BETA This playbook is in BETA, we think it’s good enough to be useful right now, but there are gaps that need filling – your feedback will help us to improve it.

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Content types: Step by step

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Page contents

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Part of
Content types: Step by step

The types of content that we have and the ways that we set pages out

1Layout

The different layouts to help people find and understand information more easily.

  1. Content layout

2Lists

How we use lists to help people quickly scan the page for information

  1. Content lists

3Links

The types of links we have and how we link to them

  1. Content links

4Contacts

How we set out contact information on our pages

  1. Contact details

Phone and Fax Numbers

If a phone number is free to call (like 0800 or 0508), we say freephone, not just phone.

We don’t use bullet points for contact details.

Write contact details like this:

Street Addresses

  • Always write words like Street, Road, Avenue, Drive, and Terrace in full.
  • Use an en dash (–) with no spaces for number ranges, like 112–114 Lambton Quay.
  • If a street name starts with “The” (like The Terrace), always use a capital “T”.
  • Write addresses like this:

[Level or floor] [Building name]
[Street number and name]
[Suburb or village]
[Town or city]
[County]
[Postcode]

Postal Addresses

Write PO Box followed by the number with no spaces or punctuation.

Correct: PO Box 234567
Not: PO Box 23-4567 or PO Box 23 4567

Words and Phrases We Avoid

We try to keep things clear and simple. So we don’t use:

  • Fancy or unclear words like advancing, collaborate, empower, facilitate, transforming, or utilise – we say working with, help, change, or use instead.
  • Words that sound bossy or vague like please, it’s important to, you will need – we just say what needs to be done.
  • Jargon like stakeholder, drive, progress, outcomes, or one-stop shop – we say who is involved and what is happening.
  • We write words like realise, standardise, and solemnisation with an s, not a z.

Last reviewed: August 19, 2025 by Jennifer

Next review due: February 19, 2026

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