Style Guide: v prefix for Node.js versions

[MikeMcC399]

Situation

The Node.js documentation style guide section Version references doesn't reflect how versions are currently being referred to in documentation:

---

Version references

• Use Node.js and the version number in prose. Do not prefix the version number with v.
  • OK: Node.js 14.x, Node.js 14.3.1
  • NOT OK: Node.js v14

---

and yet documentation pages, referring to versions, often do use a v prefix with the Node.js version number.

For example, https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v24.x/api/assert.html

Could this please be clarified in the Style Guide?

[ljharb]

I'd think a full version number should always be prefixed with a v for readability; for single numbers though, it could be confused with v8, and so that's a good reason to avoid it.

[MikeMcC399]

@ljharb

Thanks for your comment! This matches exactly how versions are being referred to in the blog, for instance:

https://nodejs.org/en/blog/release/v25.0.0

Node.js v25.0.0 (Current)
2025-10-15, Version 25.0.0 (Current), @RafaelGSS
Node.js 25 is here! 

---

So I would suggest updating the Style Guide to match this current usage.

[aduh95]

For reference, here's what the semver spec has to say: https://semver.org/#is-v123-a-semantic-version

I wouldn't mind someone updating the style guide to say that ref a version that can be done either with Node.js x.y.z or vx.y.z (assuming the context is enough to understand it's a Node.js version, such as in the history table).

[MikeMcC399]

@aduh95

Thanks for the semver reference! That is useful as a general guideline and should possibly also be added as a reference into the style guide itself! I did some research on the history of the style guide and on the different usage in this repo and in blogs, so I think I understand the context a bit better now.

I'd like to leave this issue for another week to give anybody who has just come back from the end of year break the chance to comment and then I would submit a PR to update the style guide according to feedback gathered.

[MikeMcC399]

@aduh95

It looks like your PR nodejs/nodejs.org#8520 will remove my source of confusion, where I couldn't align the style guide with current practice in the release blog posts. 👍🏻

[MikeMcC399]

I noticed that the redesign of the Node.js API Docs (#52343) (preview https://nodejs-api-docs-tooling.vercel.app/) removes the usage of the problematic Node.js vxx.xx.xx format using the v prefix together with Node.js. Current usage seems to be against the recommendations of the style guide whereas proposed usage would be conformant.

Compare

https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v24.x/api/assert.html (current)

to

https://nodejs-api-docs-tooling.vercel.app/assert.html (proposed)

[MikeMcC399]

This issue has been auto-closed where the original request was to clarify the style guide.

I believe a clarification of the style guide is still necessary, as it refers to the application of the guideline to prose. It makes no mention of where it is legal to use a v prefix together with a version specification of Node.js, such as in the output of the CLI command node --version or in API documents listing history, such as "Removed in: v23.0.0".
The use of the term "prose" could be made clearer as well. Some definitions interpret "prose" as being the opposite of poetry, others list it as usage in complete sentences. The latter definition would not cover usage of Node.js version specifications in blog post titles on https://nodejs.org/en/blog, for example the now changed title "Node.js 24.12.0 (LTS)" on https://nodejs.org/en/blog/release/v24.12.0.

I don't suggest to re-open this issue. Instead I would return to this topic separately at a later date.

Also, since there continues to be current usage that is not aligned to the style guide, it would probably be good to address this once the Node.js API Docs redesign is published. Attempting to address it before this time would just introduce inconsistencies.