Copywriter

Overview

Use this skill to write clear, persuasive copy for product surfaces, marketing assets, and user-facing flows.

UX Writing:

• Button labels, form fields, error messages
• Empty states, onboarding flows
• Tooltips, help text
• Confirmation dialogs

Marketing Copy:

• Landing pages, hero sections
• Feature descriptions
• Call-to-action (CTA) buttons
• Email campaigns

Product Content:

• Product descriptions
• Feature announcements
• Release notes
• Documentation

UX Writing Patterns

Button Labels

// ❌ Bad: Vague, passive
<Button>Submit</Button>
<Button>OK</Button>
<Button>Click Here</Button>

// ✅ Good: Specific, action-oriented
<Button>Create Account</Button>
<Button>Save Changes</Button>
<Button>Start Free Trial</Button>

Guidelines:

• Use verb + noun ("Save Changes" not "Save")
• Be specific ("Delete Post" not "Delete")
• Show outcome ("Start Free Trial" not "Submit")

Error Messages

// ❌ Bad: Technical, blaming user
"Invalid input"
"Error 422: Unprocessable Entity"
"You entered the wrong password"

// ✅ Good: Helpful, actionable
"Please enter a valid email address"
"We couldn't find an account with that email"
"Password must be at least 8 characters"

// Implementation
function PasswordInput() {
  const [error, setError] = useState('')

  const validate = (password: string) => {
    if (password.length < 8) {
      setError('Password must be at least 8 characters')
    } else if (!/[A-Z]/.test(password)) {
      setError('Password must include at least one uppercase letter')
    } else if (!/[0-9]/.test(password)) {
      setError('Password must include at least one number')
    } else {
      setError('')
    }
  }

  return (
    <div>
      <input type="password" onChange={(e) => validate(e.target.value)} />
      {error && <p className="text-red-600">{error}</p>}
    </div>
  )
}

Error Message Formula:

1. What happened
2. Why it happened (optional)
3. How to fix it

Empty States

// ❌ Bad: Just says it's empty
<EmptyState message="No results" />

// ✅ Good: Explains and guides user
function EmptySearchResults() {
  return (
    <div className="text-center py-12">
      <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold">No results found</h3>
      <p className="mt-2 text-gray-600">
        Try adjusting your search or filters to find what you're looking for
      </p>
      <Button onClick={clearFilters} className="mt-4">
        Clear Filters
      </Button>
    </div>
  )
}

function EmptyInbox() {
  return (
    <div className="text-center py-12">
      <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold">You're all caught up!</h3>
      <p className="mt-2 text-gray-600">
        No new messages. Enjoy your day! 🎉
      </p>
    </div>
  )
}

Empty State Formula:

• Headline (what's empty)
• Explanation (why it's empty)
• Action (what to do next)

Form Labels

// ❌ Bad: Unclear, jargon
<Label>Metadata</Label>
<Label>FTP Credentials</Label>

// ✅ Good: Clear, helpful
<Label>
  Email Address
  <span className="text-gray-500 text-sm ml-2">
    We'll never share your email
  </span>
</Label>

<Label>
  Password
  <span className="text-gray-500 text-sm ml-2">
    Must be at least 8 characters
  </span>
</Label>

Label Guidelines:

• Use clear, everyday language
• Add help text for complex fields
• Avoid technical jargon

Loading States

// ❌ Bad: Generic
<Loading message="Loading..." />

// ✅ Good: Specific, reassuring
function LoadingStates() {
  return (
    <>
      <Loading message="Creating your account..." />
      <Loading message="Processing payment..." />
      <Loading message="Uploading image (2/5)..." />
      <Loading message="This might take a minute..." />
    </>
  )
}

Success Messages

// ❌ Bad: Just confirms action
<Toast message="Saved" />

// ✅ Good: Confirms and suggests next step
function SuccessMessages() {
  return (
    <>
      <Toast
        message="Post published!"
        action={
          <Button onClick={viewPost}>View Post</Button>
        }
      />

      <Toast
        message="Payment successful. Receipt sent to your email."
      />

      <Toast
        message="Profile updated. Changes are now live."
      />
    </>
  )
}

Landing Page Copy

Hero Section

// components/Hero.tsx

export function Hero() {
  return (
    <section className="text-center py-20">
      {/* Headline: Clear value proposition */}
      <h1 className="text-5xl font-bold">
        Deploy your app in seconds, not hours
      </h1>

      {/* Subheadline: Expand on headline */}
      <p className="mt-6 text-xl text-gray-600 max-w-2xl mx-auto">
        Skip the complex setup. Push your code and we'll handle the deployment,
        scaling, and monitoring automatically.
      </p>

      {/* CTA: Primary action */}
      <div className="mt-10 flex gap-4 justify-center">
        <Button size="lg">
          Start Free Trial
        </Button>
        <Button size="lg" variant="outline">
          Watch Demo (2 min)
        </Button>
      </div>

      {/* Social proof */}
      <p className="mt-8 text-sm text-gray-500">
        Trusted by 50,000+ developers at companies like Airbnb, Netflix, and Shopify
      </p>
    </section>
  )
}

Hero Copy Formula:

1. Headline: Main benefit (not what you do)
2. Subheadline: How it works or who it's for
3. CTA: Primary action
4. Social proof: Build credibility

Examples:

❌ Bad:
"Cloud Deployment Platform"
"We provide deployment services"

✅ Good:
"Deploy with confidence"
"Ship faster with zero-config deploys"
"From code to production in 30 seconds"

Feature Descriptions

// components/Features.tsx

const features = [
  {
    title: 'Lightning-Fast Deploys',
    description: 'Push your code and see it live in under 30 seconds. No waiting, no config files.',
    icon: '⚡'
  },
  {
    title: 'Auto-Scaling',
    description: 'Handle any traffic spike without lifting a finger. We scale from zero to millions seamlessly.',
    icon: '📈'
  },
  {
    title: 'Zero Downtime',
    description: 'Deploy updates without taking your site offline. Your users won't even notice.',
    icon: '🛡️'
  }
]

export function Features() {
  return (
    <section className="py-20">
      <h2 className="text-3xl font-bold text-center">
        Everything you need to ship fast
      </h2>

      <div className="mt-12 grid md:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
        {features.map((feature) => (
          <div key={feature.title}>
            <div className="text-4xl mb-4">{feature.icon}</div>
            <h3 className="text-xl font-semibold">{feature.title}</h3>
            <p className="mt-2 text-gray-600">{feature.description}</p>
          </div>
        ))}
      </div>
    </section>
  )
}

Feature Copy Guidelines:

• Focus on benefits, not features
• Use active voice
• Be specific (numbers, timeframes)
• Keep it scannable

Call-to-Action (CTA)

// Different CTA styles

// ❌ Generic
<Button>Sign Up</Button>
<Button>Learn More</Button>

// ✅ Value-focused
<Button>Start Free Trial</Button>
<Button>Get Started Free</Button>
<Button>Try it Free for 14 Days</Button>

// ✅ Urgency
<Button>Claim Your Spot</Button>
<Button>Join 10,000 Developers</Button>

// ✅ Low commitment
<Button>Browse Templates</Button>
<Button>See How It Works</Button>

CTA Copy Formula:

• Start with a verb
• Highlight the benefit
• Remove friction ("Free", "No credit card", etc.)

Email Copywriting

Welcome Email

// Email template (React Email)
import { Button, Html, Heading, Text } from '@react-email/components'

export function WelcomeEmail({ name }: { name: string }) {
  return (
    <Html>
      <Heading>Welcome to TechStart, {name}! 👋</Heading>

      <Text>
        Thanks for signing up! We're excited to help you deploy faster.
      </Text>

      <Text>
        Here's what to do next:
      </Text>

      <ul>
        <li>Connect your Git repository</li>
        <li>Deploy your first project (takes 2 minutes)</li>
        <li>Invite your team members</li>
      </ul>

      <Button href="https://app.techstart.com/deploy">
        Deploy Your First Project
      </Button>

      <Text>
        Need help? Reply to this email or check our{' '}
        <a href="https://docs.techstart.com">docs</a>.
      </Text>

      <Text>
        Happy deploying!<br />
        The TechStart Team
      </Text>
    </Html>
  )
}

Transactional Email

export function PaymentSuccessEmail({ orderNumber, total }: {
  orderNumber: string
  total: string
}) {
  return (
    <Html>
      <Heading>Payment Successful</Heading>

      <Text>
        We've received your payment of {total}.
      </Text>

      <Text>
        <strong>Order Number:</strong> {orderNumber}<br />
        <strong>Receipt:</strong> Sent to your email
      </Text>

      <Button href={`https://app.techstart.com/orders/${orderNumber}`}>
        View Order Details
      </Button>

      <Text>
        Questions? Contact [email protected]
      </Text>
    </Html>
  )
}

Microcopy Examples

Tooltips

// ❌ Bad: Repeats label
<Tooltip content="Click to delete">
  <Button>Delete</Button>
</Tooltip>

// ✅ Good: Adds helpful context
<Tooltip content="This action cannot be undone">
  <Button>Delete</Button>
</Tooltip>

<Tooltip content="Visible to all team members">
  <Toggle>Public</Toggle>
</Tooltip>

Confirmation Dialogs

// ❌ Bad: Scary, unclear
<Dialog
  title="Warning"
  message="Are you sure?"
  confirmButton="Yes"
/>

// ✅ Good: Clear, specific
<Dialog
  title="Delete this post?"
  message="This post will be permanently deleted. You can't undo this action."
  confirmButton="Delete Post"
  cancelButton="Cancel"
  variant="destructive"
/>

Placeholder Text

// ❌ Bad: Generic
<Input placeholder="Enter value" />

// ✅ Good: Helpful example
<Input placeholder="e.g., [email protected]" />
<Input placeholder="e.g., My Awesome Project" />
<TextArea placeholder="Tell us what happened..." />

Voice & Tone Guide

Brand Voice (Consistent)

## TechStart Voice

**Professional but friendly**

- We're experts, but we don't talk down to you
- Use "we" and "you" (not "I" or "users")

**Clear and concise**

- Short sentences
- Simple words
- No jargon (unless necessary)

**Helpful and supportive**

- Anticipate questions
- Provide context
- Offer next steps

Tone (Varies by context)

// Tone: Excited (product launch)
"We're thrilled to announce auto-scaling! 🎉"

// Tone: Reassuring (error message)
'Something went wrong, but your data is safe. Please try again.'

// Tone: Urgent (security alert)
'Action required: Suspicious login detected on your account'

// Tone: Casual (success message)
'All set! Your changes are live.'

// Tone: Professional (legal)
'By using this service, you agree to our Terms of Service.'

Copywriting Checklist

Before Publishing:

• [ ] Is it clear? (Can a 12-year-old understand it?)
• [ ] Is it concise? (Remove unnecessary words)
• [ ] Is it specific? (Use numbers, examples)
• [ ] Is it actionable? (What should user do?)
• [ ] Is it consistent? (Matches brand voice)
• [ ] Is it accessible? (Screen reader friendly)
• [ ] Is it scannable? (Headings, bullets, short paragraphs)

Copywriting Resources

Power Words

Urgency: Now, Today, Limited, Ending, Hurry, Fast Value: Free, Save, Bonus, Extra, Plus Trust: Guaranteed, Proven, Certified, Official, Secure Ease: Easy, Simple, Quick, Effortless, Instant

Headline Formulas

"How to [achieve goal] without [pain point]"
→ "How to deploy faster without complex configs"

"[Number] ways to [achieve benefit]"
→ "5 ways to ship code with confidence"

"Get [desired outcome] in [timeframe]"
→ "Get to production in 30 seconds"

"The [adjective] guide to [topic]"
→ "The complete guide to zero-downtime deploys"

When to Use

Perfect for:

• Writing UX copy (buttons, errors, forms)
• Creating landing pages
• Writing product descriptions
• Drafting email campaigns
• Building onboarding flows

I'll help you:

• Write clear, actionable copy
• Match your brand voice
• Improve conversion rates
• Enhance user experience
• Create consistent messaging

Output

✏️ UX Copy (buttons, errors, labels)
📄 Landing Page Copy
📧 Email Templates
💬 Microcopy (tooltips, placeholders)
📚 Product Descriptions
🎯 CTAs that Convert

Let's create copy that connects with your users!

Core Workflow

Follow the primary workflow, commands, and decision points documented in the sections below.

Examples

Use the examples and snippets already present in this document whenever they apply to the task.

Best Practices

Follow the constraints, conventions, and cautions documented below, and prefer the documented path over improvisation.

References

Use any linked scripts, assets, reference files, and companion resources mentioned in this document.