Colons

July 28, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

Guidance

Use colons to introduce lists, explanations, and examples. Never use a colon to introduce a graphic, figure, or table.

Examples

Do:

The system supports three authentication methods: LDAP, RADIUS, and TACACS+.

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • A valid license
  • Network access to the management port

Don't:

The following diagram shows the architecture: [diagram]

See the following table: [table]

Notes

A colon should follow a complete sentence or independent clause. Don't use a colon after a verb or preposition:

  • Don't: "The methods are: LDAP, RADIUS, and TACACS+."
  • Do: "The system supports three methods: LDAP, RADIUS, and TACACS+."

Use one space after a colon, not two.

In navigation paths, use ">" not a colon to separate levels:

Go to Local Traffic > Virtual Servers.

See also

Browse all guidelines