headings and titles. This means only the first word and proper nouns are
capitalized.

### Voice and tone

- **Clarity and conciseness**: Use simple language and short sentences to convey information effectively.
- **Active voice**: Write in the active voice to engage the reader (e.g., "Run the command" instead of "The command should be run").
- **Consistency**: Maintain a consistent tone and terminology throughout the guide.

For detailed guidelines, refer to our [voice and tone documentation](/contribute/style/voice-tone.md).

### Formatting conventions

- **Headings**: Use H2 for main sections and H3 for subsections, following sentence case.
- **Code examples**: Provide complete, working code snippets with syntax highlighting.
- **Lists and steps**: Use numbered lists for sequential steps and bullet points for non-sequential information.
- **Emphasis**: Use bold for UI elements (e.g., **Button**), and italics for emphasis.
- **Links**: Use descriptive link text (e.g., [Install Docker](/get-started/get-docker.md)).

For more details, see our [content formatting guidelines](/contribute/style/formatting.md)
and [grammar and style rules](/contribute/style/grammar.md).

## Best practices

- **Test all instructions**
  - Ensure all code and commands work as expected.
  - Verify that the guide can be followed successfully from start to finish.
- **Relevance**
  - Focus on real-world applications and scenarios.
  - Keep the content up-to-date with the latest Docker versions.
- **Troubleshooting tips**
  - Anticipate common issues and provide solutions or references.
- **Visual aids**
  - Include screenshots or diagrams where they enhance understanding.
  - Add captions and alt text for accessibility.
- **Third-party tools**
  - Avoid requiring the user to install third-party tools or modify their local development environment.
  - Prefer using containerized tools and methods where applicable (e.g. `docker exec`).
  - Some tools are reasonable to assume as installed or prerequisites for guides, such as Node.js and npm. Use your better judgement.

## Additional resources

- **Existing guides**
  - Refer to [Docker Guides](/guides/_index.md) for examples and inspiration.
- **Style guides**
  - [Voice and tone](/contribute/style/voice-tone.md)
  - [Content formatting](/contribute/style/formatting.md)
  - [Grammar and style](/contribute/style/grammar.md)

## Submission process

- **Proposal**
  - Raise an issue on the [Docker documentation GitHub repository](https://github.com/docker/docs)
    with a request to add a new guide.
  - Once the proposal has been accepted, start writing your guide by forking
    the repository and creating a branch for your work.

    > [!NOTE]
    > Avoid contributing from the `main` branch of your fork, since it makes it
    > more difficult for maintainers to help you fix any issues that may arise.

- **Review**
  - Proofread your guide for grammar, clarity, and adherence to the guidelines.
  - Once your draft is ready, raise a pull request, with a reference to the
    original issue.
  - The Docker documentation team and subject matter experts will review your
    submission and provide feedback on the pull request directly.
- **Publishing**
  - Your guide will be published on the Docker documentation website when the
    reviewers have approved and merged your pull request.

Thank you for contributing to the Docker community. Your expertise helps users
worldwide harness the power of Docker.