Colons

Source: https://developers.google.com/style/colons

A colon indicates that closely-related information follows.

For information about using colons with run-in headings, see Description lists that use run-in headings.

Introductory phrase preceding colon

When a colon introduces a list, the text that precedes the colon must be able to stand alone as a complete sentence.

  • ✅ Recommended: The fields are defined as follows:

  • ❌ Not recommended: The fields are:

Colons within sentences

In general, the first word in the text that follows a colon should be in lowercase. For exceptions, see Capitalization and colons.

  • ✅ Recommended: Tone: concise, conversational, friendly, respectful

  • ✅ Recommended: When you add or update content to an existing project, remember to take these steps: review the style guide, use checklists, enlist a fellow writer or an editor to copyedit your work, and request a developmental edit if you feel that it’s warranted.

See also

For more information about how to punctuate introductory material, see the sections on list introductions and code-sample introductions.

For information about when it’s better to use colons than dashes, see Dashes.

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