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Use Definition Lists for Detailed Steps

A definition list is a list of terms (or numbers) and corresponding definitions or descriptions. We like using definition lists in our articles to give readers a clear view of the steps required to complete a task, but just about anything fits in a list. This article will teach you how to use definition lists in Docs.

In this article

Creating Lists in the HTML Editor

The definition list element ( <dl>) contains a term (<dt>) and a description (<dd>). To create your list, you can either:

  • Write list content in the text editor, then hop over to the HTML editor by clicking the </> icon on the toolbar to markup the list.
  • Write list content entirely in the HTML editor, enclosing text in the list as you go.

Check out the list below and take a look at how it's marked-up in HTML. The step number is our definition term <dt> and the corresponding instruction text is the definition description <dd>.

Note: By default, the number background in a definition list is grey. We're using custom CSS to make our number background blue. If you're using your own stylesheet, you can change the term background color with:

Common Questions

Will lists work in all browsers?
Definition lists are supported in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Edge. 

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