Writing
JSON Resume is written by developers for developers. Be plain, specific and brief. Say what something does, what went wrong, and what to do next.
In practice
| Where | Write | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Button | Export PDF | Click here to export |
| Button | Delete resume | OK |
| Error | Enter an email like name@example.com. | Invalid input! |
| Error | basics.email must be a string. | Validation error 422 |
| Empty state | No resume found. Create a gist named resume.json. | Nothing here yet! |
| Heading | Getting started | Getting Started With JSON Resume |
| Link | Read the schema | Learn more |
| Confirmation | Delete your resume? Your gist stays on GitHub. | Are you sure? |
Style
Do
- Sentence case for headings, labels and buttons. Buttons are uppercased by CSS, so write them normally.
- Name buttons with a verb and object: "Export PDF".
- Write errors that say how to fix the problem.
- Use code formatting for field names, commands and file names: resume.json, basics.email.
- Write dates as 23 Oct 2026 and versions as 1.7.0.
Don’t
- Use exclamation marks, "Oops", or jokes in errors.
- Write "click here" or "learn more" as link text.
- Use marketing words: seamless, powerful, unlock, supercharge.
- Title Case Every Word.