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Vale for Content Editors: Reuse Your Style Checks

The same phrases keep coming back in drafts, and each review starts with the same reminders. Vale can turn an explicit prose rule into a repeatable check while you keep factual review separate.

Install Vale, create a small configuration and one original rule, then check a sample document. A rule match points to wording for review; it is not a factual verification result.

In this guide
  1. Install the CLI for your platform
  2. Create .vale.ini in the practice folder
  3. Create styles/Example/Claims.yml
  4. Create sample.md and run the check
  5. Run Vale from the practice folder
  6. Add rules only when the editorial decision is clear

Install the CLI for your platform

Use the official installation page for Windows, macOS, or Linux. Open a terminal after setup and check that the Vale command is available. Create a new practice folder for the files below.

Reusable structure
vale --version

Create .vale.ini in the practice folder

This configuration uses an original Example style. Save the following as .vale.ini, not as a Markdown document.

Reusable structure
StylesPath = styles
MinAlertLevel = warning

[*.md]
BasedOnStyles = Example

Create styles/Example/Claims.yml

Make the styles and Example folders, then save this rule as Claims.yml inside Example. It flags the word guaranteed for an editor to check.

Reusable structure
extends: existence
message: "Check the evidence and conditions behind '%s'."
level: warning
ignorecase: true
tokens:
  - guaranteed

Create sample.md and run the check

Save the deliberately unsupported practice sentence below in sample.md. It exists to exercise your original style rule, not to supply approved product copy.

  • Treat this as a rule-loading exercise, not an approved product claim.
  • If no match appears, check file names, the StylesPath, and BasedOnStyles.
  • Review the actual evidence separately; a clean style report cannot establish a claim's truth.
Reusable structure
# Practice draft

This product is guaranteed to improve sales.

Run Vale from the practice folder

Open a terminal in the folder containing .vale.ini and run the command below. Inspect the result for the original Example rule.

Reusable structure
vale sample.md

Add rules only when the editorial decision is clear

Keep examples that should match and examples that should not. Review unexpected findings before applying the rule across a folder. Save the configuration and style files with the team workflow.

References

Use it in a task

AI Product Description Workflow for Store Owners: Research, Write, Review

Continue the task

Apply style rules after the facts and product conditions have been checked; these writing tasks need both kinds of review.