Code conventions and format
Use the conventions described below throughout Cloudflare product content.
Angle brackets ( < and > )
Use angle brackets as a placeholder for variables you want the user to enter (except in URLs, where you should use curly braces for placeholders).
Example:
Type your user-specified domain in this format: https://<user-specified domain>.cloudflare.com
Angle brackets that contain numbers separated by an ellipsis represent a range of values associated with a bit or single name - for example, AO <0…3>.
Square brackets ( [ and ] )
Square brackets enclose optional items.
Example:
Specify a subsearch that starts with this search command: tag=dns query [search tag=malware].
Curly braces ( { and } )
Use curly braces in the following situations, such as:
When they are part of a code sample or other string literal, such as in placeholders inside a URL.
Example:
https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/organizations/{organization_identifier}/invites
>
The > symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options to a final action. The sequence Options > Settings > General directs you to pull down the Options menu, select the Settings item, and select General from the last dialog box. Do not use bold formatting for the > symbol.
Tip icon
This icon denotes a tip, which alerts you to advisory information.
Note icon
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
Info icon
This icon denotes info, which alerts you to important information.
Notice icon
This icon denotes a notice, which alerts you to take precautions to avoid data loss, loss of signal integrity, or degradation of performance.
Caution icon
This icon denotes a caution, which advises you to take precautions to avoid injury.
Blue text
Text in this color indicates a link.
Bold
Use bold when referring to a clickable action or to highlight a title or name in the UI. Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, identifiers in the UI, or parameter names.
Do not use bold for programs.
In nested menus, use bold for the word not the symbol.
Example: Dashboard > This > That
Italics
Use italics when referring to an option that customers can select from, like in dropdown menus.
Do not use italics when referring to the state of a toggle - for example, enabled/disabled should not be italicized.
Monospace
`text in between backticks`
Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples. This font is also used for the proper names of drives, paths, directories, programs, subprograms, devices, functions, operations, variables, files, API commands, and extensions.
Examples of elements we monospace
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| IP addresses and ranges | Change your system + DNS servers to use 127.0.1.1. |
| Port numbers | Requests are redirected through the HTTP service (port 80). |
| API commands | The endpoint supports GET for JSON format. |
| Terminal commands | Run the command wrangler login. |
| Attribute names and values | type, name |
| Class names | button-primary |
| Command-line utility names | wrangler, npm, node, cloudflared |
| Data types | (string, number, int64) |
| Defined (constant) values for an element or attribute | <A_BINDING_NAME> |
| DNS record types | The bot will default to looking for AAAA records. |
| Enum (enumerator) names (depending on language) | type ContentTypeMapElem |
| Environment variable names | <A_BINDING_NAME> |
| Element names, including angle brackets (XML and HTML). | <div>, <form>, <input>, <code> |
| Filenames, filename extensions (if used), and paths | wrangler.toml |
| Folders and directories | ~/Downloads/Cloudflare_CA.crt |
| HTTP verbs | POST, GET, HEAD, PUT,DELETE |
| HTTP status codes | 400, 200, 500 |
| HTTP content-type values | text/html, application/javascript; charset=utf-8 |
| HTTP header names | Content-Length |
| URLs that are used as input or output in commands and code | VERSION-dot-SERVICE-dot-PROJECT_ID.REGION_ID.r.appspot.com |
| IAM role names | roles/storage.admin |
| Language keywords | in, await |
| Method and function names | handleRequest |
| Namespace aliases | numpy |
| Placeholder variables | 2xx for HTTP status codes or <YOUR_BUILD_DIR> for input values |
| Query parameter names and values | /api/v4/{account_id} |
| Text input | "Hello Worker" |