Capitalization for a bullet list

Question

The following is from some software documentation we are writing:

NOTE: Refreshing a report may be necessary or helpful when:

1. you believe the data in the report has changed since it was last executed
2. you'd like to return the report to its initial state/condition

My question is this. Should 'you' in the first bullet item and 'you'd' in the second bullet item be capitalized?

Answer 1

Bullet point items should be capitalised if the item in question is a full sentence. Likewise, in that case they should also have a full stop.

Answer 2

It is a matter of style. Here are two options:

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NOTE: Refreshing a report may be necessary or helpful when:

1. You believe the data in the report has changed since it was last executed
2. You'd like to return the report to its initial state/condition

   ---

NOTE: Refreshing a report may be necessary or helpful when:

1. you believe the data in the report has changed since it was last executed;
2. you'd like to return the report to its initial state/condition.

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Create whatever rules you want for your software documentation and stick to them. As with all stylistic matters, consistency is key.