Online Style (Hyperlinks and URLs)

For the complete guide on online style, please refer to NIU Web Standards.

Alignment

Do not center align text or headings.

ALL CAPS

Should only be used in an official name already formatted that way or in cases of abbreviation (e.g., NASA, NIU).

Bold

May be used to emphasize particular words and phrases. Do not bold full sentences or use bolded words in place of a heading.

Hyperlinks

In electronic documents, set hyperlinks to webpages directly on words within the copy instead of writing out and hyperlinking the actual URL. Similarly, do not use "click here."

Examples:

• Incorrect: "Visit https://www.niu.edu/admissions/index.shtml for more information."
• Incorrect: "To visit the Office of Admissions, click here."
• Correct: "Contact our Office of Admissions for more information."

Italic

To emphasize words or phrases, italic may be used sparingly, but bold is preferred.

Italic and bold

Should not be combined.

Main headings and H2

Should be written in Title Case for webpages.

URLs

Do not use "http://www." or "www." when spelling out a URL. For example, our web address is simply "niu.edu."

Underline

Do not use (may be confused with a hyperlink).

Webpage navigation

Labels are written in Title Case.