Web Paragraphs are Different

To make your documents efficient and attractive for online readers, you need to ensure that the structure of the writing—the way that sentences and paragraphs are arranged on the screen—is suitable for Web reading. Among the most important elements of structure for online reading is paragraph length.

Although you can consult a dozen writing guides and find many “rules” about how to write paragraphs, there really aren’t any rules. The ideal paragraph length depends not only on the kind of writing you’re doing and the style and tone you adopt but also on the format and medium in which you’re writing. It’s as much a visual as a verbal issue.

Different kinds of writing demand different average paragraph lengths. The ...

Get The Web Content Style Guide: An Essential Reference for Online Writers, Editors, and Managers now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.