list

When to use

• Genuinely a list. Five to six short points, each under twelve words. No internal structure per item — just a heading and the bullets.
• Numbered when order matters. Use ol (1. source) when sequence is load-bearing; ul when order is interchangeable. Numbers render as a tabular leading column.
• Pills via inline code. Inline code at the end of a row becomes a pill (status tag, metric, owner). Lets the list double as a lightweight ledger without changing layout.
• Takeaways at a section close. The takeaway variant renders each item as a hairline-ruled single line at message weight — the deck or section's headline points. Add numbered for a large accent counter. (Absorbed the standalone tldr component on 2026-06-07.)
• Criteria a decision must meet. takeaway numbered with a nested - gloss under each item stacks a bold lead over a muted reason line, with a fixed-size counter in a left gutter. Numbering reads as priority: put the criterion most likely to veto first. (Absorbed the standalone list-criteria component on 2026-09-25.)
• Declared principles or tenets. The principles variant renders an ordered list of single-sentence declarations at display weight with a large accent counter. Compose lettered, roman, or bullet to switch the counter format. (Absorbed the standalone principles component on 2026-06-07.)

When not to use

• Title plus body per item. If each bullet is **Title.** body on one line, the layout under-serves it. Nest the body as a - gloss bullet under a takeaway item (the lead then stacks over it), or move to cards-stack (2-3 items) or list-tabular (5+ rows).
• Wall of long bullets. Past twelve words per line the slide becomes paragraph soup. Either trim or move to content for prose, cards-stack for structured items.
• Two-item lists. Two bullets read as a thin slide. For pairs, reach for compare-prose — it gives the pair the weight it deserves.

Common mistakes

• Combining numbered with principles, or lettered/roman/bullet with takeaway, expecting the counter to change. numbered only composes with takeaway (adds its accent counter); lettered/roman/bullet only compose with principles (swap ITS counter format) — the two modifier sets don't cross over. lint:deck warns on each mismatch (list-modifier-inert).
• Picking ol or ul arbitrarily under the default/takeaway look, without regard to whether order matters. For the default and takeaway looks, list type is a real authoring signal — ol renders a tabular leading number column implying sequence; ul doesn't. Use ol only when the sequence is load-bearing. This does NOT apply to principles (and its lettered/roman/bullet sub-variants) — that family is ol-only regardless of whether the tenets are ordered; a ul there falls back to the default pills, and lint:deck warns (list-modifier-inert).

Authoring

<!-- _class: list -->

## Slide heading.

- First short bullet point.
- Second short bullet point.
- Third short bullet point.
- Fourth short bullet point.
- Fifth short bullet point.

Slots

Anatomy

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  header                                 │
│  List heading.                          │
│                                         │
│  - First bulleted item                  │
│  - Second bulleted item                 │
│  - Third bulleted item                  │
│  - Fourth bulleted item                 │
│                                         │
│  footer                           1/19  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Variant decision rule

• default (no modifier) — A flat set of accent-bordered pill points — the plainest bulleted list, no special framing.
• takeaway — The list closes a section with headline-weight conclusions — hairline-ruled single lines instead of pills.
• principles — The items are declared tenets or house rules — display-weight numbered statements with a large accent counter.
• numbered — A takeaway box needs to read as ranked priorities, not just findings — adds an accent counter. With a nested - gloss under each item it is the criteria ledger: numbered requirements, each with its reason.
• lettered — Under principles, the order is arbitrary rather than sequential — letters read as options, not a ranking.
• roman — The principles are a formal charter or mandate that wants numeral gravitas — reserve for a short list, past five it reads as parody.
• bullet — The principles are true peers with no ranking or sequence at all — strips the counter back to plain dots.

Variants

<!-- _class: list takeaway -->

## takeaway boxes the list as findings.

- The box frames the lines as conclusions.
- Lead with the strongest finding.
- Five lines read as a verdict.
- Longer sets go back to plain list.

<!-- _class: list principles -->

## principles numbers the house rules.

1. State each rule as an imperative.
2. Keep rules under ten words.
3. Order them by how often they apply.
4. Retire a rule you keep breaking.

<!-- _class: list takeaway numbered -->

## Criteria are gates: clear them in order.

1. State the bar
   - Each criterion is a pass-or-fail line, not a preference.
2. Order by veto power
   - The criterion most likely to kill goes first.
3. Keep the list short
   - Three gates decide; six gates stall.

<!-- _class: list principles lettered -->

## lettered counts the rules with letters.

1. Letters read as options, not sequence.
2. Use them when order is arbitrary.
3. Three options is a decision; six is a menu.

<!-- _class: list principles roman -->

## roman sets the rules in numerals.

1. Numerals lend formal weight.
2. Reserve them for charters and mandates.
3. Past five, the gravitas becomes parody.

<!-- _class: list principles bullet -->

## bullet strips the markers back to dots.

1. Dots drop the counting entirely.
2. The principles frame stays.
3. Use when rules are peers.

Related

• cards-stackeach item has a title plus body sentence
• list-tabularfive or more rows with label-plus-description
• checklistitems carry state markers (done / partial / todo)