In-product word list

In Creative Cloud products, to add is to bring already existing assets into a certain browser or view. In Experience Cloud products, this word is reserved for images.

For example:

• Add PNG
• Add images, fonts, styles, and more to a library to keep what you need nearby.

Avoid using the word add for the action of inviting people to a document or other shareable resource.

Jargon for any file, element, or content that a user needs to complete their goal, as well as the output of completing that goal.

At Adobe, this includes things such as desktop-synced files, mobile creations, Creative Cloud libraries, images, fonts, colors, gradients, or CSS information.

Asset is a generic word and has multiple meanings which can be conflicting or ambiguous. For example, there are assets that are part of a creative agency workflow, and there are assets to describe a generic grouping of disparate items.

Try to avoid using this word if possible. Instead, be more specific and describe what something is, such as a video or an illustration. If you can’t, proceed with asset.

For feature names and UI labels, use the adjective form (e.g., Auto tag, Auto crop, Auto analyze, Auto save). New names and labels that use auto require the Brand team’s approval.

In general references, use the combining form (e.g., auto-tag, auto-crop, auto-analyze, auto-save).

When describing how UI elements with auto labels work, generally spell out automatic or automatically.

Use not available to describe an app, service, or control that temporarily can’t be accessed or used (e.g., an app is taken down for maintenance).

View also supported / not supported.

This word has roots in racism and oppression. Replace it with this format to provide contextual clarity:

(Action)(object)

For example:

• Blocked users
• Prohibited IP addresses

When referring to a specific button in an interface, try to refer to the action (e.g, undo, edit) rather than naming the button.

If you need to refer to the interface element directly, capitalize and bold the name of the button but not the word button itself (e.g., Undo button, Edit button).

Avoid instructing a user to click or tap. Instead, use a call-to-action and the right design component to imply the interaction. View select.

When you need to refer to the result of clicking on something, use the same words as the call-to-action.

Use close as a catchall term for a dismissal action. It can also reference OS-specific patterns.

Whenever possible, use workflow-specific verbs (e.g., publish, export, delete) to reinforce the action being taken, instead of the more generic close, finish, or OK.

Internal-only jargon. View cloud documents.

Amended guidance to come on the rare exception to this rule. Abbreviate as cloud docs in English on mobile when called for due to space constraints.

Use across Creative Cloud products, experiences, and messaging as a functional name, and not as a branded feature of Creative Cloud.

Do not capitalize cloud documents on its own. For product UI, align to the interface style specific to the design component (e.g., if all caps, use all caps; if title case, use title case).

Only attribute this to relevant apps such as XD or Photoshop, and never to Creative Cloud. (e.g., XD cloud document, not: Adobe Creative Cloud cloud document).

Do not shorten to cloud docs or documents in product UI, marketing, or messaging. Translate this where other functional names are also translated.

Amended guidance to come on the rare exception to this rule. Abbreviate as cloud docs in English on mobile when called for due to space constraints.

Create should only be used descriptively (e.g., Use everyday language to create extraordinary results with generative AI).

Do not use create as a UI action in the context of generative AI technology, where content is generated rather than created.

A model that has been trained on a unique style (e.g., Firefly custom models).

Do not use title case. This is not a branded term.

Avoid using dismiss as an action to signify acknowledgement or completion. Use OK instead.

This word can be acceptable in rare cases of when the action being taken is a “hard dismiss,” or the equivalent of a user communicating that they do not want to be shown something ever again. If possible, show an icon-only close affordance (typically, a cross icon) if appropriate to the component, to indicate dismissal.

Documents is commonly used in Document Cloud to refer to files in general, of any file format.

In Creative Cloud, use the word file for a local document, to better distinguish from cloud documents. While all cloud documents are files, not all files are cloud documents. Similarly, all documents are files, but not all documents are cloud documents.

Close and finish are preferred over done for a dismissal call to action. In general, stick to verbs (like close) over adjectives (like done) to label actions — verbs more clearly reflect whatever action the user is taking.

Use done as an acknowledgment or call to action for a standalone button in a modal, dialog, or overlay when it wouldn’t make sense for the context to use finish, close, or OK. Done conveys finality, allowing users to signal that they no longer want to interact with a given element.

When writing instructional copy, word choice should mirror that of the OS. Otherwise, use download only when referring to the transfer of assets or files from a server onto a device.

When guiding users through an installation or update flow, be explicit about the different steps they will take.

View also install.

Placing an embedded file means that it is no longer connected to the original source file. This saves a static copy of the file’s content into the destination file.

For example:

• Embed a PDF as an image layer in Fresco
• Place an image as an embedded object to save a copy right here in your Photoshop file.
• Place as embedded

Fail and failure are vague technical terms with a strong negative connotation. Avoid using these words in error messaging when you can be specific about what the problem was.

View also success, successful, successfully.

Two words. Use instead of one word, filetype, to refer to file formats such as PNG, JPEG, PDF, PSD, AI, PSDC, etc.

Do not abbreviate file types unless there is a character constraint. View JPEG.

Use finish in headlines, body copy, or metadata to describe the completion of a user-invoked process or flow.

Finish can be used for the last step of interactive learning experiences. Use it strategically in user-driven experiences, not for things that launch automatically.

When using free to describe to an Adobe offering, the offering and all of its features must:

• cost nothing
• not require a credit card or subscription for download or use

Use free trial to refer to both trials that require payment information and trials that do not.

View also freemium.

Free trial is the legally required term for trials with payment, which require a credit card to start the free trial and then automatically convert to a paid subscription after the trial period is over. It is also the preferred way of referring to trials without payment.

In the initial call to action for trials with payment, it is required to use one of the following:

• Start free trial
• Free trial
• Start free trial to subscribe
• Agree and start free trial

Do not use the word freemium in UI copy. A freemium app is internal jargon for an app that is free to use but requires a credit card payment if the user wants to access its premium features.

In the initial call to action for a freemium app, use one of the following:

• Start for free
• Download for free
• Start now
• Download
• Get started

For actions within a freemium app that do not require a credit card payment or subscription, use “free to try” or “free to edit.”

Use generate as a UI action in the context of generative AI technology across the Adobe product ecosystem, where content is generated rather than created.

Generate is the initial action as well as the action any time an existing prompt is modified or changed in some way. It is also used where variations are replaced/destructive (formerly refresh).

Not common.

Use generate again instead of generate where a single variation is replaced (whether destructive or not) and the use of generate isn't clear enough (e.g., the generative extend feature in Premiere Pro).

Use generate more for sets of multiple variations.

Use generation or generations as a noun to refer to the act of producing output in the context of a Creative Cloud plan or feature.

For example:

• This feature uses 100 credits per generation.
• Each generation outputs 4 images.
• Your complimentary generations have been used.

In most Creative Cloud products, this word means to convert a file to a different format to open it in an application.

For Adobe’s video products, import has a broader definition, encompassing add and place. This is because people using these products collect files of different formats into a single view, and then those are converted or “ingested” as links to improve machine performance.

For example:

• Learn more about the supported file formats you can import in Premiere Pro.
• Go to File > Import to open a Sketch file in XD.

In Experience Cloud products, import can refer to adding data sources to a view. View add.

Use in the cloud (not on the cloud) to describe a process that is part of the cloud or deployed using cloud software, like cloud storage and cloud rendering. Do not use with the cloud except in phrasing like “software with cloud services.”

View also to / from the cloud.

When writing instructional copy, word choice should mirror that of the OS. Otherwise, use install (verb) or installation (noun) to describe the process of adding and making software usable on a device.

When guiding users through an installation or update flow, be explicit about the different steps involved. For example, don’t use an Install call to action if the user will be redirected to a store or website.

View also download.

Placing a linked file turns it into a reference to the original source file. Changes made to the placed content in the destination file or to the original source file will be reflected and updated automatically in both locations.

For example:

• Go to File > Place > Linked object to make changes to the Photoshop file from here.
• Place a linked PDF if you want it to be updated automatically when you edit the PDF.

Preferred for messages like Loading…, Loading {appName}…, Can’t load page, or similar.

Use open as an action in reference to an app or service or an aspect thereof (e.g., Open {appName}, Open a new window).

To lock something is to freeze it at the current moment in time and prevent changes to its contents. When something is locked, objects associated with it can’t be selected or altered. To unlock something allows a user to select and edit it.

These actions are usually represented in the interface via an open or closed padlock icon.

Master is an established software term that has roots in bigotry and oppression. Do not use master descriptors to mean primary, main, or source (e.g., main track or source graphic).

Do not use master to describe hierarchy, (e.g., master and slave servers). Instead, describe hierarchical relationships as primary, secondary, tertiary, etc.

In interface language, try not to directly refer to the ellipsis (“…”) contextual menu that provides more options. If you need to refer to it directly, call it the More menu.

Bold the word More and capitalize it; menu is lowercase, not bolded.

Use OK as a primary action for acknowledgement if taking that action will not impact a user in a negative way. Style in all-caps no matter the interface element, not as Ok, ok, Okay, or okay. Avoid using dismiss as an action.

Be mindful of using OK as an action in flows that involve a user agreeing to options that require payment, or for giving consent. Instead, use more specific verbs and explicitly communicate what someone is acknowledging or agreeing to.

Open in is preferred over edit in, view in, comment in or similar because it is secondary action-agnostic and doesn’t guess at what the user might want to do (e.g., edit, view, review, comment).

Secondary actions can be referenced in supporting copy if necessary for a particular flow or context (e.g., “This file is view only on web. To make edits or leave comments, open it in the desktop app”).

If the app context is clear (e.g., the user is in Photoshop web and wants to open something on Photoshop desktop), it’s preferred to say, Open in {surface} app (e.g., “Open in desktop app”) for the call to action.

If the app context will change (e.g., the user is in Photoshop web and wants to open something on Illustrator desktop), it’s preferred to say, Open in {appName} {surface} and drop app (e.g., “Open in Illustrator desktop”) for the call to action.

Avoid referring to the names of interface elements in UI content unless absolutely necessary; describe the action, rather than the interaction.

You can describe something as a panel if it’s a centralized collection of multiple tools, options, or other controls that has a fixed placement and could be collapsible as a navigational element (as opposed to being a temporary view).

Placing brings content (e.g., images, other files) from an original source into a destination file.

For example:

• You can place an Illustrator file into your XD layout.
• One way to bring an image into your Photoshop file is to go to File > Place.

Things can be placed as linked or embedded files.

A platform is a technology or group of technologies that are used as a base upon which other applications, processes, technologies, or even other platforms are developed. This word is used to communicate the concept of a centralized, foundational infrastructure (as opposed to a system, which is a grouping of things that work together in the same place).

Usage of this word is extremely dependent on context. It can describe where something appears, where something is stored, or a product itself:

• A tech framework (e.g., UXP)
• Hardware and devices (e.g., mobile, tablet, desktop)
• Operating systems (e.g., Android, iOS)
• Adobe products (e.g., Adobe Experience Platform)

For both web and mobile apps, treat preferences as a subset of settings and in menu names, call out the type of settings (e.g., Preferences may be found under App settings or Account settings).

A user can customize, choose, or select preferences for various things within a settings menu rather than setting their preferences.

Internal-only jargon. Use sparingly to describe a self-contained experience that provides a user with a specific benefit (e.g., Creative Cloud is a collection of products).

To those outside of Adobe, a product is often thought of as a name-branded thing that is a countable unit of sale that may be downloaded to a device (e.g., one Adobe Photoshop subscription). Use the word app to describe this concept.

Avoid this word especially as a call-to-action because it is platform-specific. While you can quit on MacOS, you can exit or close on Windows.

Quit can be used generally as a reference to this action on MacOS.

Internal-only jargon used to describe the UI element that spans the top or the bottom of a screen.

To make accessible products, this word should not be used in UI content. Instead, be more directive. If you need to refer to this design element in your product, try to write around describing its appearance and instead talk about its function. For example, talk about the actions or the feature names inside the rail, rather than the rail itself.

Whenever possible, use generic language such as not supported or not available to describe an app or service that can’t be used.

Words like revoked, recalled, or rescinded have negative connotations, often making users feel like they’re being scolded or fearful of losing work. Instead of getting into the reason for an error, guide users to a resolution.

View also the Spectrum Writing for errors page.

Use recommend (verb) and recommendation (noun) for when a human is doing the action (e.g., “We recommend backing up your work before sharing”).

To suggest or make a suggestion is the preferred way to describe when AI or other technology is doing the action.

Whenever possible, use generic language such as not supported or not available to describe an app or service that can’t be used.

Words like revoked, recalled, or rescinded have negative connotations, often making users feel like they’re being scolded or fearful of losing work. Instead of getting into the reason for an error, guide users to a resolution.

View also the Spectrum Writing for errors page.

Avoid results as a label or description of generated content in generative AI creative modules, features, or tools. View variations.

OK to use in things like tooltips to describe an effect (e.g., move an object for a desired result).

Whenever possible, use generic language such as not supported or not available to describe an app or service that can’t be used.

Words like revoked, recalled, or rescinded have negative connotations, often making users feel like they’re being scolded or fearful of losing work. Instead of getting into the reason for an error, guide users to a resolution.

View also the Spectrum Writing for errors page.

Select is the preferred gestural word over click or tap for several reasons:

• It’s device-agnostic, meaning that it’s not necessary to write a new string for different devices.
• It’s more inclusive because many people using assistive technology aren’t clicking or tapping to take an action.
• It guards against future design changes and surface migrations. For example, if a UI element stops being clickable and instead uses a slider, the word select would still work for both cases.

Describes content, components, data, and/or dynamic features. At Adobe, this word is used contextually across many things (e.g., plugins, cloud storage, search, help) to describe “something that Adobe offers.”

A service may be something that is contained to a single product or experience, or something that is available across multiple offerings. It’s often designed for a use case that relies on the functionality of a platform.

Jargon. Solution is often used interchangeably with app or product, and can describe something that integrates into a larger whole. It’s often used to talk about something descriptively in terms of its use case (instead of its product or feature name) as a way to achieve a goal or complete an intent.

However, people may feel excluded by this word; if something is described as a solution and it doesn’t work for someone, they could feel that they themselves are the “problem.” Instead of using the noun solution, frame the message using active verb phrases such as solve, help solve, try to solve, or helps (someone) do (something).

The amount of room available. Space refers to this concept on a local machine or device (e.g., “You don’t have enough space on your computer to save this file”).

Storage is the word for this in the cloud (e.g., “Your Creative Cloud storage is full”).

The amount of room available. Storage refers to this concept in the cloud (e.g., Your Creative Cloud storage is full).

Space is the word for this on a local machine or device. (e.g., You don’t have enough space on your computer to save this file).

Submit is the preferred word for the action of sending data in a form.

When asking users to share feedback, use Submit as the call-to-action, not Share.

Use suggest (verb) or suggestion (noun) for when AI or other technology — not a human — is doing the action.

To recommend or make a recommendation is the preferred way to describe when a human is doing the action.

Use not supported or no longer supported as a catch-all descriptor for an app or service that permanently can’t be accessed or used (e.g., an outdated or unauthorized app version).

View also available / unavailable.

Turn on / turn off is preferred over switch on / switch off because it's a more general and accessible way of referring to the actions of activating and deactivating a capability or mode.

Only use switch on / switch off when there is a need to refer to a switch UI component directly in interface copy. In these rare cases, the action/verb should closely match the component/noun.

The phrase “switch between modes” is OK to use.

If at all possible, avoid instructing a user to tap or click. Instead, use a call-to-action and the right design component to imply the interaction. View select.

When referring to the result of tapping on something, use the same word(s) as the call-to-action. There are some instances where using the word tap can't be avoided because of device mechanics, such as selecting points on a tablet.

Files are uploaded (or backed up) to the cloud and downloaded from the cloud.

View also in the cloud.

Jargon used as a verb to describe the action of switching between two modes, or used as a noun to describe the button or switch for going between two modes.

To make accessible products, do not reference UI elements. If you need to refer to this design element or what it does in your product, write around describing its appearance and instead talk about its function. View turn on / turn off.

Use update (verb) to refer to the act of replacing software with a new version of itself that brings the system up to date or includes improvements. Use update (noun) to refer to the replacement software version.

When guiding users through an update flow, be explicit about the different steps involved. For example, don’t use an Update call to action if the user will be redirected to a store or website.

When referring to the Adobe Generative AI User Guidelines, it is always title case User Guidelines on both first and second mention.

Do not use other terms or shorthand in place of User Guidelines (e.g., GenAI User Guidelines, GenAI Terms, terms).

Use this word sparingly as a lightweight alternative to describe a standalone tutorial, tutorial series, or course (e.g., “Learn Illustrator step by step in our series of short videos”).

Video is a preferred word to use when talking generically about the type of media (e.g., video and audio, video files, video assets).

This word has roots in racism and oppression. Replace it with this format to provide contextual clarity:

(Action)(object)

For example:

• Shared domains
• Approved users
• Targeted sites