---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-sentence-case-headlines.md
title: "Use sentence case and short titles for headlines"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; original synthesis in our own words"
license_family: usgov
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: Digital.gov (GSA), Digital.gov style guide, US government work, public domain; GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive, Add useful headings, US government work, public domain."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "Editorial checklist only; not tested with readers. Sources fetched and evidence checked."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "write-edit"
tags: [plain-language, headings, capitalization, titles]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Digital.gov style guide"
    publisher: Digital.gov (GSA)
    url: https://digital.gov/style-guide/
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "Add useful headings"
    publisher: GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/organize/add-useful-headings.md
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Use sentence case and short titles for headlines

**Answer:** Digital.gov switched from title case to sentence case for all titles and paragraph headers: capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.

## Rules from the Digital.gov style guide

- Try to keep titles to under 64 characters.
- Only use end punctuation for headers that ask a question.
- Article titles are H1; later headers follow as H2, H3, and so forth, in hierarchical order.
- To make text bold, apply bold formatting, not H3 or below.
- Example: title case "How Effective Is Your Communication?" becomes sentence case "How effective is your communication?"

## From the Federal Plain Language Guidelines

- Headings shouldn't be so long that they overwhelm the material.
- Avoid headings that take one-word answers.

## See also

- [plain-heading-types](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-heading-types/)
- [plain-colon-capitalization](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-colon-capitalization/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: Digital.gov moved from title case to sentence case.
  source: S1
  evidence: "We are switching from title case to sentence case"

- id: C2
  claim: Digital.gov keeps titles under 64 characters.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Try to keep titles to under 64 characters."

- id: C3
  claim: Digital.gov capitalizes only the first word and proper nouns in headlines.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns in headlines."

- id: C4
  claim: Headings should not overwhelm the material.
  source: S2
  evidence: "Headings should not be so long that they overwhelm the material itself."

## Sources

- [S1] Digital.gov style guide. Digital.gov (GSA). https://digital.gov/style-guide/ . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] Add useful headings. GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/organize/add-useful-headings.md . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: US federal government works (GSA, GPO, SEC, CDC), public domain in the United States; third-party quotations inside those works were not used. Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).