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Brand guide: write the rules people will actually follow

A brand guide tells everyone who makes material for an organization how the brand should look and sound. It works when each rule comes with an example, such as which logo version to use, which colors carry headlines and how the writing should sound. Keep it short enough that people reopen it, and name one owner who answers questions.

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Brand guide: 8,100 average monthly searches.Google Ads Keyword Planner · 2026-10-09 · United States

Google Trends interest in brand guide peaks in the week starting May 10, 2026 and is lowest in the week starting September 27, 2026.Google Trends · 2026-10-09 · United States

Format notes

Write rules someone can apply on a busy Tuesday

State the rule, then show a case of it

A usable rule says what to do and gives one example. Use the horizontal logo on light backgrounds, with clear space equal to the height of the capital letter is a rule. Keep the logo looking good is a wish.

Write the full palette in the text

The branding step takes two brand colors, so the page can carry only those two. Write the rest of the palette in the text: each color's name, its hex value and its job, such as background, body text or warning. Content Creator is not a design tool, so check the logo and type rules against your design files before you publish them.

Name the owner and where the approved files live

Say who approves changes and where the approved logo and font files are kept. Name the place. Do not paste the files into the notes, and do not expect them to be attached to the page.

Mark required and recommended rules apart

Label each rule as required or recommended. A guide where every line is required gets ignored by the people it was written for, and the required rules lose their weight.

Weak and strong wording

Replace adjectives with limits a designer can check

Weak: Use our colors consistently.

Strong: Use [color name] for headlines and buttons. Use [color name] only for links and small accents. Never set body text on [color name].

The strong version gives each color a role and a limit, so a layout can be checked against it.

Weak: Write in a friendly tone.

Strong: Write short, plain sentences. Address the reader as you and speak for the team as we. Use no exclamation marks in billing emails.

A tone rule with examples and limits can be applied to a draft. A list of adjectives cannot.

Weak: The logo must always look sharp.

Strong: Do not use the logo below [minimum size] or stretch it. On photographs, use the white version only where the area behind it is dark.

Specific sizes and limits prevent the usual mistakes. General wishes do not.

Weak: Ask the brand team if you are unsure.

Strong: Ask [role or name] through [channel] before using the logo in a partner's material. State the deadline you need and the material's use.

A named owner and a channel turn a rule into a process people can follow.

Quality checklist

Run these checks before the link goes to a freelancer

Every rule is marked as required or recommended.
Each palette color has a name, a hex value and one stated job.
The logo section gives a minimum size, a clear-space rule and at least one wrong use.
The two colors set in the branding step match the palette section of the text.
An owner for approvals and the place where approved files are kept are both named.
No logo, font file or license is pasted into the page, and no license terms are invented.
Someone who has never seen the brand can apply one rule to a sample layout and reach the same answer.

Share the finished page

Choose the audience before choosing the link

Team link

Share the working guide with staff and contractors through a team link. This is the version people apply every day, so keep it complete.

Public link

Use a public link only for rules meant for outside designers and partners. Remove internal approval routes and unreleased project names first.

Copy link

Copy the link into an email to an agency or freelancer. Check that it points to the current version before you send it, because the page is live and what they open is what is published.

Mistakes to avoid

Four habits that leave a guide unused

Describing the palette with adjectives

Warm and modern cannot be matched by a designer. Give each color's value and role, then the adjectives can stay as background.

Rules with no exceptions

Real material needs exceptions, such as a legal notice or a co-branded partner page. Write the exception into the rule, or people will invent their own.

Copying the files into the guide

A brand guide points to the approved assets. Pasting copies of them creates a second version that goes stale. Name where the originals are kept instead.

Publishing with no one to ask

Name one owner and one channel for questions. A guide without an owner gets worked around, and the workarounds become the brand.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a brand guide template I can use?

No downloadable template comes with this guide. Use the section order and rules above as a checklist, then write your own rules, examples and owner. A guide built for your brand is more useful than a generic one with the wrong colors.

What should a brand style guide include?

At minimum, the logo with its minimum size and clear space, the palette with each color's job, typography, the direction for imagery and the voice. Add a short section on exceptions and the owner for questions. Keep each section to what someone needs to make a decision.

Can I share the brand guide as a PDF?

Content Creator does not produce a PDF. Share the link instead, or download the generated HTML file. If a partner asks for a PDF, make it from your approved source document rather than from the web page.

Where can I see brand guidelines examples?

Read published brand guidelines from established organizations to see how they write rules, and borrow the structure only. Write your own colors, names and examples, and do not copy another organization's logo rules or wording.

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Follow the eight-step wizard: type, assets and description, images, branding, contact and call to action, Atty Suggestions, blueprint, and generate. Atty generates one HTML page in the background. Review it, then publish and share the page link or download the HTML file.