About TYPO3 

TYPO3 is one project: TYPO3 content management software and system, related services and solutions, our open source community of contributors, and the individuals and organizations actively engaged with TYPO3. We are the TYPO3 project, and this is our Writing and Editing Guide.

The TYPO3 Community Language and Writing Guide © 2021 by Open Strategy Partners and the TYPO3 Community is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.

Who This Guide is For 

This guide is for anyone in the TYPO3 community writing content for or about TYPO3 in an official capacity. You might be writing for typo3.org, typo3.com, official documentation, or content in TYPO3 itself.

You are welcome to use this guide for writing content about TYPO3 on your blog and elsewhere, too.

You don’t have to read the guide to begin contributing—but feel free to use it as a reference and skip around as needed.

Contributing to this Guide 

✉ Send your suggestions, feedback, examples, or other ideas by mail to.

We will review all submissions once per quarter, and will get in touch with you or make appropriate editorial changes as necessary.

Brand Identity 

Empathy 

It is essential to understand the needs of your target audience to create content that is meaningful and relevant to them.

In your content, show your audience—developers, marketers, whomever—that you understand the challenges they face in their day. You can then write more credibly about the features and benefits of a given solution, showing them that it can resolve a common issue, reduce friction, or improve their work.

Clarity 

Technology can be complicated and abstract, but we can help make things clearer.

Clarity of words is critical for an audience to understand the value of a product or service. Issues that we need to address in this context include things like:

• Different vendors and communities often use different names and terms for the same concepts.
• Developers and business people have whole worlds of jargon they use that are obscure to the uninitiated.

Clarity of structure and visual presentation can help make complex information easier to understand.

To achieve clarity, be mindful of the following:

• Technical accuracy

  • Leverage the knowledge of subject-matter experts.
  • Check terminology.
  • Test code samples.

• Tight writing: Crisp, sharp, focused.

  • Compelling and accurate language.
  • Use examples to illustrate, where necessary.

• Logical rigor and clear narrative structures

  • “This follows that.”
  • Plan ahead: your post needs a beginning, middle, and end
  • Start with what’s important: the goal, outcome, or summary of what we are about to read
  • Finish with a similar summary.

• Scannable formatting:

  • Descriptive headers, and titles are better than clever ones.
  • Break up walls of text with visual aids like bulleted lists and callout quotes.

Trust 

When you focus on empathy and clarity—especially in the form of technical accuracy and logical rigor—you will establish trust with your audience.

Trust plays a vital role in values-based decision-making. People make many of their decisions—including which tools and services they purchase and whom they purchase them from— based on values not solely on logic or economics.

Two key ways you can establish trust with your audience when you’re writing:

• Make mindful claims. Avoid binary claims (like good/bad) or absolute claims (best/worst). Respect the nuance and situations where your product may not be the best.
• Back up your claims with evidence—quantitative or qualitative. Data, statistics, quotes, or testimonials from appropriate experts (users, developers, customers, etc.) all help.

Developing a thesis 

Most narrative structures begin with the statement of the thesis. A thesis statement is the central message, argument, or main idea of a piece of writing, distilled into one or two sentences.

State your thesis clearly in your introduction to establish your position and give your reader a sense of direction. To write a thesis:

• Be Specific: Your thesis statement should be as clear and specific as possible.

  • Before: CMSs have made some progress in recent years.
  • After: CMS tools for content editors have advanced in functionality and ease of use in the past five years.
• Define boundaries: Your thesis should be limited to what can be accomplished in the planned length of the article.

• Take a nuanced position: Beyond announcing the article’s topic, your thesis should give a clear perspective on the matter. State your opinion (even a strong one) without making universal claims or pro/con judgments that oversimplify complex issues.

  • Before: Open source CMSs are better than proprietary CMSs.
  • After: Both open source and proprietary CMSs have advantages, but open source CMSs can continually deliver significant new features because they are not subject to proprietary constraints.

Common Structures 

We’ll consider an article as an example—though most principles are universal across various types of written assets. All sections should include the following:

• Specificity: Specific scenarios or problem spaces that your readers are familiar with are far more compelling than vague or general claims. Strive to be as specific as possible.
• Audience: Have you identified your audience? (developers, business people, CTO’s, etc.)? Is this article relevant to the intended reader? If not, revisit your basic premise. While you might not refer to them explicitly, tailor your language, technical depth, and focus to as specific an audience as possible.

Logical Rigor 

So long as you’re using evidence-based claims to support your main argument, you’re employing logical rigor. Reference Purdue’s list of common Logical Fallacies to make sure you’re not falling into common traps, like overgeneralizations (e.g., open-source CMSs always make more sense than proprietary ones) or lazy straw man arguments.

Flow 

Organize the sections and paragraphs logically so that they flow elegantly—transitions between paragraphs, ideas, and sections can help the flow.

Varied paragraph and sentence length 

Avoid overly long blocks of text. Sentences and paragraphs of different lengths provide visual variation and help your reader consume the information more easily.

Headings 

Use headings to organize your work visually. Relevant titles and headers assist the reader by breaking up the copy and defining the purpose of each section or block of text .

Using important key terms or phrases in subheads can improve SEO and help search engines accurately interpret the intent of your content.

Lists 

Use bulleted lists to make information more “visually digestible” for readers. When reading online, people scan for the information that interests them. Pulling information out of prose into bullets can help a reader find what they want faster. Use bullets when you have a list of three or more points.

Punctuate bulleted lists according to the Lists section of Google’s developer documentation style guide.

Helpful bulleted lists often resemble key-value pairs. The “key” is a keyword or statement of the concept. The “value” is the explanation or further information.

Set the key in bold, followed by a colon, to highlight what is important (don’t bury the lead!) and increase visual clarity. Capitalize the first word of the value. Where possible, use similar formulations for every key on the list.

For example:

• Something important: Now I am backing that up somehow.

Make the first few words bold to emphasize the beginning of a sentence:

• Something important starts off my sentence and I keep going naturally.

Visual aids 

Use (relevant!) photos, videos, diagrams or illustrations where possible and appropriate. They help provide visual interest and relief in long articles.

Use callouts, blockquotes, and display quotes to highlight or convey information efficiently and provide visual interest.

Make each word count 

As writer Frank Conroy once said, “The goal isn’t brevity for its own sake but clarity.” You don’t have limitless space. Make your words count.

Don’t use ten words if you can use five. “That” can generally be cut. Sometimes “with” or “of” can, too. Look out for filler terms like “at your fingertips” and cliché tech terms, like “disruptive”

• Before: TYPO3 puts the support, flexibility, and features you need at your fingertips so you can start high-value projects quickly.
• After: Launch projects quickly with TYPO3’s flexible, feature-rich Core and 24/7 support.
• Before: TYPO3 is a CMS that has a developer focus
• After: TYPO3 is a developer-focused CMS

Go light on adjectives. As a general rule: verb > noun > adjective. Verbs and nouns describe without going overboard.

• Before: TYPO3’s streamlined, efficient, disruptive CMS is great and easy for busy, hard-working content editors.
• After: TYPO3 CMS’s workflows and editing tools save content editors time.

Use active verbs often 

Replace passive verbs with active verbs to clarify actions and meanings. Look out for “are,” “was,” and “be” followed by a past participle ending (often ending in “-ed.”)

Tip: Recognize passive constructions. They usually fail to mention “who” is acting, so you are left asking, “The action was done by whom?”

• Before: A content element can be moved, copied for reuse, and deleted.
• After: You can copy, reuse, move, and delete content elements.
• Before: Once our solution was implemented ...
• After: Once we implemented the solution ...

Gerunds. Check if gerunds (phrases that end in -ing) are weakening your message.

• Before: “Creating an adequate content strategy template is a helpful tool for planning your content.”
• After: Create a content strategy template to plan your content.

Replace helper verbs with more precise, active verbs. Look for “has”, “does”, “gives”, “stays”, or “keeps” + a noun for candidates.

• Before: “TYPO3 gives marketers the tools they need to keep simplifying the many decisions they have to make on a daily basis.”
• After: TYPO3’s tools simplify your marketing team’s daily decisions.

Be Specific 

Use the most specific version of a word or phrase. Don’t generalize or be vague. Write about the technology or product at hand, rather than technology or the internet as a whole.

Highlight words unique to the product, company, or persona. If reading something in isolation, could it apply to any or many technologies? If yes, try to make it more specific to your subject.

• Before: TYPO3 CMS was designed to support enterprises with the effective tools, systems, and frameworks they need.
• After: TYPO3 CMS supports enterprises with a User Access Management system, 24/7 support teams, and centralized Digital Asset Management.

Watch out for filler words used in tech-speak, like “efficient”, “streamlined. ” Replace them with more specific, results-based phrases like “speeds up deployment” or “saves editors time.”

• Before: Get streamlined workflows that are customizable for editors’ and publishers’ needs.
• After: Customize workflows to match your internal editing and approval process.

Write professionally and clearly 

Grammar, spelling, style, and tone should be professional and correct. Generally, you should try to adapt tone and style to the context, target, or channel.

Avoid overly casual language that sounds more conversational than written.

• Before: TYPO3 makes really great stuff for developer-type people.
• After: TYPO3 is made for developers.

But don’t be too stuffy… our friendly, open personality should still shine through.

• Before: Review testimonials from our satisfied customers.
• After: Hear from our satisfied customers.

Be positive. Rather than criticize competitors, frame the challenges that the product or organization is trying to solve—and highlight how they do it well. (We don’t do FUD or negative copy.)

• Before: Many content management systems come with a high risk of security vulnerabilities. TYPO3 keeps your installation protected with advanced security practices upheld by a dedicated team, and a great developer experience, and a community of 500+ contributors to boot.
• After: Keeping your website secure should always be top of mind. TYPO3 has industry-beating low numbers of vulnerabilities, and a dedicated, vigilant security team.

Be Compelling 

Use interesting, bright verbs and nouns. OneLook Thesaurus is a great resource.

• Before: TYPO3 helps agencies create digital value.
• After: Agencies thrive when they use TYPO3.

Write headlines that grab attention. Try alliterations, varying rhythm, metaphors, etc.

• Example Article Header Before:

  • The Product X feature set focuses on community

• Example Article Headers After:

  • Community-Focused Features: The Product X story
  • The (funded) future of Product X

Look for ideas and inspiration from around the web. Feel free to borrow sentence structures from well-known brands.

• Example from Mailchimp: “Marketing smarts for big ideas.”
• Similar sentence structure: “Security software for peace of mind.“

Bring prose to life with figurative language 

Figurative language can add life, color, and depth of meaning to complex or dry concepts. It will express nuance or demonstrate real and tangible qualities that plainer language might struggle to convey. Some common examples are:

• Simile: Saying something is like something else (e.g., “Computer Malware can spread like a virus.”)
• Metaphor: Saying something is something else (e.g., “Malware is a virus that preys on software.”)
• Analogy: Saying something is like something else to make an explanatory point. (e.g., “Not all malware is business-critical. Some malware is simply annoying and time-consuming, like a common cold is to the human body.”)

Technical writing is full of figurative language. Common phrases like computer bugs, patch releases, front-end caches all come from other references (in this case, illness, clothes mending, and storage) and help clarify meaning.

Use non-violent language 

We aim to use non-violent language because:

• We communicate to connect. Non-violent language helps create and strengthen connections. Violent language separates, categorizes, and destroys.
• We focus on bringing value to customers by understanding their needs and solving their problems compellingly and uniquely. War metaphors are not only cliché and tired; they also reflect negative, outdated strategies (as outlined in this piece by Frank V. Cespedes, Stop Using Battle Metaphors in Your Company Strategy ).
• Collaboration, creativity, and diversity are important for most organizations today. Culture is central to that, and a significant component of culture is how we communicate. Non-violent language helps immensely.

We use non-violent language by replacing metaphors around war with other, more peaceful, constructive ones like art, carpentry, and gardening. For inspiration, check out The Language of Peace: Constructing Non-Violent Metaphors , notes from a workshop by Dr. M.J. Hardman.

Examples

• Before: head-to-head comparison
• After: side-by-side comparison
• Before: Translation support is a powerful weapon in your CMS arsenal.
• After: Translation support is a powerful tool in your CMS toolkit.

Use inclusive language 

Be inclusive. Our goal is to help readers feel respected and welcomed. Inclusive language demonstrates empathy for readers. Non-inclusive language shows prejudice, bias, discrimination, or a lack of sensitivity. And as we said under Use non-violent language , “We communicate to connect.” Non-violent language helps create and strengthen connections. Violent language separates, categorizes, and destroys.

Be respectful. Ask people you are writing about how they prefer to be identified and referred to. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has a comprehensive guide to using “person-centered” language in the Talking about people section of their style guide.

Pronouns. If you need to use pronouns throughout an article, balance the use of she/her with he/him. We prefer to use a majority of she/her instances. The singular “they” is also acceptable.

Remove Bias. We work to remove bias from our language. Inherent biases around gender, race, religion, body types, and other issues are often difficult to see in ourselves.

• Buffer’s Incomplete Guide to Inclusive Language is a practical overview of some practices and principles.
• You can test your implicit biases with this Harvard tool.

Address readers directly 

Try to use “you” instead of “they” or the archetypal persona (e.g., “developers”).

The direct address makes people feel spoken to. Address your readers where it makes sense throughout a blog post.

• Before: The direct address makes people feel spoken to.
• After: Speak to your readers, address them directly.
• Before: Developers like Technology X because it makes deployment easier for them.
• After: Technology X will make your deployments easier.

Don’t criticize 

Stay positive and constructive. If you don’t know your readers’ context or circumstances, you can’t tell them, “you’re doing it wrong.” Don’t tell them to be scared or worry. Likewise, don’t blame people for the software or systems they might have inherited along the way.

Highlight the helpful features of the product you’re promoting to describe a brighter future for your readers instead.

Focus on the product, not the person.

• Before: Many developers get overwhelmed by system maintenance. Technology X minimizes maintenance issues, so it’s not so hard for you.
• After: Complicated system maintenance hinders your development. Technology X minimizes maintenance issues, so that you can focus on your work.

Don’t write negative copy or FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt/disinformation)

• Before (example from a podcast ad): “If you’re still using TECH X, you’re wasting your time.”
• After (theoretical): “Switching to TECH Y, can double your deployment frequency, leaving you time to do other important things.” [Of course, we need to be able to prove that claim.]

Use technically accurate language 

Accuracy is extremely important in all writing, but especially applies to writing about technology. Technical accuracy establishes your credibility with audiences who automatically filter out hyperbole-laden or inaccurate marketing materials.

Get help from subject-matter experts (SMEs). Conduct and capture interviews to ensure your material is as accurate as possible. Even if you quote an expert precisely, have someone check your work to ensure you’ve accurately conveyed their expertise—they may pick up on a slight fault that could otherwise undermine the credibility of your work. Make sure any code snippets are formatted correctly and run without error.

A common form of “marketing-driven” inaccuracy is making unsubstantiated claims.

• Don’t use phrases like “the best” or competitive comparisons that cannot be substantiated.

  • Before: TYPO3’s editing tools are better than other CMSs’.
  • After: TYPO3’s structured content and flexible workflows help editors get their tasks done.

• Use available evidence to back up your claims.

  • Before: TYPO3 has best-in-class security features. After: TYPO3 was ranked first among open source CMSs in addressing vulnerabilities by SecurityRankerTM.

Quote Subject Matter Experts directly 

Quote your SME’s directly wherever possible—and have them review the content before publishing. Technical audiences are allergic to technical inaccuracies. Using the wrong term or technical context in a post can turn off developers to your whole offering. Quoting an SME directly saves you from having to know everything (about everything!). Your experts will help you make your content accurate.

Guidelines:

• Introduce your subject with their full name (or how they wish to be known).

  • Include their role, expertise, and experience to establish them as a Subject Matter Expert.
• Use quotation marks.
• Use present tense verbs: “Emma Bovary explains,” or, “says Emma Bovary.”
• After the first quote, use only the speaker’s first or last name (last names are more formal). Use your choice consistently throughout the article: “says Emma.”
• Punctuate inside the quotation marks.

TYPO3 has members around the world who speak many languages. Direct transcriptions of quotes can often be grammatically incorrect—even from native speakers. As a writer, you might feel reluctant to change someone’s quoted words. It’s okay to touch up the grammar, correct facts or names, and remove repetition or filler words. As a general rule, write down the speaker’s intent and meaning rather than exact transcriptions. Use change tracking, and check with the speaker to get their approval. Most people will be happy that you’ve preserved and highlighted the intent of their message.

Explain and decode jargon, abbreviations, and acronyms 

Explain technical terms and describe technologies to make sure your audience (with potentially different levels of relevant experience) is on the same page as you. Define technical terms directly in the article—and every article you write on the topic (you don’t know where a new reader might jump in)—and link to other articles with deeper explanations where it makes sense. Below are a few examples:

• Quick/advanced: CSS files
• Longer/more helpful: Cascading style sheets (CSS) are the code files used to define the look and feel of websites.
• Quick/advanced: Kubernetes container orchestration
• Longer/more helpful: Kubernetes, a container technology for managing large numbers of applications in the cloud.

Use American spelling 

We use American spelling in English-language communications. The choice helps us keep our writing clean and consistent—it’s neither better nor worse than other spellings.

Double-check your words’ meanings 

Look up definitions (use the Merriam-Webster Dictionary). If you think of a word that doesn’t sound or look quite right, onelook.com has a great thesaurus with filters for syllables, syntax, and more.

Opt for Readability 

Use tools to check readability, including Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, Simple English, and the Flesch Kincaid Calculator. Keep reading grade levels at or below the high school level for global accessibility and non-native English speakers.

Avoid regional or colorful language and idioms in favor of clarity. Pay attention to seasons, dates, and holidays with regional variations and use the most general term possible. Say what you mean.

• Before: Some managers can’t see the woods for the trees.
• After: Some managers are overly-focused on daily tasks.
• Before 1: The team knocked this project for six!
• Before 2: The team hit a home run on this project!
• After: The team had a massive success with this project!

Don’t date your content 

Avoid using words or phrases that need context and go out-of-date. Your piece can become inaccurate or indecipherable to someone reading the piece in the future.

• Avoid: “this year,” “last week,” “recently,” “coming soon,” “this summer,” etc.
• Exception: When you need to place limits on the useful life of a post, for example, “Version 10.2 is new as of June 2021.”
• Nuance: “At the time of writing” can be helpful when describing a version, feature set, or similar.

Grammar Choices 

By default, we follow the Chicago Manual of Style and Google Developer Documentation Style Guide. Exceptions and practices we want to highlight are listed below. There will always be exceptions and gray areas :-)

Dashes, hyphens and parentheses 

Follow the spacing and application rules listed on Grammarly.

• Em-Dash (—): Use the em-dash as “super punctuation”, to introduce and separate clauses and words.

  • Many CMSs—TYPO3, Joomla!, Drupal, etc.—are open source.

• Hyphens (-): We use hyphens to connect and join words.

  • They are well-behaved.

• En-dashes: We use n-dashes without spaces around to mark from–to in a number series.

  • We get 50–60 new members per month.

No spaces around the em-dash? (Not a hard-and-fast rule.)

• Generally, no spaces. In body text, we prefer the “old school” use of em-dashes with no spaces between them and the surrounding text.
• However, this can lead to awkwardly long word clumps and formatting problems across different line widths in responsive designs, especially in page headers, taglines, or large-sized text.
• Add spaces around em-dashes to account for visual flow or line breaks in responsive design. And when you think it is the right thing to do.
• Use this power for good.

Use parentheses to define acronyms you’ll use later in the piece or for very short asides. If a full sentence works without them, don’t use parentheses. Try not to use too many in a single paragraph. Examples:

• We offer Extended Long-Term Support (ELTS) plans.
• State your opinion (even a strong one) without making universal claims.

Use the Oxford Comma 

A comma placed before the final “and” or “or” in a list with three or more items is called a “serial comma” or “Oxford Comma” in English. While incorrect in some languages, they are helpful, add clarity, and are visually pleasing in English! Grammarly explains more about the Oxford Comma.

Titles and Headings 

Buttons 

Numbers 

Write numbers using a dot (.) as the decimal separator and comma (,) as the thousands separator. In general, use a maximum of two decimals—the number of decimals used should reflect the texts need for accuracy.

• The Association has 12,481 members.
• That is 99.96% accurate.

You may omit the thousands separator for the numbers 1,000–9,999.

• The function nesting limit is set to 1000.

Include a zero before the decimal point in numbers less than one

• The difference is less than 0.5.

Numbers less than ten are spelled out unless they are dates or part of a list with larger values.

• I need at least five developers.
• Choose between the numbers 4, 42, and 64.
• There will be 5-12 participants.

Write very large integers (above 999,999) using American* million, billion, or trillion, replacing the last six, nine, or twelve digits.

• The file has more than 30 million lines.
• All three million TYPO3 users are geniuses.

• *American large numbers

  • 1,000,000 (10^6) one million
  • 1,000,000,000 (10^9) one billion
  • 1,000,000,000,000 (10^12) one trillion

Currency 

Write currency values using the three-letter ISO code, followed by a space, followed by the value written according to our number style.

• The tickets cost EUR 1,000.
• We made a profit of exactly USD 25,060.17.

Use currency symbols like € and $ as a short form when appropriate. Place them before the value, with no space separating them:

• Purchase for just €1.

Dates 

Writing about specific dates and times might be appropriate for personal communications or meeting planning, but try to be as clear as possible. No one wants to miss a deadline because of a simple miscommunication.

Always write the month name because dates written as numbers can confuse our international audience. We prefer the international date style: day, month, and year. Always write the year in four digits.

• 24 December 2018
• 12 Sep. 2009

You can build in redundancies, too.

• Before: “Can you manage that before the end of the day on 4/5?”
• After: “Can you manage that before 17:00 UK time next Tuesday, 5 April 2021?”

The more of the following you include, the clearer you get:

• Month as full name or three letters (as rendered by the PHP function date(M.): Jan., Feb., Mar., etc.
• Include the year in four digits
• Include the day of the week
• Use 24h time
• Specify the time zone

Quotes 

Write exact quotes between double quotation marks. Write quotes within quotes in single quotation marks.

• “I felt great each time he said ‘I love TYPO3’—was it too good to be true?” Sara asked.

Place punctuation within quotation marks.

• “I love TYPO3,” he said enthusiastically.
• “Did you hear about the new release?” she asked.

Changes and omissions within quotes are designated [by brackets].

• He said he “had [no idea] why people said ‘hello’ all the […] time.”

For long quoted sections, we use indented block quotations without quotation marks. Place colons and semicolons outside of quotation marks.

• The poem goes:

Emphasis 

Use italics for emphasis on single words or compound words.

Use Bold text to increase visibility on words, compound words, parts of sentences, and sentences.

Never use underlined text.

Examples:

• Becoming a member is very important.
• This year’s accounts are looking very good.
• This text is not underlined for emphasis.

Spelling and TYPO3 Terminology 

• A

  • Admin Panel

    The Admin Panel is an administrative tool that can be enabled in the frontend to show debugging information, performed SQL queries and more for authenticated backend users.

  • Admin Tools

    Admin tools are a group of backend modules. These include maintaining the installation, adjusting settings, executing upgrade wizards, checking environment information and setting up extensions.

  • Allow Fields

    Allow fields refer to fields of content elements displayed in the TYPO3 backend with regard to their permissions. Editors can only edit fields in the backend which are included in the list of "Allow fields" in their permission setup.

  • Assets

    Assets are media resources such as images, videos and documents that are uploaded and managed in the TYPO3 system. Also, extensions can include assets which can be referred to in the frontend, like specific icons or JavaScript libraries.

• B

  • Backend / Frontend

    The Backend and Frontend are the two main areas of TYPO3 CMS. The backend is the administrative interface for editors and administrators. The frontend is the publicly accessible part of the website.

  • Backend Bookmarks

    Backend bookmarks are shortcuts that users can set for frequently used backend pages for quicker access.

  • Backend Layout

    The backend layout defines the structure and design of the backend user interface for maintaining content elements and the layout of their input fields. A backend layout can be set on the page-level, and this attribute can actually be also evaluated in the frontend, to affect the arrangement of elements on a page.

  • Backend Module

    Backend modules are extendable components in the TYPO3 backend that provide various functionalities and tools such as user management and file management. The left hand panel in the backend display all the modules.

• C

  • Callout

    A callout is a highlighted element designed to draw attention to important information or actions.

  • Cache (Cache Backend, Frontend Cache)

    Caches are used to improve website performance by storing frequently accessed data. TYPO3 has multiple caches for various performance relevant areas in both for the frontend and backend.

  • Cache Tags

    With cache tags one or more cache entries can be grouped together such that all cache entries related to a cache tag can be invalidated with just one call.

  • Certification (TCCC, TCCD, TCCI, TCCE)

    Certifications in the TYPO3 ecosystem, such as TCCC (Consultant), TCCD (Developer), TCCI (Integrator), and TCCE (Editor) confirm the proficiency of developers and integrators in various aspects of TYPO3 CMS. TYPO3 has an official certification strategy.

  • CIG/SIG (Special Interest Group)

    Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are groups of experts and enthusiasts who focus on specific topics within the TYPO3 ecosystem and work on improving those areas.

  • Clipboard

    The clipboard in the TYPO3 backend is a tool for copying, cutting, and pasting content elements and records.

  • colPos

    colPos is a column in the TYPO3 database that defines the position and layout of content elements on a page within a template.

  • Constants/Setup

    Constants and Setup are configuration options in TYPO3 TypoScript that set basic settings and variables for the website. "Constants" can be seen as variables that reference content defined in the backend GUI. The "Setup" uses these "Constants" to put the variables where they are needed, to define behaviour of the frontend (and sometimes also backend).

  • Content Blocks

    Content blocks are predefined layouts and content elements that can be used to create page content in the TYPO3 backend. Currently Content Blocks refers to an extension which will be included in TYPO3 v13. Content Blocks are configuration sets which define backend input and frontend output.

  • Content Elements

    Content elements in TYPO3 are blocks of content that can be displayed in the frontend. Each content element has many (and also custom) attributes, and can even consist of nested hierarchies of further content elements.

  • Core

    The TYPO3 Core is the central framework of the CMS that provides basic functions and features.

  • Core Development

    Core Development refers to development and maintenance of the central TYPO3 framework by the Core Team.

  • Core Merger

    A Core Merger is a person or team member responsible for merging code changes and updates into the TYPO3 core. TYPO3 Core Mergers are elected in a formal process.

  • Core Team

    The Core Team consists of the main developers (Core Mergers) and contributors responsible for developing and maintaining the TYPO3 core.

  • Crop variants

    Crop Variants are different cropping options for images that can be defined and used within the TYPO3 system, for example an image can have a crop variant for "mobile" and "desktop", or different aspect ratios.

  • Crowdin

    Crowdin is a translation tool used for localizing and translating TYPO3 content into different languages.

  • CType

    CType refers to Content Type and is a database column field in a very important database table called "tt_content", where all the content elements are stored. This column defines the name of the specific content element, and influences how it is displayed in the backend and frontend.

• D

  • Dashboard / Widgets

    The dashboard is a customizable start page in the TYPO3 backend that provides quick access and contains various widgets for displaying important information. access.

  • Data Processor

    A data processor is a component that processes and manipulates data before it is displayed in the TYPO3 frontend. Data processors are implemented in PHP code. They can be executed via TypoScript configuration and manipulate data that is passed to Fluid templates. It is therefore a way of manipulating data before it is passed to the presentation layer (Fluid templates).

  • Data Provider

    A data provider is a data source that can be used by other components in the TYPO3 system. Data providers are commonly used for passing on data in the backend (for example by defining which icons are available, item keys and values).

  • DataHandler

    The DataHandler is a central component of TYPO3 and it is responsible for processing and storing data changes. It is a large PHP class that is used in the backend to receive data from the FormEngine (content elements and records), and is also part of an API that can be used by extensions to operate on records.

  • DB Analyzer / DB Compare

    DB Analyzer and DB Compare are tools in TYPO3 that analyze and compare database structures to identify changes that are needed at the database level for for upgrades and extension integration. Other systems often call this "database migration".

  • DB Mounts / Mount Points

    Mount points allow TYPO3 editors to mount a page (and its subpages) from a different area in the backend page tree.

  • DBAL

    The Database Abstraction Layer (DBAL) is collection of API Interfaces and Classes in TYPO3 that allows abstract access to various database systems. SQL queries can be executed without needing to be adapted to specific database systems such as MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite.

• E

  • Enhancer

    An enhancer is a component that adds additional functionality or improvements to existing TYPO3 features, most commonly used for "Routing Enhancers" operating on speaking URL fragments.

  • Exclude Fields

    Exclude fields are fields that are configured as "excluded" in the TCA so that they are hidden in the TYPO3 backend for specific users or user groups. This is done via the permission setup.

  • Extbase

    Extbase is a framework for developing extensions in the TYPO3 system. It uses the Model-View-Controller (MVC) principle. It allows models and data fields (stored as records) to be easily defined and to be easily managed by editors in the backend. Models can also be shown in the frontend using custom logic, adhering to standards, conventions and API definitions. Extbase plugins include Extbase controllers where custom logic can be added using PHP.

  • Extension

    An extension is an add-on to the TYPO3 system that adds additional functionality and features. An extension can consist of multiple parts, for example backend modules, frontend plugins, scheduler tasks, console commands, API definitions and frontend styling.

  • Extension Builder

    The Extension Builder is a backend module in TYPO3 that facilitates the creation of extbase extensions. The Extension Builder is a community extension and maintained on its own.

  • Extension Manager

    The Extension Manager is an interface in the TYPO3 backend used for installing, updating, and managing extensions. It is very important in legacy installations, but in Composer-based installations it is only used for configuring extensions (composer then manages the (de-)installation of extensions).

  • Extension Scanner

    The Extension Scanner analyzes installed extensions for compatibility issues with current and future TYPO3 versions. It can report fixes that are needed to upgrade extensions.

• F

  • FAL

    The File Abstraction Layer (FAL) is a system in TYPO3 that centralizes management and access to files and media resources. This is the technical interface (API) to the integrated media asset database.

  • fe_groups / be_groups

    Frontend groups fe_groups and backend groups be_groups are user groups in TYPO3 that define permissions and roles. Frontend groups restrict frontend content and possible actions to specific users in those groups. Backend groups allow the definition of permissions for content and which actions can be performed in the backend.

  • felogin

    EXT:felogin is a TYPO3 system extension for managing and authenticating frontend users.

  • fe_users / be_users

    Frontend users fe_users and backend users be_users are the two main types of user in the TYPO3 system.

  • file reference

    A file reference is a reference to a file in the TYPO3 system. A file reference (as opposed to a file copy) is a pointer to the original file, so that when the original file changes, all references will too.

  • file resource

    A file resource is a physical file that is stored and managed within the TYPO3 system. A file reference always points to a file resource.

  • file storage

    File storage in TYPO3 manages the organization and storage of files and media resources. Other systems may refer to this as "asset storage".

  • fileadmin

    The fileadmin area is a special folder in the TYPO3 backend for files and media resources. This has been the default name of the file storage since TYPO3 versions, but can be customized.

  • Filelist

    The EXT:filelist is a module in the TYPO3 backend used for displaying and managing files and media resources. It displays the content of all configured file storage. When referencing files from content elements, a popup window will display the filelist in the backend.

  • Flash Message

    Flash Messages are notifications in the TYPO3 backend that inform users about important events or changes. The Extbase framework has an API to display flash messages in the frontend.

  • FlexForm

    FlexForms are a way of adding additional content element settings in the Backend and which can be accessed in the frontend. A flexForm data source (in XML format) defines sheets, sections and fields, which are displayed alongside a record in the backend record editing interface (based on TCA naming). The values entered in a FlexForm data source are saved as XML data (as a "blob", so will need serialization and deserialization when being accessed), which allows for customizable additional data storage as well as the relational database tables (like tt_content).

  • Fluid

    Fluid is a template engine in TYPO3 used for creating dynamic and customizable frontend layouts. It looks like HTML and has embedded tags that can be customized. It also has standard variable replacement as well as a large range of algorithmic and logical operations.

  • Forge / Forger / Gerrit

    Forge is the central platform for issues and where the Core Team manage the TYPO3 project and its features and bugs. Forger and Gerrit are tools for code review and management.

  • Form Framework / Form Extension

    The EXT:form framework in TYPO3 is used to create and manage complex forms with many fields and validations. Backend modules allow these forms to be configured through a powerful GUI.

  • Form Variants

    Form Variants are different versions or variations of a form built in the form framework, that can be defined and used within the TYPO3 system.

  • FormEngine

    The FormEngine is a vital component in TYPO3 responsible for displaying all record and content editing parts in the backend.

  • fsc / csc

    fsc (Fluid Styled Content) and csc (CSS Styled Content) are system extensions that can be used to render content elements in the frontend.

• G

  • GeneralUtility

    GeneralUtility is a central PHP class in TYPO3 that provides a variety of general functions and methods.

  • GifBuilder

    GifBuilder is an API set in TYPO3 for creating and editing images. It is called "Gif"-Builder but it can deal with all image formats and is used to embed overlays and other manipulations (color, geometry) into media files.

• I

  • Indexed Search

    Indexed Search is a system extension in TYPO3 for implementing search on a website.

  • Infobox

    An infobox is a highlighted area on a page that contains important information.

  • Install Tool

    The Install Tool is a tool in the TYPO3 backend used for installing and configuring/upgrading the system.

  • Integrator / Developer

    Integrator and Developer are roles within the TYPO3 ecosystem. Integrators are responsible for setting up and configuring the system, and developers create new extensions and features.

  • Introduction Package

    The Introduction Package is a sample package in TYPO3 that contains a pre-configured website with content and configuration.

  • IRRE

    IRRE (Inline Relational Record Editing) is a feature in TYPO3 where related (child) records can be edited directly in the backend (via a form). It is displayed in a nested accordion structure (also supports tabs).

  • ItemProcessor

    An ItemProcessor is a component that processes and manipulates individual data elements used within the FormEngine.

• L

  • Legacy Installation

    TYPO3 can be operated in one of two modes: "Composer Installation" (using the Composer ecosystem and tooling to setup TYPO3, also referred to as "Composer mode") or "Legacy Installation", in which TYPO3 distribution files are maintained as a simple set of files and folders on a server.

  • Link Browser

    The Link Browser is a tool in the TYPO3 backend for creating and managing links and references. It can be accessed when inserting links into content elements and opens as a popup, allowing pages, records, media files, or URLS to be selected for all fields configured as a "link type", or in plain content edited through the RTE.

  • LinkHandler

    The LinkHandler is a component in TYPO3 that provides advanced link and reference functionality. Each type of Link (for example: files, pages, records, mails, telephone, ...) is implemented via the LinkHandler API.

  • Linkvalidator

    Linkvalidator is a tool in TYPO3 that checks links and references on a website for validity and identifies broken or invalid links. It operates on content elements and their data fields.

  • List View

    The Web -> List view is a view in the TYPO3 backend used for displaying and managing records in a list format.

• M

  • Maintenance Mode

    Maintenance Mode in TYPO3 is used to temporarily take a website offline for updates or maintenance. Only maintainers (administrators) can then access the backend and frontend.

  • Maintenance Tool

    The Maintenance Tool is a tool in the TYPO3 backend used for performing maintenance tasks and system optimizations. It is part of the "Admin Tools" backend module.

  • makeInstance

    GeneralUtility::makeInstance() is a method in the TYPO3 PHP API used for creating instances of classes and objects. It can use "Dependency Injection" for service classes.

  • Modal

    A modal is a dialog or pop-up window in TYPO3 that prompts users to enter or confirm information.

  • Module

    A module is a component that extends the TYPO3 backend by providing various functionality and tools. Modules are usually "Backend Modules", and appear in the left-hand side navigation.

  • Multisite

    Multisite refers to the capability of TYPO3 to manage multiple distinct websites in a single installation.

• O

  • Overrides

    Overrides, specifically "TCA Overrides", allow TYPO3 extensions to change core configuration of records and content elements.

• P

  • Package

    A Package is a bundle of files and resources used for installing and configuring extensions or functionalities in TYPO3. Usually, TYPO3 extensions are available as "Composer Packages", hence the term "package".

  • Page Frame / Tree Frame / Module Frame / Navigation Frame

    Page frame, Tree frame, and Module frame are sections in the TYPO3 backend where content and modules are displayed and can be navigated.

  • Page Tree

    The Page Tree is a hierarchical representation of the page structure in the TYPO3 backend. It is displayed in the middle section of the TYPO3 Backend where content is edited.

  • Page View

    The Page View is a view in the TYPO3 backend where page content is edited and managed.

  • Page builder / Sitepackage Builder

    A Sitepackage Builder, or Pagebuilders, are tools in TYPO3 for creating and designing page layouts and content. They are often used to create "Sitepackage extensions", which define the TYPO3 frontend appearance and the definitions of content elements. Since these sitepackages can often be repetitive and contain boilerplate code, builders can help to auto-generate these sitepackages.

  • PageRenderer

    The PageRenderer is a PHP API component in TYPO3 responsible for rendering and displaying page content in the frontend.

  • Palette (TCA)

    A Palette in the TCA (Table Configuration Array) is a grouping of fields that are displayed and edited together.

  • Partial

    A Partial is a re-usable component of Fluid templates, that can be parametrized.

  • Permissions / ACL

    Permissions and Access Control Lists (ACL) are mechanisms in TYPO3 for managing access rights and restrictions for users and groups.

  • piBase

    piBase was a base class for developing frontend plugins in TYPO3. The name "piBase" is based on the old class class.tslib_pibase.php ("pi" for "PlugIn"), which has now been moved into a AbstractPlugin API class and provides base functionality that can be extended. Nowadays, it has been superseded by Extbase and completely customized PHP-code plugins.

  • pid / uid

    Each page and content element as a unique identifier (uid) assigned to it. The pid stands for "parent id" and references this uid for child records.

  • Plugin

    A plugin is an extension in TYPO3 that adds additional functionality and features to a website. The term "Frontend plugin" usually defines a content element that renders dynamic frontend functionality by utilizing Extbase, Fluid or raw PHP code.

  • Processed file

    A processed file is a file that has been handled and optimized by TYPO3, such as being cropped or compressed. It is a persisted artifact that can be regenerated if missing.

• R

  • Realurl

    Realurl was a commonly used TYPO3 community extension that created and managed user-friendly URLs. Now, the TYPO3 Core offers exhaustive URL rewriting capabilities with Site Matchers, Route Enhancers/Decorators and slugs.

  • Records

    A record is the smallest unit of a database entry. A record can be a content element but also any configuration record, data storage record, user data record and much more. Records are defined via the TCA and can be edited in the backend GUI depending on their configuration.

  • recycler

    The Recycler is a backend module for managing and restoring deleted records.

  • Redirects

    Redirects are links that direct users from one URL to another, often used to correct outdated or invalid links.

  • RenderType

    RenderType is a TCA setting in TYPO3 that defines the rendering mode of fields and content elements when displayed in the FormEngine.

  • Repository

    This term is usually referred to in Extbase-context, and defines a PHP API class in Domain Driven Design (DDD) that manages access to entities/models defined through configuration and database records.

  • reports

    Reports are analyses and insights in the TYPO3 backend that provide information about system performance and usage of extensions.

  • reST / reStructuredText

    reST (reStructuredText) is a markup format used for creating and formatting documentation ssuch as the official TYPO3 documentation and public extensions.

  • Route Enhancer

    A Route Enhancer is a component in TYPO3 used for improving and customizing URL routing logic. It is part of the YAML Site configuration.

  • Route Decorator / Enhancing Decorator

    Route Decorators and Enhancing Decorators are part of Route enhancement and can be seen as configuration and API implementations where URL routing can be accessed and rewritten.

  • RTE (also: WYSIWYG, CKEditor, htmlarea, t3editor)

    A Rich Text Editor (RTE) is a tool in TYPO3 that enables WYSIWYG editing (What You See Is What You Get), part of the CKEditor Open Source project. An older component was "rte_htmlarea". The t3editor is a specific RTE that handles syntax-highlighting for code languages.

  • runTests.sh (?)

    runTests.sh is utility Script provided internally by the TYPO3 Core, which allows several test types to be run (functional tests, unit tests, acceptance tests) and where Core developers can manage instances for building assets.

• S

  • scheduler

    The scheduler is a backend module that manages and executes regular, scheduled tasks, such as regular purging of temporary data.

  • Scheduler Tasks

    Scheduler tasks in TYPO3 are automated jobs that can be scheduled to run at specific times or intervals.

  • showfields (TCA)

    showfields settings in the TCA (Table Configuration Array) that define which fields are displayed in the FormEngine backend GUI.

  • SignalSlot / Hook / Event Dispatcher + Listeners

    SignalSlot was a design pattern in TYPO3 for implementing event-driven programming and allowing components to communicate with each other. This was superseded by the PSR-14 compatible Event-API (using a Dispatcher and Event Listeners).

  • Site Configuration

    A Site Configuration includes settings and options that affect the behavior and display of a TYPO3 website, mapped to a specific domain (with variants). The Site Configuration also includes site settings, which is a simple key/value storage of variables that can affect the frontend (or backend sections).

  • Site Language / Page Language

    Site language and page language define the languages in which a TYPO3 website and its content are displayed. It is part of the site configuration.

  • Site Management

    Site management includes tools and functions for managing and maintaining a TYPO3 website, including the site configuration of each site.

  • Site Matcher

    A site matcher is a component in TYPO3 used for mapping and processing URL patterns and requests in conjunction with a specific part of the page tree (root page/site).

  • Site Package

    A site package is a pre-configured package in TYPO3 that usually contains configuration, Content Element definitions, functionality (like PSR-14 event listeners, middleware), templates and sample content.

  • Site Sets

    Site Sets are predefined collections of settings and configurations used for setting up and managing TYPO3 websites, mainly used to assign TypoScript configuration to a site.

  • Sites

    Sites are the various websites / projects managed and operated within the TYPO3 system. Site is the short form for "Website".

  • Slug

    A slug is a user-friendly part of a URL, often generated from the page title or content elements. A URL can consist of multiple slug parts.

  • Static File Cache

    Static file cache is an extension that is used to store pre-rendered pages as static files to improve performance, such as a static page generator.

  • Styleguide

    The styleguide extension is a collection of sample TCA-based content elements to showcase the functionality of TYPO3. It also features an example page tree for both these backend elements, as well as a frontend example site. The module also showcases all GUI elements (like dialogs, alerts, colors, accordions, grids, ...) that TYPO3 uses in the backend.

  • SVG Tree

    The SVG tree is a visual representation of the page and content structure of a TYPO3 website in SVG format. This is the technical visual version of the page tree.

  • sys_log / sys_history

    The sys_log and sys_history are database tables in TYPO3 for recording and tracking system events and changes.

  • sysext

    Sysexts are SYStem EXTensions in TYPO3 that provide core functions and features. This is the name of a central TYPO3 Core Sourcecode directory, and in older TYPO3 versions there was a clearer separation between system and local extensions.

• T

  • T3DD

    T3DD stands for TYPO3 Developer Days, an annual conference for TYPO3 developers and enthusiasts.

  • TCA

    The Table Configuration Array (TCA) is a central configuration structure in TYPO3 for defining and configuring database tables and fields.

  • TCEforms

    TCEforms are forms in TYPO3 used for editing database entries and content elements in the backend.

  • Templates (=Fluid)

    Templates in TYPO3, often created with Fluid, define the structure and layout of the frontend.

  • TER

    The TYPO3 Extension Repository (TER) is a central directory for distributing TYPO3 extensions.

  • Testing Framework

    The Testing Framework in TYPO3 provides tools and methods for conducting automated tests used for developing the TYPO3 Core or custom projects and extensions.

  • TSconfig

    TSconfig uses the TypoScript configuration language in TYPO3 and is used for defining backend settings and configuration options. This is separated into "User TSconfig" and "Page TSconfig"

• U

  • uid

    uid stands for Unique Identifier and is a unique identifier for records and objects in the TYPO3 system. It complements the pid (parent identifier).

  • upgrade wizard

    The upgrade wizard is a module in the TYPO3 backend used for performing system and database upgrades.

• V

  • Vendor

    The term "Vendor" is most commonly used as a semantic grouping identifier for PHP namespaces in extensions. Composer collects all packages in a directory, that is also usually called "vendor" and contains subdirectories with the PHP namespace identifiers. A vendor can then provide multiple distinct extensions, each separated by an extension name identifier. The PHP Composer class-Loading functionality depends on these two basic identifiers.

  • ViewHelper

    ViewHelpers are logical helper functions, utilized in Fluid templates and partials. ViewHelpers are implemented as PHP code and can perform any kind of functionality, however they should only be used for managing context of frontend output and should not contain too much domain logic.

• W

  • Workspace(s)

    Workspaces are areas in TYPO3 used for managing and editing content in a "versioned" way. They allow to prepare content to be published, and verified in workflow steps before.

  • Web Component

    The TYPO3 Cores backend makes considerable use of JavaScript-based, standards-compliant web components. These offer dynamic functionality using a standards-driven approach, compatible with most browsers and offering graceful degradation.

• X

  • XCLASS

    XCLASS is a mechanism in TYPO3 that allows developers to extend or override existing classes and functions. The TYPO3 Core can then replace one instance of a class with another custom class.

Images 

Describe images using alternative text (alt-text) or caption.

• Be accurate, specific, and concise: use 125 characters or fewer, while providing a meaningful description of the image.
• You don’t need to take up valuable characters with, “photo of,” or “image of.” Assistive technologies will announce when they are describing an image.

The Stanford University IT Office of Digital Accessibility has some great tips and more information on their Images page. Amy Leak has a good Medium article on the different applications of alt-text and captions.

• Alt-text - Before: Photo of man in a room full of art supplies and tools.
• Alt-text - After: Dr. Seuss faces forward in art studio
• Caption: Dr. Seuss explains his painting methods

Hyperlinks 

Use descriptive text for links. Never use “click here”. The purpose of the link should be obvious from the link text. The Stanford University IT Office of Digital Accessibility explains it well on their Hyperlinks page.

• Before: Click here to find out more about our company.
• After: Find out more on the Meet the Team page.

Use links as calls to action. When we want our readers to take action, convert, move to the next stage in the funnel, read the next blog post in a series, we use a link with a clear call-to-action. Tempt the reader by promising something new on the other side of the click. Calls-to-actions take the reader to a different piece of content. Use them anywhere where you want the reader to click.

• Get in touch to book a demo !
• Contact us with your project needs today!
• See how much you would save by switching to the Peanut-Matic-5000!
• Start your journey to a more peanut-filled life today.

Use links as citations or sources. We use links to other sources for various reasons in online content. When we need to provide access to some information but hope that our readers won’t leave our page, we spell out the information in the link. Telling the reader what they’ll find behind the link makes clicking it redundant—a “don’t click me” link that keeps the reader on the page. Use citational links to back up a claim or offer background and context. They should not address readers directly.

• Nine out of ten dental professionals say they prefer peanuts .
• Case studies are the second most popular content asset with B2B content marketers .
• 73% of BSB marketers use case studies in their content marketing.

A quick note on tools 

We create drafts in Google Docs. Use Editing mode in Google Docs when drafting a piece. When reviewing or editing someone else’s work, use comments to provide feedback and make suggestions for improvement using Suggesting mode so the writer can track your changes.

Write a brief 

A brief provides us with a clearly thought-out purpose before we start writing content. It helps us focus our writing, build a strong narrative, make a compelling case for our thesis, and better connect to our audience.

Key elements of a brief 

Some briefs for specific asset types contain factors that others might not, but most briefs have a standard set of requirements. It’s hard for us to do a good job and be consistent and efficient without the following information:

• Thesis: Main idea. What the content is about, the direct message.
• Brand Message: Indirect message. What we want the reader to take away about the brand and/or the subject at hand.
• Target Audience: Who is this for?
• Pain Points: What are the target audience’s challenges?
• Business Goals: Awareness, Conversion (define in CTA and/or CTV), Monetization
• CTA/CTV: What is the next step we’d like them to take?

• Outline:

  • Thesis: [Main Idea]

  • Supporting theme

    • Supporting point
    • Supporting point

  • Supporting theme

    • Supporting point
    • Supporting point

  • Supporting theme

    • Supporting point
    • Supporting point
  • Conclusion / CTA: [Closer]

The Content Brief is a living document. Update it as the article develops.

Get through your first draft quickly 

In the first stage of draft creation, don’t worry about language or polish—just get the ideas fully formed onto the page. Once you’re done with round one, you can self-edit and add more stylistic touches before handing it over for internal review.

Leave a guide for your editors 

Mark up any problem areas or queries you may have for the editor. They’ll likely have a fresh viewpoint and help you overcome challenges like word choices or troublesome sentences.

The best writing is often the result of collaboration. Don’t be shy about telling your reviewer where you are stuck or where you need something: examples, a case study, whatever it is that would take your piece from good to great!

Contributing Content to TYPO3 

As an open source project, TYPO3 accepts content contributions of all kinds, including, but not limited to the following areas:

• Articles and blog posts for the websites .org and .com

  • To contribute to typo3.org, read where to submit the content requests section of the TYPO3 Community Content Workflow.
  • To submit to typo3.com, get in touch via the typo3.com contact form.
• Official documentation: We can always use help fixing issues, reviewing pull requests, writing new content, adding diagrams, creating cheat sheets, replacing outdated images, adding YouTube videos, reviewing manuals, and more. For more information and instructions, visit the How You Can Help page in our documentation.
• Graphics and Design: Join our Design Team’s hangouts or sprints to help improve the TYPO3 brand design.
• Marketing Team: Join the Marketing Team and begin contributing to our sales and marketing resources.
• CoCoMOn: The Collaborative Communication, Marketing, and Onboarding project produces an open source marketing and educational toolkit for agencies around the world.
• Podcast: Share your knowledge, suggest topics or guests via email for Application, the TYPO3 Community Podcast, or host TYPO3 community members on your own.
• TYPO3 Core: Join the Core Team to help shape the product’s UI and write microcopy.

Contributing to this Guide 

Send your suggestions, feedback, examples, or other ideas to us. The Editorial Team of this guide will review submissions once per quarter and get in touch with you or take other appropriate actions.

The Content Group 

The Content Group facilitates content creation for typo3.org, but they don’t write everything. They rely on members of the community to help create content, and the team helps write, proofread, translate, and publish content for the TYPO3 community.

Submit a content request form 

To submit content, log in to your my.typo3.org account and fill out the Content Request Form. Try to submit this form as soon as you have a budding idea, so it can be added to the publication schedule—submitting early gives other contributors more time and leeway to help out.

The form lists various categories for content submissions, like:

• Event Promotion
• Event Report
• Team Report
• Development News
• General Content (e.g., tutorials)
• Review
• Interview
• Other

You can also indicate what sort of help you might need, including:

• Proofreading (included by default)
• Translating
• Writing
• Improving/Copy editing

Suggest a title, author, and summarize the main message of the content. We’ll also ask you to identify the main audience of your content, such as:

• TYPO3 community in general
• Developers
• Agencies
• End customers
• End users
• Outsiders

Identify a “call-to-action”—the action you want readers to take after reading the content. It’s often as simple as redirecting the reader to another area on the website or asking them to get in touch. Optionally include images or ideas for images. Both calls-to-action and images help enliven an article.

Track Content with Trello 

The Content Group uses a public Trello board to track content workflows.

When you complete the Content Request Form, a card is automatically generated on the board. It starts in the ‘Content requests’ column.

Trello cards have a checklist to ensure each piece of content has standard elements, including:

• Link to the working document
• A header image
• A meta description
• A social message
• Newsletter blurb

Make sure they’re all appropriately filled in. Once you begin a piece of content, the Trello tasks move from left to right across the columns on the Trello board:

1. Content requests
2. Content in progress
3. Needs a review or proofreading
4. Reviewed and returned to author
5. Ready to publish
6. Published & ready for next newsletter

There is also a column for ‘Blocked’ content.

Meetings and Slack channel 

The Content Group meets every second week and discusses the status of cards on the Trello board, as well as new content requests.

We use our Slack channel #t3a-content-group to tag content authors or submitters to keep them apprised of the status of their content.

Newsletter 

All content published on typo3.org is typically included in the TYPO3 Newsletter, which is sent out at the end of each month.

1. Review the brief and read the article 

With the brief in mind, read the article. Consult the brief to understand the goals for the writing—target audience for choice of language, research and interview material, conversion goals, etc.

2. Positivity pass (++)! 

Note the strengths of the work: Provide ++ positive feedback first! Initiate the editing process by noting the positive elements of the work. What are the overarching strengths, significant accomplishments, and powerful communication aspects of the work?

3. Review the narrative structure 

While reviewing the Narrative Structure, look at the content of the entire article. Review the organizational structure of the writing, as well as the relevance and logical progression of the narrative.

• Does the story told by the article remain within the planned scope outlined in the brief?
• Does it include all the elements outlined in the brief?
• Does the structure of the arguments support the narrative?
• Are the supporting points logical and valid?
• Does the narrative open with a clear explanation of the topic and close with a call to action?
• Look for needless repetition or extraneous sections that don’t add to the narrative.

4. Review and analyze flow and readability 

Review each section in detail. Consider the beginning, middle, and end of each section. Assess how the content flows and segues between sections. Ensure there is a rhythm in the content to help the reader move through the narrative without fatigue.

During this stage of the process, we clarify sections within the narrative and ensure the arrangement of the points contributes to the narrative. We look at the purpose of each section, each main argument, and how it is supported. Each paragraph should be unique and clear, and there should be a clear transition between each.

As part of this step in the process, we consider how to break up “walls of text” that impede the narrative and degrade readability. Additionally, we consider reader aids such as formatting, bullets, images, or diagrams to help explain concepts.

5. Analyze style and phrasing 

During this step in the process, we assess the style and phrasing of the writing.

• Is the writing human-centric?
• Is the language appropriate for the target audience?

• Is the content engaging?

  • Are there metaphors and analogies to add color and comprehensibility?
• Is the voice and tone appropriate to the brand and audience?

• Is the writing “crisp” and to the point?

  • Remove the extraneous content that doesn’t add to the story.
  • Reduce complexity.

• Is the content inclusive and accessible?

  • Address your audience directly where it makes sense: “You will learn,” rather than “people learn.”
  • Remove violent language. Replace metaphors around war and violence with other, more peaceful, constructive ones like art, carpentry, and gardening.

6. Analyze and provide feedback on word choice 

At the most detailed level, we can look at the choice of specific words. At this level, we can create stronger content with appropriate emotional tone and meaning by choosing words that are correct within the context of the content. We can also discard passive phrasing in favor of writing that exhibits more color and flair. This is where we focus on the accuracy of terminology, defining new phrases and terms for the audience. And of course, the right punctuation and grammar are essential for comprehension.