Naming
This guide helps ensure consistent naming across all Stack Overflow communications, products, features, and materials.
Components
Mainbrand
The overarching brand that serves as the main identifier for a company and its various products or services. Stack Overflow has nearly two-decades of awareness around it in technology and technology-adjacent fields.
Sub-brand
Exist as part of the larger parent brand, but often represent or cater to a particular category or market segment.
I.e., Stack Overflow Public Platforms, Stack Overflow Business
Product
Standalone offerings designed to serve a subset of customers. Customers sign up for a product and can opt out if they wish. Products usually combine a set of complimentary features. They are externally facing and could be the subject of marketing.
E.g., Stack Internal, Stack Ads
Feature
Functional aspects of a product or platform, or specific actions customers can take within a product/platform. Customers must sign up for a product in order to make use of a feature. Externally facing, but not as often the subject of marketing.
E.g., Collectives
A (mostly) descriptive system
Our default is a descriptive approach when it comes to naming our brands, products and features. This means we use names that clearly explain what a thing is (or does), often following industry conventions.
E.g., Reddit Ads, Mozilla VPN, Slack AI
Why descriptive?
At the current rate of change, it’s simplest to name products descriptively, to keep barriers to understanding as low as possible.
We want to make it as clear as possible to our audiences what our brands, products and features are and do — and what they can expect when interacting with them.
A descriptive naming system is also an easy naming system to scale and roll out across any new brands, products or features that come along in the short to medium-term.
- Audience friendly - technologists in particular favour “no bs”.
- Prioritises clarity and simplicity - we have a lot of historical confusion with naming, this sets up the future holistically and clearly.
- Keeps the barrier to understanding low - our products and services are quite technical so this keeps the headline clear.
- Easiest to scale across new brands, products and features - things change and will always change in tech, this keeps us adaptable.
A note on ‘(Mostly)’
There’s still scope to flex with the right associative name if we find it — a name that speaks to the benefits or qualities of a product. But our baseline and benchmark is simplicity and clarity, and we feel in the majority of cases, descriptive names fit that bill the best.
E.g., Spotify Jam, Atlassian Confluence
Why not abstract names?
We feel abstract names — names that don’t directly speak to the benefits or qualities of a product — are too far from our heritage, and would likely confuse audiences at this point.
E.g., Amazon Kindle, Microsoft Azure
The company
The legal entity is Stack Exchange Inc. However, most of the time we refer to ourselves as Stack Overflow. Always ensure the casing and spacing is correct:
Don’t
- StackOverflow
- Stackoverflow
- stackoverflow
- Stack overflow
- STACK OVERFLOW
Do
- Stack Overflow
The website vs the company
Stack Overflow refers to both the company and the public Q&A platform. In most contexts, this ambiguity is acceptable and even desirable—the platform is our flagship and most recognizable product.
However, when disambiguation is necessary, use these conventions:
When referring to the company
- Stack Overflow (in most contexts)
- “We at Stack Overflow believe…”
- “Stack Overflow announced today…”
- “Stack Overflow serves millions of developers”
When referring to website
- Stack Overflow (in most contexts)
- “stackoverflow.com” (when being very specific)
- “Ask a question on Stack Overflow”
- “Browse Stack Overflow's questions and answers”
When disambiguation is needed
Use contextual clues or specific phrasing when you need to make the distinction clear:
Do
- “Stack Overflow has 183+ public platforms, and business products”
- “Visit stackoverflow.com to ask questions, or try Stack Internal for your team”
- “Unlike the public Stack Overflow site, Stack Internal is private to your organization”
- “Stack Overflow’s public Q&A platforms serves millions daily”
Stack Overflow Business
The collective name for our business products is Stack Overflow Business.
Business products do not have distinct logos but there are differences with color usage. If further differentiation is needed, a Stack Overflow Business logo is available—contact the brand design team for help.
Stack Data Licensing
Our data licensing product provides ethical access to Stack Overflow’s vast dataset.
Don’t
- Stack Overflow Knowledge Solutions
- SOKS
- OverflowAPI
- OverflowAI
- Data Licensing
- Stack Licensing
Do
- Stack Data Licensing
Stack Ads
Our advertising platform for reaching developers and technologists.
Note: Collectives on Stack Overflow is no longer part of the Stack Ads offering.
Don’t
- Stack Overflow Talent
- Stack Overflow Employer Branding
- Stack Overflow Advertising
- SO Ads
- Overflow Ads
Do
- Stack Ads
Stack Internal
Our private knowledge management and collaboration platform for teams and enterprises.
In November 2025 we renamed Stack Overflow for Teams to Stack Internal.
Don’t
- Stack Overflow for Teams
- SO4T
- SOE
- SIE
- SIB
- Stack Overflow for Business
- Stack Overflow for Enterprise
- Stack Teams
- Internal
Do
- Stack Internal
Stack Overflow vs Stack
Both Stack ___ and Stack Overflow ___ are acceptable when referring to our products, but default to the shorter form.
Use Stack ___
- Inside the product themselves
- Internal communications (presentations, emails, Slack)
- Official social media posts from company accounts
- On our own web properties
- When clearly speaking as the company or an employee
Use Stack Overflow ___
- External communications where context is unclear
- First mention of a product in outreach materials
- App stores, marketplaces, and review sites
- When comparing with Stack Overflow (the public platform)
- Legal or formal documentation
Stack Internal tiers and plans
Stack Internal tier names are unchanged from previous naming.
Don’t
- Stack Overflow Enterprise
- Stack Overflow for Enterprise
- Stack Overflow Business
- Stack Overflow for Business
- SOE, SOB, SIE, SIB (abbreviations in external documents)
Do
- Stack Internal (Enterprise)
- Stack Internal (Business)
- Use tier name alone after first full mention (e.g., "Enterprise")
Stack Internal terminology
When referring to Stack Internal instances and users in product contexts:
Don’t
- Team (capitalized when referring to an instance)
- Members
- Users
- Collaborators
Do
- team (lowercase, where "Stack Internal" is too formal)
- teammates (for the collective name of users)
- Stack Internal (when being specific e.g., …your Stack Internal…)
AI features
The OverflowAI brand has been retired. When referring to AI functionality:
Don’t
- OverflowAI
- Overflow AI
- Stack AI
- AI Suite
- AI Tools (as a product name)
Do
- Refer to specific features by name (e.g., "Enhanced Search")
- Use "Stack Internal's AI features" when referring collectively
- Avoid collective references when possible
Retired brands and visual elements
The following brands and visual identities have been retired:
Don’t
- Stack Overflow Labs
- Collectives on Stack Overflow visual identity
- Old style product logos (i.e., Teams, Talent, Advertising)
- Custom or unofficial product logos
Do
- Refer to the releases section on the blog
- Refer to these products in text when contextually appropriate
- Link to historical content (blog posts, documentation)
- Use approved current brand assets from the brand design team