Brand Guidelines
Write user-facing copy following Sentry's brand guidelines.
When to Use
- You need to write or rewrite user-facing copy in Sentry's voice.
- The task involves UI text, onboarding, empty states, docs, marketing copy, or other branded content.
- You need guidance on when to use Plain Speech versus Sentry Voice.
Tone Selection
Choose the appropriate tone based on context:
| Use Plain Speech |
Use Sentry Voice |
| Product UI (buttons, labels, forms) |
404 pages |
| Documentation |
Empty states |
| Error messages |
Onboarding flows |
| Settings pages |
Loading states |
| Transactional emails |
"What's New" announcements |
| Help text |
Marketing copy |
Default to Plain Speech unless the context specifically calls for personality.
Plain Speech (Default)
Plain Speech is clear, direct, and functional. Use it for most UI elements.
Rules
- Be concise - Use the fewest words needed
- Be direct - Tell users what to do, not what they can do
- Use active voice - "Save your changes" not "Your changes will be saved"
- Avoid jargon - Use simple words users understand
- Be specific - "3 errors found" not "Some errors found"
Examples
| Instead of |
Write |
| "Click here to save your changes" |
"Save" |
| "You can filter results by date" |
"Filter by date" |
| "An error has occurred" |
"Something went wrong" |
| "Please enter a valid email address" |
"Enter a valid email" |
| "Are you sure you want to delete?" |
"Delete this item?" |
Sentry Voice
Sentry Voice adds personality in appropriate moments. It's empathetic, self-aware, and occasionally snarky.
Principles
- Empathetic snark - Direct frustration at the situation, never the user
- Self-aware - Acknowledge the absurdity of software
- Fun but functional - Personality should enhance, not obscure meaning
- Earned moments - Only use when users have time to appreciate it
Examples
404 Pages:
"This page doesn't exist. Maybe it never did. Maybe it was a dream. Either way, let's get you back on track."
Empty States:
"No errors yet. Enjoy this moment of peace while it lasts."
Onboarding:
"Let's get your first error. Don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds."
Loading States:
"Crunching the numbers..."
"Fetching your data..."
When NOT to Use Sentry Voice
- Error messages (users are frustrated)
- Settings pages (users are focused)
- Documentation (users need information)
- Billing/payment flows (users need trust)
General Rules
Spelling and Grammar
- Use American English spelling (color, not colour)
- Use Title Case for headings and page titles
- Use Sentence case for body text, buttons, and labels
Punctuation
- No exclamation marks in UI text (exception: celebratory moments)
- No periods in short UI labels or button text
- Use periods in complete sentences and help text
- No ALL CAPS except for acronyms (API, SDK, URL)
Word Choices
| Avoid |
Prefer |
| Please |
(omit) |
| Sorry |
(be specific about the problem) |
| Error occurred |
Something went wrong |
| Invalid |
(explain what's wrong) |
| Success! |
(describe what happened) |
| Oops |
(be specific) |
Dash Usage
| Type |
Use |
Example |
| Hyphen (-) |
Compound words, ranges |
"real-time", "1-10" |
| En-dash (--) |
Ranges, relationships |
"2023--2024", "parent--child" |
| Em-dash (---) |
Interruption, emphasis |
"Errors---even small ones---matter" |
In most UI contexts, use hyphens. Reserve en-dashes for date ranges and em-dashes for longer prose.
UI Element Guidelines
Buttons
- Use action verbs: "Save", "Delete", "Create"
- Be specific: "Create Project" not just "Create"
- Max 2-3 words when possible
- No periods or exclamation marks
Error Messages
- Say what happened
- Say why (if helpful)
- Say what to do next
Good: "Could not save changes. Check your connection and try again."
Bad: "Error: Save failed."
Empty States
- Explain what would normally be here
- Provide a clear action to populate the state
- Sentry Voice is appropriate here
Good: "No projects yet. Create your first project to start tracking errors."
Confirmation Dialogs
- Make the action clear in the title
- Explain consequences if destructive
- Use specific button labels ("Delete Project", not "OK")
Tooltips and Help Text
- Keep under 2 sentences
- Explain the "why", not just the "what"
- Link to docs for complex topics
Anti-Patterns
Avoid these common mistakes:
- Robot speak: "Item has been successfully deleted" -> "Deleted"
- Passive voice: "Changes were saved" -> "Changes saved"
- Unnecessary words: "In order to" -> "To"
- Hedging: "This might cause..." -> "This will cause..."
- Double negatives: "Not unlike..." -> "Similar to..."
- Marketing speak in UI: "Supercharge your workflow" -> "Speed up your workflow"
References
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
Source: sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills → skills/brand-guidelines/SKILL.md
Also appears in: sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills/plugins/agentic-awesome-skills/skills/brand-guidelines/SKILL.md, sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills/plugins/agentic-awesome-skills-claude/skills/brand-guidelines/SKILL.md
1---2name: brand-guidelines-23description: Write copy following Sentry brand guidelines. Use when writing UI text, error messages, empty states, onboarding flows, 404 pages, documentation, marketing copy, or any user-facing content. Covers both Plain Speech (default) and Sentry Voice tones.4---5
6
7# Brand Guidelines
8
9Write user-facing copy following Sentry's brand guidelines.
10
11## When to Use
12- You need to write or rewrite user-facing copy in Sentry's voice.
13- The task involves UI text, onboarding, empty states, docs, marketing copy, or other branded content.
14- You need guidance on when to use Plain Speech versus Sentry Voice.
15
16## Tone Selection
17
18Choose the appropriate tone based on context:
19
20| Use Plain Speech | Use Sentry Voice |
21|------------------|------------------|
22| Product UI (buttons, labels, forms) | 404 pages |
23| Documentation | Empty states |
24| Error messages | Onboarding flows |
25| Settings pages | Loading states |
26| Transactional emails | "What's New" announcements |
27| Help text | Marketing copy |
28
29**Default to Plain Speech** unless the context specifically calls for personality.
30
31## Plain Speech (Default)
32
33Plain Speech is clear, direct, and functional. Use it for most UI elements.
34
35### Rules
36
371. **Be concise** - Use the fewest words needed
382. **Be direct** - Tell users what to do, not what they can do
393. **Use active voice** - "Save your changes" not "Your changes will be saved"
404. **Avoid jargon** - Use simple words users understand
415. **Be specific** - "3 errors found" not "Some errors found"
42
43### Examples
44
45| Instead of | Write |
46|------------|-------|
47| "Click here to save your changes" | "Save" |
48| "You can filter results by date" | "Filter by date" |
49| "An error has occurred" | "Something went wrong" |
50| "Please enter a valid email address" | "Enter a valid email" |
51| "Are you sure you want to delete?" | "Delete this item?" |
52
53## Sentry Voice
54
55Sentry Voice adds personality in appropriate moments. It's empathetic, self-aware, and occasionally snarky.
56
57### Principles
58
591. **Empathetic snark** - Direct frustration at the situation, never the user
602. **Self-aware** - Acknowledge the absurdity of software
613. **Fun but functional** - Personality should enhance, not obscure meaning
624. **Earned moments** - Only use when users have time to appreciate it
63
64### Examples
65
66**404 Pages:**
67> "This page doesn't exist. Maybe it never did. Maybe it was a dream. Either way, let's get you back on track."
68
69**Empty States:**
70> "No errors yet. Enjoy this moment of peace while it lasts."
71
72**Onboarding:**
73> "Let's get your first error. Don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds."
74
75**Loading States:**
76> "Crunching the numbers..."
77> "Fetching your data..."
78
79### When NOT to Use Sentry Voice
80
81- Error messages (users are frustrated)
82- Settings pages (users are focused)
83- Documentation (users need information)
84- Billing/payment flows (users need trust)
85
86## General Rules
87
88### Spelling and Grammar
89
90- Use **American English** spelling (color, not colour)
91- Use **Title Case** for headings and page titles
92- Use **Sentence case** for body text, buttons, and labels
93
94### Punctuation
95
96- **No exclamation marks** in UI text (exception: celebratory moments)
97- **No periods** in short UI labels or button text
98- **Use periods** in complete sentences and help text
99- **No ALL CAPS** except for acronyms (API, SDK, URL)
100
101### Word Choices
102
103| Avoid | Prefer |
104|-------|--------|
105| Please | (omit) |
106| Sorry | (be specific about the problem) |
107| Error occurred | Something went wrong |
108| Invalid | (explain what's wrong) |
109| Success! | (describe what happened) |
110| Oops | (be specific) |
111
112## Dash Usage
113
114| Type | Use | Example |
115|------|-----|---------|
116| Hyphen (-) | Compound words, ranges | "real-time", "1-10" |
117| En-dash (--) | Ranges, relationships | "2023--2024", "parent--child" |
118| Em-dash (---) | Interruption, emphasis | "Errors---even small ones---matter" |
119
120In most UI contexts, use hyphens. Reserve en-dashes for date ranges and em-dashes for longer prose.
121
122## UI Element Guidelines
123
124### Buttons
125
126- Use action verbs: "Save", "Delete", "Create"
127- Be specific: "Create Project" not just "Create"
128- Max 2-3 words when possible
129- No periods or exclamation marks
130
131### Error Messages
132
1331. Say what happened
1342. Say why (if helpful)
1353. Say what to do next
136
137**Good:** "Could not save changes. Check your connection and try again."
138**Bad:** "Error: Save failed."
139
140### Empty States
141
1421. Explain what would normally be here
1432. Provide a clear action to populate the state
1443. Sentry Voice is appropriate here
145
146**Good:** "No projects yet. Create your first project to start tracking errors."
147
148### Confirmation Dialogs
149
150- Make the action clear in the title
151- Explain consequences if destructive
152- Use specific button labels ("Delete Project", not "OK")
153
154### Tooltips and Help Text
155
156- Keep under 2 sentences
157- Explain the "why", not just the "what"
158- Link to docs for complex topics
159
160## Anti-Patterns
161
162Avoid these common mistakes:
163
164- **Robot speak:** "Item has been successfully deleted" -> "Deleted"
165- **Passive voice:** "Changes were saved" -> "Changes saved"
166- **Unnecessary words:** "In order to" -> "To"
167- **Hedging:** "This might cause..." -> "This will cause..."
168- **Double negatives:** "Not unlike..." -> "Similar to..."
169- **Marketing speak in UI:** "Supercharge your workflow" -> "Speed up your workflow"
170
171## References
172
173- [Sentry Voice Guidelines](https://develop.sentry.dev/frontend/sentry-voice/)
174- [Sentry Frontend Handbook](https://develop.sentry.dev/frontend/)
175
176## Limitations
177- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
178- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
179- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
180
181---
182
183**Source:** [`sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills`](https://github.com/sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills) → `skills/brand-guidelines/SKILL.md`
184
185**Also appears in:** `sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills/plugins/agentic-awesome-skills/skills/brand-guidelines/SKILL.md`, `sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills/plugins/agentic-awesome-skills-claude/skills/brand-guidelines/SKILL.md`
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