Microsoft® Manual of Style, Fourth Edition

Indexes

Users of printed documentation depend on indexes as their primary way of finding the information that they need. Therefore, an index must be complete, thorough, and accurate. Although the number of indexed terms per page will vary, depending on the subject and complexity of the book, a rule of thumb is that a two-column index should be about 4 to 8 percent of the total number of pages in the book.

This topic describes some indexing concepts, but it focuses more on mechanical issues such as alphabetizing, style, and cross-references. Many of the points covered pertain primarily to printed indexes. For developing search keywords and online index entries, see Keywords and online index entries.

Index entries

When you develop index entries, consider ...