Make lists scannable

Summary: Use lists for important content and help the user to scan and understand the list items.

Make important lists vertical

When a series of items is important, make it more visible and scannable by using a vertical list. Use a numbered list if the order or number of items is important. Otherwise use dot points.

Don’t overuse lists. Pages become longer, and important information may not stand out if you do.

Label the list

Introduce the list with a heading, or a lead-in sentence or sentence fragment.

Use parallel phrasing for each item

Write each item in the list using the same grammatical structure. For example, start each item with a verb.

Make sure each item makes a properly formed sentence when read with the lead-in.

Start items with the most informative words

‘Front-load’ each item by starting with the keywords. But don’t repeat words at the start of each item. And avoid starting items with an article (a, an or the).

Keep lists and list items concise

Wordy writing can make lists less effective; keep items concise.

Aim for items of a similar length. Break long lists into sets of smaller lists.

Avoid multi-level lists

Keep the list structure simple. Limit lists to a single level.

Style with the appropriate list type

Use the numbered list style <ol> where the sequence or number is relevant.

Otherwise, use the bullet list style <ul>.

Don’t use line breaks, dashes, asterisks, tabs or numbers to create a list. Always apply a style.