# 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such documentation inaccurate, outdated, or unmeaningful.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 |
|---|---|
| These subcommands let you interact with HTTP load balancing. | These new subcommands let you interact with HTTP load balancing. |
| The following command-line options aren't supported: | The following command-line options aren't currently supported: |
| The emulator supports the following filters: | The emulator now supports the following filters: |

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words can become outdated or incorrect when used in product documentation to refer to a product's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.

  For more information, see [Documenting future features](https://developers.google.com/style/future).
- **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:

- as of this writing
- currently
- does not yet
- eventually
- existing
- future, in the future
- latest
- new, newer
- now
- old, older
- presently, at present
- soon