Style guide: Cloud admin panel
This guide covers how to manage custom style guide rules through the admin panel at app.wproofreader.com.
Rules created through the admin panel are added to the common category, meaning they are language-independent and apply regardless of the language being checked. Support for language-specific rule sets is coming soon.
For an overview of the style guide feature, custom rules structure, case sensitivity, and limitations, refer to the Style guide overview →.
Accessing the style guide builder
Sign in at app.wproofreader.com.
In the left navigation panel, select Style guide.
If you already have rules, you'll see them listed with the following columns: Patterns, Suggestions, Description, and Status. Otherwise, the list will be empty.
You can use the Search for pattern... field to find specific rules. Search scans the Patterns column only and is case-insensitive.
Adding a rule
Click New rule.
Fill in the following fields:
Patterns. The exact word or phrase to be flagged. Click Add new to add up to 3 patterns per rule. This field is required.
Suggestions. The replacement text to offer users. Click Add new to add up to 3 suggestions per rule. Optional if a description is provided.
Description. An explanation shown to users alongside the suggestion. Max 200 characters. Optional if at least one suggestion is provided.
Optionally, configure Context awareness to control when the rule applies:
Include in context. The rule only activates when at least one of these entries appears in the same sentence as the pattern. Up to 3 entries.
Exclude from context. The rule is skipped when any of these entries appears in the same sentence. Up to 3 entries.
Click Save.
Once saved, the rule takes effect after synchronization. Whenever a user types text matching one of the patterns, it will be highlighted with a yellow underline and the configured suggestions and description will appear.
For example, if you create a rule with the pattern "WSC", the suggestion "WebSpellChecker", and the description "Use the full company name.", whenever a user types "WSC" in their text, it will be underlined with a yellow line. Clicking the underlined word shows the description and the suggested replacement.
Editing a rule
Find the rule in the list. Use the search field if you have many rules.
Click on the rule row to open the rule editor dialog.
Make your changes and click Save.
Importing rules in bulk
Click Import rules to upload a CSV file containing multiple rules. The file must meet the following requirements:
CSV format with five columns: Patterns, Suggestions, Description, Context include, and Context exclude. The first row must contain these column headers.
The file must not exceed 5 MB.
Maximum of 2,000 rules.
If a rule has multiple patterns or suggestions, separate them with a semicolon (;). Context include and Context exclude values are also separated by semicolons. To import a rule in a disabled state, add # before the first pattern value.
Example CSV content:
You can prepare this file in Google Sheets or similar software. Make sure the first row contains the column headers, then export as CSV (File > Download > Comma Separated Values).
Downloading rules
Click Download to export all current rules as a file. This is useful as a backup before importing new rules or for editing rules in bulk using a spreadsheet application.
Enabling or disabling a rule
Toggle the Status switch in the rule list row. Disabled rules aren't applied during spell check but aren't deleted. They can be re-enabled at any time.
Deleting a rule
Click the trash icon in the rule list row. The rule is deleted immediately without a confirmation prompt, so make sure you want to remove it before clicking.
If you only need to temporarily stop a rule from being applied, consider disabling it instead of deleting it.
FAQ
Why don't my style guide changes take effect immediately?
Changes to style guide rules require a short time to synchronize. Currently, synchronization can take up to 3 minutes. This is a temporary limitation that WebSpellChecker is working to improve.
What's the difference between built-in style check rules and custom rules?
Built-in style check rules are predefined categories (profanity, inclusive language, etc.) maintained by WebSpellChecker and enabled by default for all users. Custom rules are the ones you create through the style guide builder to enforce your organization's specific writing standards. Both appear to end users in the same way, as yellow-underlined text with suggestions. Custom rules always take priority over built-in ones. For details on built-in categories, see Style check →.
Can I scope custom rules to specific languages?
The admin panel currently creates rules in the common category, meaning they apply regardless of language. To create language-specific rules, use the Style guide API → with the lang parameter.
Can I use context awareness to make rules more precise?
Yes. When adding or editing a rule, you can use the Include in context and Exclude from context fields to control when a rule triggers. For example, you could create a rule that flags "lead" only when "paint" appears in the same sentence by adding "paint" as an include context entry. This helps avoid false positives for ambiguous patterns.
What file format does the import accept?
The import accepts CSV files only. The file must have five columns (Patterns, Suggestions, Description, Context include, Context exclude) with headers in the first row, and must not exceed 5 MB.
Can I import rules with context awareness settings?
Yes. The CSV import supports context awareness through the Context include and Context exclude columns.
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