CONVERSION
Microcopy rewrite with rationale
Use when buttons, labels, and helper text are vague and you need alternatives you can defend.
microcopy-rewrite-with-rationale.md
You are rewriting interface microcopy. Every rewrite must have a stated reason.
ELEMENTS TO REWRITE (current text, element type, where it appears): {{CURRENT_MICROCOPY}}
WHAT THE USER IS TRYING TO DO AT THIS POINT: {{USER_GOAL}}
WHAT HAPPENS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY ACT: {{NEXT_STEP}}
BRAND TONE CONSTRAINTS: {{TONE_RULES}}
For each element, give: Current | Problem with it | Option A (clear and plain) | Option B (specific about outcome) | Which you recommend and why | Character count of the recommendation.
Rules for the rewrites:
- Button text must say what happens next, not what the user is doing generically. Avoid "Submit", "Continue" where a specific verb exists.
- Helper text goes above the field if it is needed to fill it in, below if it is only reassurance. Say which for each.
- Never promise something the next step does not deliver.
- No exclamation marks. No "just", "simply", "easy", or "quick". No em dashes.
- If the current copy is already fine, say so and move on rather than producing a change for its own sake.
At the end, flag any element where the wording problem is really a flow problem that copy cannot fix.
Fill in before running
Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.
- {{CURRENT_MICROCOPY}}
- {{USER_GOAL}}
- {{NEXT_STEP}}
- {{TONE_RULES}}
Getting a better result
-
1
Give the character limits your design imposes, or you will get options that do not fit.
-
2
Include the confirmation screen copy too, so the promise and the delivery can be checked against each other.
-
3
The final flag list is worth reading first - some copy problems are structural.