How to Get Microcopy and Interface Writing Right
The words inside an interface: labels, buttons, hints, confirmations, errors and empty states.
Priya Raghunathan
What is at stake
Interface copy does more work per word than any other content, and it is usually written last by whoever is building the screen.
The playbook
- Label buttons with the verb of the action they perform
- Write errors that tell the user what to do next
- Keep one term per concept and record it
- Write the copy as part of design, not after it
- Read it aloud; awkward copy is audible
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Yes and No on a destructive confirmation
- Errors that blame the user
- Different words for the same concept in different screens
- Placeholder text carrying the only label
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Button labels | should describe the action, not confirm a question |
| Error messages | what happened, why, and what to do |
| Placeholder text | not a substitute for a label |
| Consistency | one term per concept across the product |
| Reading level | plain language is faster for everyone, including experts |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when terminology is inconsistent across a product, when copy must be localized, or when error handling reads as hostile.
Where this comes from
- Nielsen Norman Group — Microcopy and error messages
- GOV.UK Service Manual — Writing for user interfaces
- Material Design — Writing guidelines
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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