Give everyone in your business a shared starting point for clear, consistent writing. Download Full Proof’s free business style guide template, choose the conventions that suit your readers and build on it as your team grows.
Free editable Word document · Six pages · No email address required
What is a business style guide?
A business style guide records how your organisation writes. It brings together decisions about tone, spelling, punctuation, formatting and terminology so colleagues can apply the same conventions to websites, reports, emails and other documents.
It does not need to cover every possible question. Start with the decisions that come up repeatedly: how to write your product names, which spelling convention to use, how to present dates and how formal your writing should sound.
What is in the template?
- Tone of voice: define your readers, preferred tone and level of formality.
- Spelling and capital letters: agree language conventions, headings, job titles and abbreviations.
- Numbers, dates and money: choose clear formats for common business information.
- Punctuation and lists: work through apostrophes, hyphens, dashes, quotations and bullet points.
- Clear language and terminology: make your writing easier to understand and record your preferred words.
- A working decision log: add examples, name an owner and keep your guide up to date.
Each topic includes a starter preference, an example and a place for your own decision. You can change the text, add rows to the word list and extend the guide with sections specific to your business.
A preview of the starting point
Dates
Starter preference: write dates as day month year, without an ordinal ending or comma.
Example: 2 November 2026, rather than 02/11/26.
Our choice: [Keep the starter preference or add your own rule.]
Some choices are matters of house style, rather than right or wrong. A business can use UK or US English, for example, provided the choice suits its audience and is applied consistently. Grammar and factual accuracy still need checking.
How to make the guide your own
- Save a business copy. Add your business name, guide owner, version and review date.
- Agree the essentials. Work through the starter preferences with the people who write and approve your content. Replace the square-bracketed prompts.
- Add real examples. Include approved product names, recurring terminology and a few sentences showing your preferred tone.
- Keep one master version. Share its location with your team and record new decisions as questions arise.
Questions about the template
Can I edit it and share it with my team?
Yes. The template is a Word document intended for you to adapt for your business. Keep one shared master copy so colleagues can find the latest decisions.
Does it cover UK or US English?
The starter examples mainly use UK English. The template asks you to choose a language convention for your own audience, so you can change the preferences and examples.
Is this a branding guide?
It focuses on written language and editorial decisions. You can use it alongside a visual brand guide covering your logo, colours, typography and imagery.
Will a style guide replace proofreading?
A style guide gives writers and proofreaders an agreed reference. It does not spot errors or check facts by itself. Use it during writing and review, then proofread the final document.
Need a careful eye on your business writing?
Full Proof provides business proofreading and annual report proofreading. We can follow your existing style guide or help create one while working through your document.
Tell us about your document and include any style preferences you already have.
Download your free business style guide template
Further reading
For more examples of published conventions, explore the GOV.UK style guide and the Microsoft Writing Style Guide. Their conventions suit their own audiences; your business can make different choices.