Voice and tone

Best practices
for writing.

The way Webflow’s words should sound, feel, and appear across all experiences.
This guide is for anyone working at Webflow who communicates with our community, our customers, prospective customers, or the world as — or on behalf of — Webflow.
If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you:
  • Are learning or curious about why we sound how we sound across different surfaces;
  • Need a specific style resource or guidance for your writing, or;
  • Want to find the best way to describe Webflow.
If you fall into category A, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the first half of this guide. Category B can jump to the specific section you’re looking for with the links in the sidebar. And category C … well, it’s your lucky day! There’s a whole section on do’s and don’ts for describing Webflow.
Looking for Grammar, usage, and style guidelines?
(To find the password, visit the pinned items in our #ask-brand channel on Slack.)
Grammar and style

Dimensions of voice

Knowledgeable

We speak with confidence backed by a deep knowledge about (and appreciation for) all things web design and development — but we are never condescending, overly academic, or know-it-all. We speak the language of our pro audience with the goal of building trust, but we never overdo it with unnecessary jargon.

Corresponding brand principle: Unmistakably pro
Do
Confidently pass on our knowledge and expertise in empowering ways

Meet our pro audience where they are by speaking their language
Don't
Be condescending in our communication

Overdo it with jargon or be overly academic
Show it off
When talking about the power our product can bring to the professionals and teams using it

Empowering

We’re uplifting and motivational in our approach to everything, and we center our customers — not ourselves — when we speak. We believe our customers are capable of great things, and we always seek to instill confidence in them — but we never ignore the complexities of our product.  Additionally, we’re optimistic about the progress of technology, not fear-mongering or negative.

Corresponding brand principle: Empowering
Do
Communicate in ways that feel uplifting, optimistic, and center the customer, rather than ourselves, wherever possible.

Center and empower the customer
Don't
Ignore the complexities of building for the web — or using Webflow

Be negative about those complexities
Show it off
When talking about the power our product can bring to the professionals and teams using it

Down-to-earth

We speak like a real person — a kind, approachable one. We don’t overdo it by overpromising, using complicated metaphors, or using lofty language, and we always try to say more with less by focusing on real-world solutions and outcomes. We never trade substance for humor, but we know when a well-placed wink is worth a thousand words. We sound professional but not overly dry or intimidating, and we use warm language to invite our audience into the fold. We respect that our audience’s time and attention are valuable and finite.

Corresponding brand principle: N/A
Do
Focus on real solutions and empowering outcomes

Use well-placed winks of humor

Default to straightforward language
Don't
Trade substance for humor or colloquialisms

Use complicated metaphors or grandiose language
Show it off
All the time! We should always communicate in approachable, kind, and inclusive ways.

Bold

We fearlessly embrace the power of technology to make the world better, but we’re not brash or careless in the way we communicate it. We’re intentional about when to dial it up and turn heads — and when to be more subtle. We’re bold only when we know we can back it up.

Corresponding brand principle: Bold
Do
Back up bold claims with showing, not just telling

Be choosy about when to be bold
Don't
Overdo it — our boldness is a bubble over, not a constant boil
Show it off
When showing off a particularly cool product capability or turning heads in a brand campaign

A quick note on voice vs. tone

What they are and how they’re different.

Our voice is rooted in our brand personality (the wise mentor). Just like all of us as individuals, our personality stays the same situation to situation —  and so does our voice.

But while our voice doesn’t change, our tone does shift depending on who we’re talking to, the context in which we’re talking to them, and what we need to communicate. Imagine how you sound at a wedding vs. a funeral: You’re the same person, but you take a very different tone!

Voice across surfaces

Audience + context + content = tone

When thinking about how we use our voice in different places, we consider:
  • Audience: Who we’re talking to
  • Context: The time, place, etc. in which we’re talking to them. For example:
    • On our marketing site, we’re mainly talking to people who know enough to have landed there. Something about the idea of building websites has drawn them in, but can’t assume more than that.
    • In a cold email or paid ad, our tone and words are different because we assume they don’t know about us yet.
    • If we’re talking to people in the third of five videos in a Webflow University course, we can confidently assume that they’re engaged, knowledgeable about Webflow, and have a feeling for who we are (not just what we do).
  • Content: The message(s) we want to convey
That's why different surface areas across Webflow will sound different. The same characteristics and behaviors are behind them — but when we balance the who, where, and what of our communication, our tone will change.
For this reason, some functions across Webflow — such as social — have more granular guidelines for communicating on their surfaces. All of their work, however, ultimately rolls up to our brand voice and tone.
You can find those additional guides on the password protected page.
(To find the password, visit the pinned items in our #ask-brand channel on Slack.)
Team guidelines

Web

On the web, we lean into our knowledge. This is our home turf, and we want to confidently demonstrate that we know what we’re talking about. We balance this knowledge out, however, by being clear, outcomes-focused, mindful of our readers’ time (down-to-earth), and by cheering our users on (empowering). We’re sparingly bold, like when we have incredible customer stats to shout from the rooftops or need an eye-catching headline.

Social

Because social is where we have the most casual and frequent interactions with our community, we want to dial up the down-to-earth dimension of our voice. It’s crucial to be authentic, relatable, and funny, though never at the expense of our knowledge or empowering our followers — we still want to be seen as a thought leader. We’re also slightly more bold than on other surfaces, so folks stop mid-scroll and pay attention.

A quick note on humor

Humor is part of who we are — it’s a natural part of sounding like a real human person. But like the wise mentor we strive to be, we’re careful about when and how we use humor. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind.

  • Keep it PG — no NSFW jokes, please.
  • Keep it positive. Don’t put others down or be too self-deprecating.
  • Keep it well-placed. Consider the overall ratio of jokes to content, and never trade substance for a cheap laugh.
  • Don’t try too hard. Humor only belongs where it feels relevant and natural — it should never feel like a reach.

Webflow has a sense of humor, but we’re choosy about when we show it. When you’re tempted to make a joke or go a more lighthearted route, ask yourself: If my manager said this to me, would I still respect and trust them? Would I feel good about working with them?

Advertising

In advertising, we dial up the bold and empowering dimensions of our voice. We want to make an impression — but while still speaking the language of our audience (knowledgeable) and being inclusive and warm (down-to-earth).

Content

In content (whether it’s a blog article, an ebook, or a whitepaper), we lean into our knowledge of all things design, development, and marketing. But we’re also down-to-earth: Our content isn’t overly dense, verbose, or difficult to understand; it’s intentional and thoughtfully-written. We’re also not afraid to be thoughtfully bold — we want to hook the audience with a new perspective or insight, without being clickbaity.

A quick note on jargon

When it comes to jargon, know who you’re talking to. Consider what it really means for something to be “too jargony” and work backwards from there:

  • If by jargon you mean buzzwords — 100%, do not use them! Buzzwords are off-putting, distracting, and can often come across as know-it-all.
  • If by “jargon” you mean “technical terms that I don’t use in real life,” consider this: At work, one person’s jargon is another person’s professional vocabulary. And what sounds like incomprehensible jargon to one customer might be the exact, precise term that another customer needs to hear. Know your audience.

Education and community

Across Webflow University and our community channels, we let our knowledgeable, empowering, and down-to-earth sides shine — ensuring we guide our audience through every step of the way as they learn about, and connect with, Webflow. Our pro personality truly shines through with clear teaching, high product knowledge, and educational value, and we do it with a smile. We strategically use humor to soften a complex concept or help something important stick.

Boilerplate

When someone asks you what Webflow is, here are different templates you can use that best represent the company.

In a sentence

Webflow is a Website Experience Platform (WXP) that empowers cross-functional teams of marketers, designers, and developers to visually build, manage, and optimize stunning websites with AI-driven personalization and a powerful composable CMS, enabling businesses to drive real, measurable results.

Copy Text

In a few sentences

Webflow is a Website Experience Platform (WXP) that empowers marketers, designers, and developers to visually build, manage, and optimize stunning websites that deliver enterprise-grade performance and AI-driven personalized experiences.

Today’s CMOs must drive brand and revenue growth with fewer resources while navigating a fragmented landscape of legacy marketing tools. Performance marketing is becoming more expensive and less effective, requiring a shift to owned content.

Unlike traditional platforms that create siloes between teams, Webflow’s Website Experience Platform (WXP) brings marketers, designers, and developers together in a shared environment – equipping each with the tools they need to collaborate, execute at scale, and drive results through visual, composable CMS and AI-powered optimization.

With AI-driven personalization and analytics, Webflow not only enhances visitor engagement but also significantly boosts conversion rates, directly impacting business growth.

Today, over 300,000 of the best companies in the world – from The New York Times, Dropbox, Monday.com, TED, Orangetheory Fitness, and Checkout.com – use Webflow to build, manage, and optimize their websites.

Copy Text

Let’s chat!

If you’re a member of the media and would like to talk to someone at Webflow, please email us.

Usage

FAQs

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