Abbreviations

Abbreviations are a shortened version of a phrase or term and can include acronyms and initialisms. See the following related guidance for abbreviations in Splunk documentation:

• For common abbreviations, see Common abbreviations and Common acronyms and initialisms.
• For acronyms and initialisms that refer to industry terms and product names, see Spell out acronyms and initialisms at first use.
• For contractions, see Contractions.
• For keyboard shortcut abbreviations, see Keyboard shortcuts.
• For shortening units of measurement, see Measurements.
• For third-party abbreviations, see Referring to third-party companies and products.
• For writing units of time in documentation, see Time.
• For writing units of time in UI text, see Time in the UI text style guidelines.

Common abbreviations

Don't use common abbreviations for language, such as a.k.a., e.g., etc., ex., i.e., and vs. in documentation and UI text. Instead, use precise language and state what you mean. See American English spelling and phrases.

In some cases, you can use shortened versions of a word, such as "app" instead of "application". Other words and their abbreviated counterparts, such as "administrator" and "admin", have different meanings in the context of Splunk software.

Before you use an abbreviation, see the Usage dictionary for specific usage guidelines.

Common acronyms and initialisms

Consider your audience's level of understanding and use your best judgment for commonly accepted abbreviations, such as REST and API. If an industry or common term is recognized most often by its abbreviation, you can use the abbreviation without defining it.

Spell out acronyms and initialisms at first use

In general, when using an acronym or initialism, follow these guidelines:

• Always spell out a full term at first use on every page before you refer to it as an acronym or initialism. If the acronym or initialism doesn't match the full term, don't use it. See Ensure acronyms and initialisms match their spelled-out versions.
• Add the acronym or initialism in parentheses after the full name.
• Capitalize the acronym or initialism. See Capitalize acronyms and initialisms.
• Use the same acronyms and initialisms consistently after defining them on the page.
• Use acronyms and initialisms for product names only if they are approved. See Acronyms and initialisms for product names.

Do this	Don't do this
Use the Splunk Search Processing Language (SPL) to search your data.	Use SPL (the Splunk Search Processing Language) to search your data.

Capitalize acronyms and initialisms

Capitalize all letters in an acronym or initialism, including file name extensions and file types that you use as adjectives. Don't use periods with acronyms or initialisms when they stand alone in text.

Do this	Don't do this
CSV file	c.s.v. file
HTTP protocol	http protocol
JSON file	json file
Upload the docs.pdf attachment.	Upload the docs.PDF attachment.

See more examples in File name extensions and File types in the Usage dictionary.

Ensure acronyms and initialisms match their spelled-out versions

Don't use an acronym or initialism if it doesn't closely match the words it refers to.

Do this	Don't do this
Use a tool like Volume Shadow Copy Services.	Use a tool like Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS).

Acronyms and initialisms for product names

Use acronyms and initialisms for Splunk product names only if the abbreviation is approved by Legal. To introduce the abbreviation, follow the general guidelines at Spell out acronyms and initialisms at first use.

For more information, see the following topics:

• See Using product abbreviations in the Splunk product terminology topic.
• For UI text, see Product abbreviations in the UI text style guidelines.
• For third-party abbreviations, see Referring to third-party companies and products.