Set up guidelines

Guidelines define the standards for your site’s content, helping AI assistants create content that matches your brand. This guide shows you how to access and configure your site’s guidelines.

Guidelines tell AI tools and collaborators how to write and format content on your site. When you add guidelines, any AI-powered feature or plugin that supports them will follow your preferences for:

• Tone and voice: How your content should sound (formal, conversational, technical).
• Image standards: Requirements for photos, graphics, and media.
• Site-wide rules: General standards that apply across your entire site.
• Block-specific instructions: Guidelines for individual block types like headings, buttons, or images.

Guidelines are stored in your site settings and require administrator access to view and edit. When other users on your site—such as editors, authors, and contributors—use AI-powered tools, those tools automatically apply your guidelines to generate content that matches your preferences.

Site guidelines apply to your entire site and provide general direction for content creation.

1. From your site’s dashboard, go to Settings → Guidelines.
2. Select one of the following options:
   • Site: Describe your site’s purpose, goals, and primary audience.
   • Copy: Set your writing standards for tone, voice, style, and formatting.
   • Images: Outline your style, dimensions, formats, mood, and aesthetic preferences.
   • Blocks: Create tailored guidelines for specific block types.
   • Additional: Add additional guidelines for your team.
3. Add your guidelines and click the “Save guidelines” button.

Site guidelines:

• “This is a photography portfolio for a freelance photographer based in Seattle.”
• “All content should be professional but approachable.”
• “Avoid jargon and write for a general audience.”

Copy guidelines:

• “Use active voice and short sentences.”
• “Address readers directly as ‘you.'”
• “Avoid idioms and cultural references that may not translate well.”
• “All headings should use sentence case.”

Image guidelines:

• “Use bright, natural photography with people as the primary subject.”
• “Avoid stock photos that look staged.”
• “All images must include descriptive alt text under 125 characters.”

Additional guidelines:

Use this section for guidelines about:

• Accessibility requirements
• Legal or compliance standards
• Brand-specific terminology
• Content that should never appear on your site

Block guidelines let you set standards for individual block types, such as the Heading block, Button block, or Image block.

1. From your site’s dashboard, go to Settings → Guidelines.
2. Select the Blocks section to expand it.
3. Click “Add guidelines” to add a new block rule.
4. Choose the block type from the dropdown menu.
5. Enter guidelines specific to that block type.
6. Repeat for additional block types as needed.
7. Click the “Save guidelines” button.

Example block guidelines:

• Heading block: Use sentence case. Keep headings under 8 words.
• Buttons block: Use action verbs (Get, Start, Learn). Limit to 3 words.
• Image block: Always include alt text. Prefer landscape orientation.

An Actions section at the bottom of the page provides:

• Export: Download guidelines as a guidelines.json file for backup or sharing across sites.
• Import: Upload a previously exported JSON file to replace the current guidelines.
• Revision History: Browse and restore previous versions of the site’s guidelines.

When you add guidelines to your site, compatible AI features can read them to generate content that matches your preferences. Guidelines can be used by:

• AI writing assistants when generating or editing text.
• Image generation tools when creating visuals.

Guidelines are suggestions, not restrictions. AI tools use them as context to create better content, but you can always edit the results.

• Be specific. “Use short sentences under 20 words” is more useful than “Keep it simple.”
• Provide examples. Show what good content looks like alongside your rules.
• Update regularly. Review your guidelines when your brand voice or content strategy changes.
• Start small. Begin with site and copy guidelines, then add block-specific rules as needed.