in time or assume knowledge of prior or future products and features. In\ngeneral, document the current version of a product or feature.\n\nTimeless documentation is especially important for technical documents that might be read a long\ntime after they are written. Words like *now* , *new* , and *currently* can render\nsuch documentation inaccurate, outdated, or unmeaningful. In contrast, timeless documentation\nfocuses on how the product works right now---not on how it has changed from previous versions,\nand not how it might change in the future.\n\n| Recommended | Not recommended |\n|--------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| These subcommands let you interact with HTTP load balancing. | These new subcommands let you interact with HTTP load balancing. |\n| The following command-line options aren't supported: | The following command-line options aren't currently supported: |\n| The emulator supports the following filters: | The emulator now supports the following filters: |\n\nIf you're writing procedural or time-stamped content such as press releases, blog posts, or\nrelease notes, such time-based words and phrases are okay. For example, *new* is okay in a blog\npost that announces updates to a product: *Dataflow includes several new features.* Or,\n*soon* is okay in procedural content to emphasize a change in state after a user performs a\nstep: *The VM goes offline soon after you send the shutdown command.* However, some of these\nwords can become outdated or incorrect when used in product documentation to refer to a product's\nfeatures and capabilities, so we recommend against using such words in that context.\n\nWriting timeless product documentation has the following value:\n\n- It reduces the maintenance required to keep documentation up to date.\n- It avoids assuming the reader is familiar with earlier versions of the product.\n\nWords and phrases to avoid\n\nThe following words and phrases can undermine timelessness in documentation:\n\n- **Words and phrases that make promises or project plans and\n strategies** . In the context of describing product or feature capabilities, words and phrases such\n as *at present* , *as of this writing* , or *eventually* can prematurely disclose plans\n for a product or feature, or they can inappropriately imply that a product or feature might change.\n In those cases, don't use such words and phrases.\n\n For more information, see [Documenting future features](/style/future).\n- **Words and phrases that are implied** . At Google, we assume our documentation is current unless a specific release version is specified. Thus, words and phrases such as *currently* and *as of this writing* are implied by the existence of the documentation itself.\n- **Words and phrases that become outdated soon after publication** . Words such as *soon* and *latest* quickly become irrelevant.\n- **Words and phrases that assume prior knowledge of a product or feature** . If you must use words like *new* , give a reference point such as a date or version release number---for example, *The January 14, 2021 release of BigQuery includes a new resource panel.*\n\nWhen describing product or feature capabilities in product and reference documentation, avoid\nthe following words and phrases:\n\n- as of this writing\n- currently\n- does not yet\n- eventually\n- existing\n- future, in the future\n- latest\n- new, newer\n- now\n- old, older\n- presently, at present\n- soon"]]
