Avoid acronyms in titles or headings (EK00002)
Spelling out uncommon acronyms in headings keeps your documentation scannable for every reader. Learn why, with examples and fixes.
Spelling out an uncommon acronym in a title or heading keeps your headings clear to readers who don’t yet know your abbreviations. EkLine flags an uncommon acronym that appears in a title or heading (rule EK00002) and suggests the spelled-out term, while widely known acronyms such as API and AWS are exempt.
Why avoid acronyms in headings?
Section titled “Why avoid acronyms in headings?”Headings orient readers and appear in navigation, search results, and page outlines. An unfamiliar acronym in a heading forces readers to guess what a section covers before they reach the body text. Spelling out the term in the heading, and introducing the acronym in the body, keeps your structure scannable for readers who don’t yet know your abbreviations.
What EkLine flags
Section titled “What EkLine flags”EK00002 matches an uncommon acronym in a title or heading and leaves widely recognized acronyms, such as API and AWS, untouched.
- ❌ Incorrect: Set up SSO
- ✅ Correct: Set up single sign-on
- ❌ Incorrect: Configure RBAC
- ✅ Correct: Configure role-based access control
How to fix
Section titled “How to fix”Replace the acronym with its full term in the heading. Introduce the acronym in the body text on first use, then use the short form in the sentences that follow.
Which acronyms are safe to use in a heading?
Section titled “Which acronyms are safe to use in a heading?”Widely recognized acronyms, such as API and AWS, are exempt because most readers already know them. Spell out uncommon acronyms and introduce the short form in the body text.
Where should you define an acronym you use in a heading?
Section titled “Where should you define an acronym you use in a heading?”Introduce the acronym in the body text on first use, then use the short form in the sentences that follow.
Rule details
Section titled “Rule details”| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Rule ID | EK00002 |
| Category | Titles and headings |
| Default severity | Warning |
| Enabled by default | No |
Ignore this rule
Section titled “Ignore this rule”To keep an acronym in one heading, add an inline comment with a reason:
<!-- ekline-ignore-next-line EK00002 -- acronym is standard for this audience -->## Configure SAMLTo disable the rule across your project, add it to the ignore list in your configuration file.