If you are writing for SF.gov, use the following grammar and usage, based on AP Style. If something is not listed below, use AP Style.

Acronyms

Acronyms help people who know your content, but are difficult for first-time users to understand. Also, because your pages will be on SF.gov with many other departments, acronyms may have different meanings in different contexts. For example, "ADU" means "Accessory Dwelling Unit" to the Planning Department, but to the Department of Public Health, ADU means "addictive diseases unit".

Write out acronyms the first time you use them on a page, including the acronym in parentheses. Do not use periods in any acronyms.

You can then use the acronym further down the page.

The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD)...

...MOHCD will...

If you need to use the acronym to keep your title short, you must spell it out in the description.

Contact the City about your ADU

City planners can answer early questions about accessory dwelling unit (ADU) options and requirements.

Where the acronym is better known than the full term, do not write out the term. For example:

• IRS

• USA

• ATM

• PIN

• URL

• USPS

• PDF

&, and

Use 'and' rather than & unless the '&' is part of the name, like Treasurer & Tax Collector.

Why: In some instances '&' can be corrupted to display as '&'. Also, you are calling attention to the least important word in the sentence.

Bullets

Bulleted lists make content easier to read, but only if the bullets are short. Bullets should always follow a lead sentence. The lead sentence ends with a colon. Bullets should start with a capital letter and have no punctuation within the bullet points.