Choose and apply a style guide

A style guide tells EkLine which writing standard to enforce. EkLine ships with three built-in style guides and supports a custom standard built from your own rules. This guide helps you choose the right one and apply it consistently everywhere your team reviews documentation.

Before you start

You need:

• An EkLine account and integration token. Get yours from the EkLine Dashboard.
• One review surface set up: the CLI, a CI integration, or the VS Code extension.

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Step 1: Choose a style guide

EkLine enforces one style guide at a time. Pick the one that matches the content you write most often.

Style guide	Value	Best for
Google	google	Developer documentation, API guides, READMEs, and tutorials. Concise and task-focused.
Microsoft	microsoft	Product documentation, UI-heavy guides, and enterprise content. Warm and professional.
Marketing	marketing	Landing pages, blog posts, and release announcements. Brand-voice and promotional copy.
Custom	—	A standard built from your own rules and terminology. Available in VS Code and through your account’s custom rules.

Tip

If you write developer documentation and aren’t sure which to pick, start with google. It’s EkLine’s default and suits most technical content.

To see the individual rules each style guide enforces, browse the rules reference.

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Step 2: Apply it in the config file

For the CLI and any pipeline that runs the CLI, set the style guide once in ekline.config.json. Every team member and every pipeline that uses the file then enforces the same standard.

Add the styleGuide field to ekline.config.json in your project root:

ekline.config.json

{
  "contentDirectory": ["docs"],
  "styleGuide": "google"
}

Run a review to apply it:

ekline-cli --ek-token YOUR_TOKEN

EkLine discovers ekline.config.json by searching from the current directory up the directory tree, so a single file at your repository root applies to the whole project.

Note

Commit ekline.config.json to your repository. This keeps the style guide consistent for everyone who runs the CLI locally or in a pipeline that calls it.

Override for a single run

CLI arguments take precedence over the config file. Use the --style-guide flag to try a different standard without changing the shared config:

# Uses ekline.config.json, but enforces Microsoft style for this run only
ekline-cli --ek-token YOUR_TOKEN --style-guide microsoft

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Step 3: Apply it in VS Code

The VS Code extension has its own Style Guide setting so writers get the same standard while they work.

1. Open Settings > Extensions > EkLine, or edit .vscode/settings.json directly.

2. Set the Style Guide to match your config file:

   .vscode/settings.json

   {
     "ekline-vscode.StyleGuide": "Google"
   }

3. Save. EkLine reviews the active file against the selected style guide.

Tip

Commit .vscode/settings.json so everyone on the team opens the workspace with the same style guide already selected.

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Verify your style guide is active

Run a review against a file that breaks a rule and confirm the rule ID appears.

CLI

ekline-cli --ek-token YOUR_TOKEN --content-directory ./docs

Flagged issues include a rule ID in brackets, for example:

[EK00005] Where possible, don't structure sentences in future tense. Use present tense instead.

VS Code

Open a Markdown file and run EkLine: Review current document from the Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P). Suggestions appear in the EkLine Suggestions panel.

If the rules that fire match the style guide you chose, the setting is active.

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Troubleshooting

The CLI ignores my style guide

Confirm ekline.config.json is valid JSON and sits in the current directory or a parent directory. A --style-guide flag on the command line overrides the file, so check for a flag in your scripts or pipeline.

VS Code and the CLI flag different issues

VS Code reads its Style Guide setting, not ekline.config.json. Set the same value in both places so local editing and CI enforce one standard.

I want a standard the built-in guides don’t cover

Build a custom standard from your own rules and terminology. See the rules reference, then select Custom in VS Code or contact support@ekline.io.

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Next steps

• Add words to your dictionary — stop the spell-check rule flagging your product names and jargon.
• Ignoring rules — handle false positives from your style guide.
• Framework support — check prose inside MDX components.
• CLI reference — all configuration options and flags.