What’s New

This is a list of new and updated entries to the Autodesk Editorial Style Guide.

May 2024

Usage and style

• Added Closed captions, open captions, subtitles entry
• Racially inclusive terminology entry: captured an exception for Vault to use master in reference to its KnowledgeVaultMaster database

Word list
New entries:

• generative AI, with GenAI as the approved abbreviation for second reference

Updated entries:

• Partner (n), partner (n/v): updated guidance to use Autodesk Partner when referring to authorized Autodesk resellers, solution providers, service providers, or authorized training centers

April 2024

Usage and style

• Updated Captions entry to include example with image credit

March 2024

Word list
New and updated entries:

• single-user subscription (do not use)
• software
• solution removed, as usage of the term no longer carries any legal requirement to be part of a proper name

January 2024

Product names
Updated guidance on when, where, and how to use Autodesk with product names. Key changes:

• Specified that is no requirement to pair Autodesk with the product name on Autodesk-branded properties, unless legally required to do so. However, it is our strong recommendation to do so on product centers (product overview pages) to support our SEO strategies.
• Updated list of product names that legally require Autodesk.
• Moved details about DWG into this page.
• Updated requirement about using Autodesk with product names in third-party publications.
• Streamlined and edit page for clarity, including adding cross-links where beneficial.

Trademarks
Updated guidance on how and when to apply trademark symbols and how to use Autodesk trademarks in copy. Key changes:

• Added section explaining trademark symbols.
• Updated guidance to note that using trademark symbols is not required on Autodesk-branded digital properties, unless required by Autodesk Legal in specific cases. Note: as of January 2024, there are no Autodesk products or services that require this.
• Clarified and updated requirement to use Autodesk trademarks as an adjective at least once in body copy.
• Added Resources section to the page.
• Streamlined and edited page for clarity, including adding cross-links where beneficial.

November – December 2023

Word list
New and updated entries:

• account
• Autodesk account

September – October 2023

Usage and style

• Updated alt text entry to call for ending punctuation in complete sentences

July – August 2023

References
Added links to Autodesk Platform glossary, Design and Make glossary (internal resources).

Usage and style

• Added guidance to use sentence case for job roles.
• Clarified and updated guidance for punctuating bulleted lists.

Using generative AI
Added new section with information about approved use cases and Autodesk policies.

May – June 2023

Numerals
Expanded guidance in exceptions to always use figures in subscription term lengths.

Punctuation and grammar
Expanded guidance on hyphenation to include use in compound modifiers.

Usage and style

• Added guidance to use sentence case in email subject lines, with capitalization for the initial word and proper nouns only.

• Added guidance for capitalizing API names.

Word list
New entries:

• digital factory

January – April 2023

Product names
Updated guidance on when, where, and how to use Autodesk with product names.

Word list
New entries:

• AI
• artificial intelligence
• generative AI

Updated entries:

• Autodesk Construction Cloud

References
Added links to glossary of Autodesk terms and glossary of industry terms (internal resources).

December 2022

Usage and style
Updated guidance on industry names.

Word list
We removed multiple entries that did not meet our updated criteria for inclusion. Items removed fell into some or all of the following categories:

• Esoteric terminology: The ESG exists to capture common usage, not outliers.
• Exists in Merriam-Webster: M-W is one of our standard resources, so if a word or term already exists there there’s no need to repeat it here. Exception: we will include terms that are frequently misused/misspelled by Autodesk content creators despite being in M-W.
• Grammar guidance: This is not the purview of a word list, except where we use nonstandard grammar.
• Inaccurate or outdated: References to outdated programs or product names. Exception: if the term is still frequently referenced in current / new content we may retain it.
• Prefixes and suffixes: This falls under grammar guidance. We will retain any for which our usage guidance that differs from M-W or Chicago.
• Product-specific terminology: The Word List cannot capture every product feature and tool, nor should it. Entries focus on common terms. Product teams maintain their own glossaries.
• Third-party words or product names, with a few commonly used exceptions such as LEED.
• UK English disambiguation: Our default style guide standard is US English. We are retaining only the most commonly misused spellings, such as providing guidance to use license and not licence.

July – November 2022

Word list
Multiple updates across all entries to create formatting consistencies. Notable:

• BIM: The term BIM is no longer an exception to the rule on how we style acronyms. Formerly, the rule was to use the acronym first: BIM (Building Information Modeling). The new guidance is to spell out the term first, followed by the acronym in parentheses: building information modeling (BIM). In addition, do not use initial caps for building information modeling.

June 2022

Numbers
Guidance on time, time zones, and AM/PM. (updated)

How to abbreviate number (new)

Usage and style

Department names (new)

Word list

Autodesk Authorized Partner, Partner, and partner (updated)

contract manager (updated)

Sign-on, sign out, sign out (added – do not use)

software coordinator (updated)

May 2022

General
Search functionality improved to limit results based on specific query, provide highlighted cues

Word list

• ADSK (added)
• BIM (updated)
• blacklist (added)
• grandfathered (added)
• master, master and slave (added)
• redline (added)
• pow-wow (added)
• whitelist (added)

March 2022

General
Migrated style guide into WordPress

Spelling list
Renamed as Word list

December 2022

How to use
Added access information for Chicago Manual of Style (now free to all Autodeskers when on VPN)

Web editorial
Removed reference in “Trademarks” section to Subscribe pages of Product Centers, which no longer exist

November 2021

Web editorial
Trademarks (updated)

October 2021

General
Updated contact info, added new request form

Branded terms
Collections (updated)

Spelling list
sign-in (added)

Web editorial
Links (updated)

September 2021

Voice and tone
Completely updated and revised to reflect rebrand guidance

August 2021

Subscription
Default assignments (new)

Flex (updated)

Items (new)

Packs (new)

Tokens (new)

Primary admin (updated)

Products included with Flex (new)

Secondary admin (updated)

Single sign-on admin (updated)

Spelling list
app (updated)

July 2021

Spelling list
Autodesk Account (expanded guidance to describe first and second reference, prohibit use of articles and pronouns (a, the, your)

June 2021

Branded terms and trademarks
Commonly referenced Autodesk products and services (updated URL)

Subscription
True-up (new)

User (new)

Partner (new)

March 2021

Subscription
License type (updated)

Multi-user trade-in offer (updated)

Seat (updated)

Subscription (updated)

January 2021

Spelling list
service pack (updated)

update (new)

November 2020

Spelling list
line width (new)

Subscription
Entire section updated

July 2020

Usage and style
Blacklist (new)

Grandfathered (new)

Industry names (updated)

Master and slave (new)

Racially inclusive terminology (new)

Redline (new)

whitelist (new)

March 2020

Numbers
Date ranges (updated)

Web editorial
Alt text (updated)

February 2020

Numbers
Measurements (updated)

Spelling list
fold (updated)

January 2020

Spelling list
BIM model (new)

Hyperloop tech (new)

VRAM (new)

Web editorial
Links (updated)

Product names (updated)

October 2019

Spelling list
e-book, E-book (new)

Usage and style
Noun strings (new)

Web editorial
Email subject lines (new)

August 2019

Subscription
Section updated. Includes entries for Move to Subscription offer.

July 2019

Search
Search is live.

Spelling list
toolpath (new)

June 2019

Global writing
Added new section to Editorial Style Guide

Numbers
Dates (updated: en dashes in date ranges)

Degrees (updated)

Numerals (updated: new rule for spelling out numbers)

Punctuation and grammar
Hyphenation (updated: hyphenation for co prefix)

Spelling list
do’s and don’ts (new)

postproduction (updated: removed hyphen)

preorder (updated: removed hyphen)

preproduction (updated: removed hyphen)

Usage and style
Headings and subheads (updated: figures allowed)

Using (s) for optional plural (new)

Web editorial
Numerals (new)

May 2019

Home page
Added link to Style Guide Brainsharks on Content Resource Center

Punctuation and grammar
Apostrophes (updated)

Spelling list
log into (new)

sign in (updated)

website (updated)

worksharing (updated)

Web editorial
Links (updated)

March 2019

Spelling list
Log in (updated — do not use)

Log on (updated — do not use)

February 2019

Web editorial
Product names (updated)

Trademarks (updated guidance for trademarks on Overpage page)

November 2018

Web editorial
Headings and subheads (updated)

Trademarks (updated)

Usage and style
Buzzwords (updated)

Headings and subheads (updated)

Spelling list
PDM (product data management) (updated)

September 2018

Spelling list
checkbox (updated)

checklist (updated)

flyout (updated)

timescale (updated)

August 2018

Web editorial
Headings and subheads (updated)

Usage and style
Headings and subheads (updated)

up-to-date vs. up to date (updated)

June 2018

Branded terms and trademarks
Product names (updated)

Web editorial
Product names: Use of Autodesk in product names (updated)

Product noun phrases (updated)

Usage and style
Acronyms in headings and banners (updated)

Solution (new)

Spelling list
Autodesk Generative Design (updated)

Autodesk Rendering (updated)

generative design (updated)

rendering (updated)

reseller (updated)

May 2018

Home page
Added link to Content Resource Center

Spelling list
Intermediate Data Format (IDF) (new)

Web editorial
Alt text (updated)

April 2018

Usage and style
They (singular and plural pronoun) (new)

Spelling list
license (new)

soundtrack (updated)

time-saving (updated)

March 2018

Branded terms and trademarks
Collections (updated)

January 2018

Spelling list
Now you can access the spelling list right on the page—no more PDF.

Usage and style
AEC (updated)

December 2017

Punctuation and grammar
Ellipsis (updated)

Italics (updated)

Usage and style
Titles (updated)

Web editorial
Titles (removed: refer to Usage and style)

Spelling list
callout (updated)

jobsite (updated)

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) (new)

In-product help guide
Now live

November 2017

Web editorial
Video times (new)

September 2017

Usage and style
AEC (new)

Buzzwords (updated)

Titles (updated)

Punctuation and grammar
Ampersand (updated)

Colons (updated)

Numbers
Phone numbers (updated)

Branded terms and trademarks
Collections (updated)

Spelling list
additive manufacturing (new)

architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) (new)

AEC Excellence Awards (new)

Autodesk app, Autodesk desktop app (new)

Autodesk Authorized Academic Partner (new)

Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC) (new)

FAQ (new)

generative design (new)

ray trace (updated)

ray tracing (updated)

UK (updated)

US (updated)

Web editorial
Links (updated)

Links to media (new)

Product names (updated)

Promos (updated)

Titles (updated)

Version and extension numbers (new)