Guidelines for News Articles 

This guide helps authors create useful, accurate, and consistent articles suitable for news.typo3.com.

For detailed rules on language, grammar, links, dates, numbers, quotations, and capitalization, see the Writing Style Guide.

For image licensing and attribution, see Images and Licensing.

For information about submitting an article and the publication process, see How to Get an Article Published in TYPO3 News.

Table of Contents

Quick Checklist 

Before submitting an article, you should be able to answer yes to all of these statements (if applicable):

  • The article has a clear purpose and provides useful information.
  • The headline accurately describes the article.
  • The article has a lead that explains the main news or purpose.
  • The article provides the necessary context for readers who are unfamiliar with the topic.
  • A relevant call to action or next step is included where appropriate.
  • Facts, dates, names, numbers, and version information have been checked.
  • Opinions, proposals, plans, and decisions are clearly distinguished.
  • Quotes are accurate and attributed.
  • External links provide a concrete benefit to readers.
  • Link text is descriptive and avoids URLs in inline text.
  • Images can legally be published and have complete licensing information.
  • Required consent for recognizable people has been obtained.
  • The article is not advertising or promoting commercial services.
  • Sensitive and confidential information has been handled appropriately.
  • The article follows the TYPO3 Code of Conduct.
  • The article follows the Writing Style Guide, including US English spelling.
  • AI-generated or AI-assisted content has been checked for accuracy.

1. Defining TYPO3 News 

TYPO3 News is the shared platform for news and events publication for the TYPO3 ecosystem: TYPO3 CMS, the TYPO3 community, teams, initiatives, events, and other activities relevant to TYPO3.

The TYPO3 Association and TYPO3 Company are the responsible publishers.

The site features original content and does not re-publish articles, with the exception of English translations of articles published elsewhere in other languages. Some articles are made available in other languages of the typo3.com website.

TYPO3 News is an editorial publication, not an advertising platform. Its purpose is to inform readers, document activities, share knowledge, and help people understand and participate in the TYPO3 ecosystem.

2. Who Can Contribute 

Anyone involved in the TYPO3 community can submit article ideas and content. You do not need to be a member of a particular team or have a long contribution history.

If you have useful information but do not feel confident writing the article yourself, ask for editorial support.

Possible support includes:

  • Developing an article from an idea
  • Copyediting and improving readability
  • Proofreading
  • Translating content into English

3. What We Publish 

TYPO3 News articles cover topics such as:

  • News about TYPO3 CMS development and releases
  • Reports from TYPO3 teams, units, and initiatives
  • Community news and community projects
  • Event announcements and event reports
  • Solutions to problems and other useful technical content
  • Interviews and profiles
  • Governance and organizational news
  • Announcements from the TYPO3 Association or TYPO3 Company
  • Stories about people contributing to TYPO3
  • Relevant developments in open source, web development, and related technologies

4. Audience 

TYPO3 News has an international audience with different levels of technical knowledge.

Write for readers who may be:

  • Experienced TYPO3 developers
  • TYPO3 editors and integrators
  • Agency or business professionals
  • Community members
  • People discovering TYPO3 for the first time
  • People interested in open source and web technologies

Do not assume that every reader knows the history or context. Provide enough information for the reader to understand why the article matters.

Explain specialized terms when they are important to understanding the article. Link to useful explanations where appropriate.

5. Editorial Principles 

TYPO3 News content should be:

Useful
Give readers information, knowledge, context, or a clear way to take action.
Factual
Distinguish facts from opinions, plans, proposals, and expectations.
Transparent
Clearly identify the organization, team, project, or person responsible for statements and decisions. With very few exceptions, each article is published under a single writer's full name (byline).
Accessible
Write so that readers with different backgrounds can understand the main message.
Respectful
Follow the TYPO3 Code of Conduct and treat people, organizations, and communities fairly.
Non-sensational
Avoid exaggerated claims, clickbait, artificial urgency, and unsupported superlatives.
Editorial, rather than promotional
Articles should inform readers rather than primarily promote a product, service, company, event, or person.

6. Types of Articles 

Different topics benefit from different formats. Choose the format that best serves the reader.

News or announcement
Reports something new, such as a release, decision, organizational change, or important development.
Community report
Describes an activity, project, meeting, sprint, or initiative and its results.
Event announcement
Provides useful information about an upcoming event and explains why it is relevant to TYPO3 readers.
Event report
Summarizes what happened at an event, including relevant outcomes, contributions, and next steps.
Best practice or how-to
Explains how results were accomplished with reference to a concrete case and problem. Generic tutorials belong in the documentation. Case studies are not published as TYPO3 News.
Interview or profile
Presents a person, team, or project through questions, answers, or a structured profile.
Opinion
Presents an individual's perspective or argument. Make it clear that the content represents an opinion rather than an official TYPO3 position.
Governance or organizational article
Explains decisions, processes, structures, policies, or other organizational developments. Be precise about what was proposed, discussed, decided, or implemented.

7. Structure of an Article 

A typical news article works well with the following structure:

Headline
Clearly states what the article is about.
Lead
Summarizes the most important information and gives the reader a reason to continue. Capped at 2–3 short sentences, it is also displayed in news lists.
Context
Usually 1–3 paragraphs before the first section heading. Contains information needed to understand the context and background of the article.
Main content
Split the content into descriptive section headings followed by 2–4 paragraphs of text.
Next steps
Explains what happens next, when this is relevant to the story.
Call to action
If readers can take a useful action, such as registering for an event, reading documentation, joining a discussion, or testing a release, tell them how. If the purpose is clear already at the beginning of the article, a call to action link can also be inserted between Context and Main content.

8. Headlines and Leads 

A headline should tell readers what the article is about without requiring additional context.

Prefer specific headlines over vague or promotional ones.

Good:
TYPO3 14.3.5 and 13.4.33 Security Releases Published
Avoid
Important News You Don't Want to Miss

A lead should communicate the central news quickly. It should normally answer the most important questions of what happened, who is involved, and why it matters.

Do not repeat the headline word for word in the lead.

Avoid beginning with generic statements such as "We are excited to announce..." unless the wording is genuinely relevant to the story.

Follow the Writing Style Guide for title capitalization and other language rules.

9. Tone and Voice 

Use a clear, professional, and approachable tone.

Prefer:

  • Short, direct sentences
  • Active voice where it improves clarity
  • Concrete descriptions
  • Plain language
  • Specific names and dates
  • Factual statements supported by evidence

Avoid:

  • Marketing language
  • Unnecessary jargon
  • Exaggerated claims
  • Vague corporate language
  • Excessive use of exclamation marks
  • Artificial urgency
  • Language that assumes the reader already agrees with the author

All articles must be written in English. TYPO3 uses American (US) spelling. See the Writing Style Guide for detailed rules.

10. Attribution and Organizational Identity 

The shared news platform brings together content from different parts of the TYPO3 ecosystem. Readers must be able to distinguish between them. Use the specific name of an organization, team, or project when it matters.

For example:

  • "The TYPO3 Association Board approved ..."
  • "TYPO3 Company announced ..."
  • "The Core Team released ..."
  • "The Security Team published ..."
  • "The TYPO3 Association is asking members to ..."

Avoid statements such as "TYPO3 decided ..." when the decision was actually made by a specific body.

Do not imply that a personal opinion represents the position of anyone else unless you are authorized to speak on their behalf.

For governance articles, distinguish carefully between information that was:

  • Discussed
  • Proposed
  • Submitted for review
  • Approved
  • Decided
  • Implemented
  • Planned

Name people accurately and use their current role when the role is relevant to the article. Link names to their profile on my.typo3.org.

12. Images 

All articles have at least one accompanying image or illustration. If you're unable to find one, it will be found for you during the publication process.

Images should support the article and provide useful visual context.

Only use images for which TYPO3 has the necessary rights to publish, distribute, and, where applicable, modify the image.

For detailed licensing requirements, see Images and Licensing.

Refrain from overly editing or cropping images before submitting. Always include the following information:

  • Creator or copyright holder
  • Source
  • Concrete license
  • Any required attribution

If people are recognizable in an image, make sure you have their consent before submitting it.

13. Quotes 

Use quotation marks only when restating a person's exact words or quoting a text. Do not use quotation marks for names or titles.

Minor grammatical corrections or necessary contextual changes must follow the rules for quotes in the Writing Style Guide.

If a quote was supplied by another source, verify that you have the right to reproduce it and identify the source where appropriate.

14. Facts and Sources 

You are responsible for the factual accuracy of submitted content.

Distinguish clearly between facts and statements.

For example, prefer:

"The TYPO3 Association announced that ..."

over:

"TYPO3 is now the market leader ..."

unless the latter statement can be supported by a reliable source and is relevant to the article.

Do not present rumors, internal discussions, proposals, or expectations as facts.

Where a claim is important to the story, provide a source or link that allows readers to verify it.

15. Promotional and Commercial Content 

Articles should focus on information that is useful to readers.

It is not permitted to place any advertisements or other commercial promotion in articles or make the article a vehicle for commercial gain.

Exceptions to the rule:

  • Any case where an official TYPO3 endorsement exists.
  • Open source products where voluntary donations are possible, but they do not exceed a product's actual costs of design, development, and maintenance.

Examples of articles with commercial intent:

  • Direct product promotion: The article primarily concerns a commercial product or service.
  • Promotional case study: A case study that promotes an agency, vendor, or service provider, rather than TYPO3.
  • Commercial dependency or freemium: The article concerns a free product or service that requires payment to become useful or that requires a commercial product or service to function.
  • Commercial upselling: An otherwise useful article directs readers toward paid services for the next step.
  • Promotional comparison: A comparison favors a commercial product, provider, or service without sufficient editorial justification.
  • Links to commercial services: The article links to pages promoting commercial products or services.
  • Lead generation: The article encourages readers to contact a company, request a quote, book a consultation, or otherwise become a commercial lead.
  • Commercial testimonials: A story primarily serves as a testimonial for a commercial product or service.
  • Educational sales content: A tutorial, technical article, or other educational content primarily serves to promote the author's commercial services.

The Writing Style Guide also gives directions on what commercial content can be linked from articles.

16. Sensitive Content 

All contributors must follow the TYPO3 Code of Conduct.

Writers should keep their texts factual and neutral, and not seek to create, encourage, or participate in conflicts or disputes through their content.

Unless permission is given by the TYPO3 Association or TYPO3 Company, articles about sensitive topics can only be published under bylines of official TYPO3 representatives. These topics include:

  • Conflicts and disputes
  • Legal matters (including legal advice)
  • Security incidents
  • Internal or confidential information
  • Information that has not yet been publicly announced

17. AI-Assisted Writing 

AI tools may be used to help develop, translate, edit, or proofread an article, but they do not replace editorial responsibility. Authors remain responsible for their content.

Do not publish AI-generated claims without checking them against reliable sources. AI tools can produce plausible but incorrect names, dates, quotes, statistics, references, and technical information.