UX writing for beginners: how to write interface copy

Step 1

Pick a screen for the exercise and list every piece of text

The best starter exercise is to rewrite the copy of a real form: sign-up, checkout, booking an appointment. Find a form in any service you use, take a screenshot and write out each piece of text separately: the heading, field labels, hints, buttons, errors, the message after submitting. You'll see how many words a single screen really has.

• •note what task the person does on this screen and what success means for them;
• •next to each text, note its role: explains, names an action, warns;
• •make mistakes in the form on purpose to see the error messages;
• •keep the original: at the end you'll show the before and after.

💡 Don't pick the worst form on the internet: rewriting something obviously bad is easy. It's more useful to take a decent form and make it better.

Step 2

Write short and put the key point first

Nielsen Norman Group showed long ago that people rarely read web pages word by word: they scan, picking out individual words and sentences. In an interface this is even more noticeable. Apple's Human Interface Guidelines advise choosing words that are easy to understand, checking whether every word needs to be there, and writing in plain language without jargon. NN/g stresses that plain language helps everyone, even experts.

• •weak: "In order to complete the registration process, it is necessary to enter your email address";
• •better: "Email" as the field label, with a short hint below it only if it's really needed;
• •one message, one idea; if there are several, split the text;
• •read the text out loud: Apple recommends it when in doubt.

Step 3

Buttons, labels and hints

Apple HIG advises labeling buttons with a verb: people should understand what will happen when they tap. Input fields need clear labels and, where needed, a hint with an example format. In its form accessibility tutorials, W3C specifically warns that placeholder text doesn't replace a field label: it disappears while typing and assistive technologies don't treat it as a label.

• •button: "Create account" instead of "Submit", "Delete photo" instead of "Yes";
• •in a confirmation dialog, the button repeats the action from the question: "Delete draft?" — "Delete" / "Cancel";
• •always a label above the field; the example format goes in the hint: "For example, +380 67 123 45 67";
• •pick one pattern for all of a product's buttons, such as verb + object ("Save changes", "Delete photo"), and stick to it;
• •address the person the same way on every screen, and avoid gendered words where gender is unknown: "Welcome!" rather than "Dear Sir".

💡 Buttons like "OK", "Next" or "Submit" aren't bad in themselves, but check whether they make clear what will happen. If not, name the action.

Step 4

Errors and empty states

NN/g advises showing an error message next to where the error happened, writing in human language without technical jargon, describing the problem precisely, suggesting how to fix it and not blaming the user. Two more NN/g tips: don't show an error prematurely while the person is still typing, and keep what they already entered so they don't have to start over. The WCAG accessibility standard also requires errors to be described in text and, when a fix is known, suggested to the person.

• •weak: "Error 403" or "Invalid data";
• •better: "Password is too short. Add at least 2 more characters" — the problem and what to do;
• •don't write "you entered it incorrectly": describe what's missing, not what the person did wrong;
• •for an empty state (an empty cart or favorites list, for example), Apple advises always offering a next step: "Saved recipes will appear here. Tap ♡ on any recipe";
• •Apple advises avoiding "we" altogether because it's unclear who it refers to: "Unable to load content" is clearer than "We're having trouble loading this content".

Step 5

Define the tone and show the before and after

Voice is the product's character, and it stays constant. Tone changes with the situation: Apple HIG advises matching it to what the person is doing and feeling right now. NN/g suggests describing tone along four dimensions: humour, formality, respectfulness and enthusiasm. A joke fits a welcome message after sign-up and doesn't fit a declined payment at all. At the end of the exercise, put all the new copy on a mockup and place it next to the original.

• •describe your "product's" voice in three words, for example: "friendly, precise, calm";
• •for each text, rate the situation: a routine action, success, an error, a risk of losing data;
• •build a glossary: if it's "cart" in one place, it's "cart" everywhere, not "basket" or "order";
• •show the before and after and explain each change in one sentence.

💡 Show your before/after pair in the community without explanations and ask which version is clearer. If the answer isn't obvious, the change may not be needed.