Voice and tone
Voice is who we are. It stays consistent across all communications.
Tone is how we adapt to different situations. The underlying personality stays the same, but the delivery changes based on context.
Built for engineers, trusted by leaders.
We’re not just powering analytics. We’re reshaping the digital landscape. ClickHouse exists to empower developers and data teams with world-class speed, performance, and control—without compromise. The technology is elite, but the attitude is street-smart. We never condescend. We prove value in milliseconds.
Our personality
Raw, confident, and engineered for performance.
ClickHouse is confident, exacting, and direct. We’re sharp and efficient. Sometimes blunt. Never dull. We don’t try to be for everyone, and that’s intentional. We’re here to serve the ones who care about performance at the edge of possibility.
Our personality is defined by speed, intelligence, and edge.
Our values
These shape how we write and what we prioritize:
- Speed is everything. Not just in query time, but in action and culture.
- Function over frills. We care more about what works than what trends.
- Always technical, never generic. Speak to builders. Avoid marketing fluff.
- Build with pride, not permission. Innovation happens fastest when rules are bent.
- Say what you mean. Show what you know. Don’t posture. Prove it.
Writing principles
Be direct
Get to the point. Cut the filler. Respect your reader’s time.
✅ Do: ClickHouse processes 1B rows in under a second.
❌ Don’t: We’re excited to share that ClickHouse has the capability to potentially process up to 1B rows in approximately one second or less.
Be technical, not generic
Speak to builders. Use precise language. Skip the marketing fluff.
✅ Do: Columnar storage means analytical queries only read the columns they need. Less I/O, faster results.
❌ Don’t: Our innovative next-generation solution leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver best-in-class performance.
Prove it
Don’t just claim it. Show it. Numbers, benchmarks, examples.
✅ Do: 100x faster than Postgres on analytical queries. [See the benchmark.]
❌ Don’t: ClickHouse is incredibly fast and performs really well.
Keep it simple
Use present tense, active voice, and short sentences. This keeps content accessible to non-native English speakers without dumbing it down.
✅ Do: v24.3 adds native JSON support. Query nested data without parsing.
❌ Don’t: When we release version 24.3 next month, it is going to have an optional JSON feature that will let you select nested data to query without having to parse it first.
Write for a global audience
Use gender-neutral pronouns (they/them/their). Avoid idioms and cultural references that don’t translate.
✅ Do: When a user runs a query, they see results instantly.
❌ Don’t: When a user runs a query, he’ll hit the ground running with results.
Adapting tone by context
Announcements and releases
Confident, not hype. Let the work speak.
✅ Do: ClickHouse Cloud is now available in Asia Pacific. Same speed, closer to your data.
❌ Don’t: We’re SO THRILLED to announce the most AMAZING expansion EVER!!!
Errors and warnings
Direct and helpful. Tell them what happened and what to do. Never blame the user. Skip the cutesy “oops.”
✅ Do: Connection timed out. Check your network settings and try again.
❌ Don’t: Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later.
Technical explanations
Lead with what matters. Be precise, not exhaustive.
✅ Do: ClickHouse stores data in columns. Analytical queries only read what they need—less I/O, faster results.
❌ Don’t: ClickHouse is a column-oriented DBMS that implements a shared-nothing architecture with data locality, utilizing vectorized query execution and compression algorithms to achieve high performance on OLAP workloads.
Words to avoid
| Avoid | Why | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
| leverage, utilize, facilitate | Corporate fluff | use, help |
| cutting-edge, next-generation | Generic marketing | be specific |
| rockstar, ninja, wizard | Overused clichés | expert, specialist |
| synergy, paradigm shift | Business jargon | say what you mean |
| sherpa | Refers to an ethnic group | guide, expert |
| master/slave | Harmful terminology | primary/replica |
When in doubt, ask. Or just say it plainly.