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Plate WRT·001 · UX writingGrid F1 · Rev. 2026-08-14

Microcopy

The small pieces of text that do most of the work: labels, hints, empty states, errors and confirmations.

UX writingCraft conventionFoundational

Definition

Microcopy is the functional text embedded in an interface. It is usually written last, changed most often, and responsible for a disproportionate share of whether a design works.

Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.

On this plate
  1. 1Definition
  2. 2Rewrites that carry weight
  3. 3Rules
  4. 4Where the words earn most
  5. 5In practice
  6. 6Local chart
  7. 7Sources
  8. 8Continue from here

Reach for this when

  • Writing any interface text.
  • Users misunderstand what a control does.
  • Before rebuilding a flow that tests badly.
  • A specific screen produces a specific, repeated question from readers.

Common mistakes

  • Generic labels such as Submit and OK.
  • Brand voice applied to functional controls.
  • Terminology that differs between the product and support content.

Rewrites that carry weight

WeakBetterWhy
SubmitCreate accountNames the outcome rather than the mechanism.
ErrorYour card was declinedSays what actually happened.
No resultsNo results for "blue chairs"Confirms the query and points at the cause.
Learn moreHow refunds workDescribes the destination, and works out of context for screen readers.
Are you sure?Delete 12 files permanently?States the consequence and the scope.
Something went wrongWe could not save your changes. Retry?Gives a next action.

Rules

  • Label buttons with the verb of what happens next.
  • Write in the second person and the active voice.
  • Front-load the important word, since people scan the first two or three words of a label.
  • Be specific about numbers, names and outcomes.
  • Write error messages that could be read aloud to a customer without embarrassment.
  • Keep terminology identical across the interface, help centre, emails and support scripts.

Where the words earn most

Do

  • Name the consequence on the control that causes it.
  • Answer the question the reader is holding at that moment, in one line.
  • Use their words. The support inbox is where those are written down.
  • Cut anything that is true but not needed here.

Do not

  • Write a sentence where a label would do.
  • Apologise for the product in the interface.
  • Use the same word for two things, or two words for one thing.
  • Write in the interface what should have been fixed in the design.

In practice

  1. i.

    Two words, one support queue

    The cheapest fix available

    Renaming a button from Submit to Send for review removed most of a recurring support question. Nothing else about the flow changed, and no engineering time was spent.

Local chart

WRT·001 · Region III · Grid F1

This entry and the entries it is stated to connect with. Each line is labelled with what the connection means.

Curse of KnowledgeBIAS·008 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISFraming EffectBIAS·003 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISHelp and DocumentationHEUR·010 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISHelp Users Recognise, Diagnose and Recover From ErrorsHEUR·009 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISMatch Between System and the Real WorldHEUR·002 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISUser Control and FreedomHEUR·003 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISParkinson's LawLAW·013 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISPeak-End RuleLAW·007 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISMental ModelsMOD·001 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISDeceptive PatternsPRIN·011 · PRINCIPLES BEHIND THISBuilding Trust on a Payment ScreenCASE·002 · PRACTICAL EXAMPLEInformation ScentTERM·015 · SHORT DEFINITION

Sources

Where a source establishes something narrower than the popular reading of it, the note says so.

  1. [1]

    Microcopy: The Complete Guide

    K. Yifrah, 2017

Continue from here

Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.

Applies when you are designing

A CheckoutA DashboardA Data TableA FormA Mobile AppA Pricing PageA Search ExperienceAn AI ProductAn Ecommerce ExperienceAn Enterprise WorkflowAn Onboarding FlowAuthenticationNavigationSettings

Principles behind this

The reasoning this solution is an application of.

Practical example

A worked decision where this was the deciding factor.

Short definition

The one-paragraph version, for when that is all you need.

Related concept

Connected closely enough to change how you apply this.