What This Template Is For
Every product speaks to its users, whether through error messages, onboarding flows, marketing pages, or support replies. Without a documented voice, each writer invents their own version. The onboarding sounds enthusiastic, the error messages sound robotic, the marketing sounds like a different product entirely.
A brand voice template solves this by codifying your product's personality into specific, actionable guidelines. It answers: What words do we use? What words do we avoid? How do we sound in a celebration state versus an error state? How does our tone shift between a sales email and an in-app tooltip?
This template is for product teams, content designers, marketers, and anyone who writes words that users see. It works for new products defining voice from scratch and for mature products standardizing what already exists. For the broader content strategy that wraps around voice, see the Product Strategy Handbook. If you are building messaging for a product launch, start with the product messaging framework template first, then use this template to define how those messages sound.
How to Use This Template
- Audit what exists first. Pull 10 real examples of your current product copy (error messages, emails, tooltips, marketing). Read them aloud. Note where the voice feels consistent and where it feels disjointed.
- Define personality before rules. Start with 3-4 personality traits. Rules without personality feel arbitrary. Personality without rules feels vague. You need both.
- Write "this, not that" examples. Abstract guidelines ("be friendly") fail. Concrete pairs ("say 'Something went wrong' not 'Error 500: Internal Server Failure'") stick.
- Map tone to context. Voice stays constant. Tone shifts. Your product can be "clear and confident" in both a success state and an error state, but the emotional register changes.
- Test with new writers. Give the guide to someone who has never written for your product. Ask them to write three sample messages. If the output matches your expectations, the guide works.
Brand Voice Guidelines Template
Voice Foundation
Define 3-4 personality traits that describe how your product communicates. Each trait needs a definition and boundaries.
| Personality Trait | What It Means | What It Does Not Mean |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g., Confident] | [We state things clearly without hedging] | [We are not arrogant or dismissive] |
| [e.g., Helpful] | [We anticipate what the user needs next] | [We are not patronizing or over-explaining] |
| [e.g., Direct] | [We get to the point quickly] | [We are not blunt or cold] |
| [e.g., Warm] | [We sound like a knowledgeable colleague] | [We are not casual or slangy] |
Brand personality statement: [Combine traits into one sentence. Example: "We sound like a smart colleague who explains things clearly, offers help before you ask, and never wastes your time."]
Voice Principles
Expand each personality trait into specific writing rules.
Principle 1: [Trait Name]
- ☐ Rule defined with concrete guidance
- ☐ "This, not that" example written
- ☐ Exception cases documented
| Do This | Not This | Why |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g., "Your changes are saved."] | [e.g., "Changes have been successfully persisted to the database."] | [Users care about the outcome, not the mechanism] |
| [e.g., "Try again in a few minutes."] | [e.g., "Please retry your request at a later time."] | [Conversational tone reduces friction] |
| [e.g., "3 items need your attention."] | [e.g., "Warning: There are 3 outstanding action items requiring immediate attention."] | [Direct language respects the user's time] |
Principle 2: [Trait Name]
| Do This | Not This | Why |
|---|---|---|
| [Example] | [Counter-example] | [Reason] |
| [Example] | [Counter-example] | [Reason] |
| [Example] | [Counter-example] | [Reason] |
Principle 3: [Trait Name]
| Do This | Not This | Why |
|---|---|---|
| [Example] | [Counter-example] | [Reason] |
| [Example] | [Counter-example] | [Reason] |
| [Example] | [Counter-example] | [Reason] |
Vocabulary Guide
Define words you always use, words you never use, and product-specific terminology.
Always use these words:
| Word / Phrase | Use For | Instead Of |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g., "workspace"] | Referring to the user's environment | "instance", "tenant", "account" |
| [e.g., "team member"] | Referring to other users | "user", "seat", "license holder" |
| [e.g., "connect"] | Describing integrations | "integrate", "sync", "link" |
Never use these words:
| Banned Word | Why | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g., "simple"] | Implies the user should find it easy; creates shame if they struggle | "straightforward" or remove the adjective entirely |
| [e.g., "just"] | Minimizes the user's effort | Remove it from the sentence |
| [e.g., "leverage"] | Corporate jargon that distances the reader | "use" |
| [e.g., "please"] | In UI copy, it adds unnecessary words and can sound passive-aggressive at scale | Write direct instructions instead |
Product terminology:
| Term | Definition | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g., "Board"] | The primary workspace view | Always capitalize when referring to the product feature |
| [e.g., "Sprint"] | A time-boxed work period | Lowercase when used generically |
| [e.g., "Insight"] | An auto-generated data summary | Always capitalize; this is a branded feature name |
Tone Map
Voice stays constant. Tone adapts to context. Map your voice to specific product moments.
| Context | Emotional State | Tone Shift | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Success / Celebration | User accomplished something | Warm, encouraging, brief | "Your report is ready. Nice work." |
| Error / Failure | Something went wrong | Calm, clear, solution-focused | "We could not save your changes. Check your connection and try again." |
| Onboarding | User is new and uncertain | Supportive, guiding, patient | "Let's set up your first project. It takes about 2 minutes." |
| Empty state | User sees no data yet | Inviting, action-oriented | "No projects yet. Create one to get started." |
| Destructive action | User is about to delete | Clear, specific, no drama | "This will permanently delete 12 files. You cannot undo this." |
| Waiting / Loading | User is waiting for a result | Light, transparent | "Crunching the numbers. This usually takes about 10 seconds." |
| Upgrade / Upsell | User hits a limit | Respectful, value-focused | "This feature is available on the Team plan. See what is included." |
Channel-Specific Guidelines
Tone varies across channels. Map specific adjustments for each.
| Channel | Tone Adjustments | Length Limits | Formatting Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-app UI | Shortest, most direct | Max 15 words for tooltips, 40 for modals | No markdown; plain text only |
| Email (transactional) | Functional, clear | Max 3 sentences for the key message | One CTA per email |
| Email (marketing) | Warmer, more persuasive | Subject line under 50 chars | Personalize with first name |
| Help docs | Thorough, step-by-step | No strict limit but scan-friendly | Use numbered lists for procedures |
| Social media | Most casual, most concise | Platform-dependent | Emojis allowed sparingly |
| Sales collateral | Outcome-focused, credible | One page per asset ideal | Include proof points |
Voice Audit Checklist
Run this checklist against any new copy before publishing.
- ☐ Reads naturally when spoken aloud
- ☐ Matches at least 3 of 4 personality traits
- ☐ Uses product terminology consistently
- ☐ Contains no banned words
- ☐ Tone matches the user's emotional context
- ☐ Gets to the point in the first sentence
- ☐ Includes a clear next step or action for the user
- ☐ Would not embarrass the company if screenshotted
Filled Example: B2B Analytics Product
Voice Foundation
| Personality Trait | What It Means | What It Does Not Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | We explain data concepts without jargon | We do not oversimplify or omit nuance |
| Confident | We state what the data shows directly | We do not hedge every statement with "may" or "might" |
| Supportive | We guide users through complex analysis | We do not assume they already know SQL |
| Efficient | We use the fewest words that convey the full meaning | We are not terse or robotic |
Brand personality statement: We sound like a data-savvy teammate who explains findings clearly, guides you through analysis, and never buries the insight in jargon.
Tone Map (Partial)
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| Success | "Your dashboard is live. Share it with your team from the top-right menu." |
| Error | "We could not connect to your database. Double-check the credentials in Settings > Connections." |
| Empty state | "No data yet. Connect a data source to see your first chart in minutes." |
| Onboarding | "Welcome. Let's connect your first data source. Most teams start with their production database." |
This template pairs well with the content strategy template for planning what you write, and the style guide template for the mechanical rules (grammar, punctuation, formatting) that sit alongside voice. For product teams measuring content effectiveness, the Net Promoter Score can signal whether your voice resonates with users.