Callouts to highlight something

A callout marks something the reader must not miss. Used everywhere it marks nothing, so two per article is the limit.

A callout marks something the reader must not miss. Used everywhere it marks nothing, so two per article is the limit.

Insert one

1. Put the cursor where it goes.
2. Insert a callout and choose the type.
3. Write it, and keep it short.

The types and what they should mean

• Information. Context that is easy to miss and changes what the reader does.
• Warning. Something that goes wrong, or cannot be undone.
• Tip. A better way, or an offer of help.

Agree what each means and use them consistently. Readers learn the pattern quickly, and inconsistency teaches them to skip all of them.

Two per article at most

A callout works because it stands out. An article with five is an article with none, and it reads as shouting.

If several things seem to need one, the article is probably covering too much and should be split.

Keep them short

Two or three sentences. A callout containing a paragraph is a paragraph in a box, and readers skip boxes that look like work.

Not for the main point

The most common misuse. If something is the answer, it belongs in the article, not in a box beside it. Callouts are for what surrounds the answer.

See also

• The article editor toolbar
• Collapsible sections with accordions