direct-response-copy — independently scanned and version-tracked by SaferSkills.
SaferSkills independently audited direct-response-copy (Agent Skill) and scored it 100/100 (green). The audit ran 55 deterministic rules across Security, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Transparency, and Community; it found 0 high-severity and 0 lower-severity findings. The full rule-by-rule trace and per-finding evidence are below. Free, methodology-open.
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Every scanned point with the score it earned and what moved between them.
First recorded scan — no prior version to compare against.
The primary manifest — the file an agent reads to learn what this artifact does.
Created by Rob Palmer — direct-response copywriter ($523M+ tracked). Source & updates: https://github.com/robpalmer99/claude-code-copywriting-skills Free under CC-BY-4.0. Attribution requested when redistributed.
Here's what separates copy that converts from copy that just exists: the good stuff sounds like a person talking to you. Not a marketing team. Not a guru. Not a robot. A person who figured something out and wants to share it.
That's what this skill does. It writes copy that feels natural while deploying the persuasion principles that actually work. The reader shouldn't notice the technique. They should just find themselves nodding along and clicking the button.
Write like you're explaining to a smart friend who's skeptical but curious. Back up every claim with specifics. Make the transformation viscerally clear.
That's it. Everything else flows from there.
The headline does 80% of the work. One headline can outpull another by 19.5x. Same product, same offer, different headline.
[Action verb] + [specific outcome] + [timeframe or contrast]
The contrast version ("days, not weeks") creates before/after in six words.
John Caples wrote the most famous ad headline ever:
"They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... But When I Started to Play!"
It's a complete story in 15 words. Embarrassment, then triumph. Universal emotion. You have to know what happened next.
The pattern: "They [doubted] when I [action]... But when I [result]..."
Ogilvy's Rolls-Royce:
"At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock."
Doesn't say "quiet car." Shows you with specific detail. The reader concludes "this must be quiet" themselves. Self-persuasion is stronger than being told.
The pattern: [Specific number/metric] + [Unexpected comparison or detail]
"Do You Make These Mistakes in English?"
This ran for 40 years. Works because the reader immediately thinks "what mistakes?" and self-selects.
The pattern: "Do you [common struggle]?" or "What if you could [desirable outcome]?"
"From Broke Musician to $100K/Year Music Teacher"
Before and after in one line. The reader sees themselves in the "before."
The pattern: "From [bad state] to [good state]"
The first sentence has one job: get them to read the second sentence.
"You've been using Claude wrong."
Stops the scroll. Creates tension. Self-selects readers who suspect you might be right.
"Last Tuesday, I opened my laptop and saw a number I couldn't believe: $47,329 in one day."
The reader is IN the scene before they know they're reading sales copy.
"I'll be honest with you. I almost gave up on this business three times."
Vulnerability disarms skepticism. They think "they're like me."
"In 9 months, we did $400k+ on a vibe-coded website using these exact methods."
Specific numbers create credibility. Reader wants to know how.
"Have you ever stared at a blank page, knowing you need to write something that sells... and just froze?"
If the question matches their reality, they're hooked.
"It's simple."
"Here's the truth."
"This works."
No friction to start reading. They're into paragraph two before they realize it.
These are generic. They could be about anything. They don't demonstrate understanding.
The human brain craves closure. Open a loop, and they'll keep reading to close it.
Incomplete information that creates psychological tension. You tease something without revealing it.
TV shows end every episode with a cliffhanger. You can't NOT watch the next one. Same principle in copy.
Weak (no gap): "10 Tips for Better Writing"
Strong (gap): "I tested 47 headlines. One pattern beat everything else by 3x."
The weak version tells you exactly what you'll get. The strong version creates a question: which pattern?
End paragraphs with hooks that pull into the next section:
Use 2-4 per page. Every paragraph ending with "but there's more" gets tiresome.
"The formula has three parts. The first one is obvious. The third one is counterintuitive. But the second one? That's where the magic happens."
Now they need to know the second part.
You must close every loop you open. Tease "the one thing that changed everything" and never deliver? They'll never trust you again.
Small loops: close within 1-3 paragraphs. Big loops: close by the end of the piece.
Sugarman: "Your readers should be so compelled to read your copy that they cannot stop reading until they read all of it as if sliding down a slippery slide."
Once they start, they can't stop. Every element pulls them to the next.
Short phrases that smooth transitions between paragraphs:
Without: "Most landing pages focus on features. Benefits are what customers care about."
With: "Most landing pages focus on features. Here's the thing: Benefits are what customers care about."
The transition phrase smooths entry into the second paragraph.
Repeat a word from the last sentence in the first sentence of the next paragraph:
"Now we're going to look at a more sophisticated technique.
>
A technique used by professional writers, but often overlooked by copywriters."
"Technique" bridges the gap. Smoother than starting fresh.
The first sentence of any section should be stupidly easy to read:
"It's simple."
"Here's the problem."
"This works."
Low friction to start. Momentum builds from there.
Same-length paragraphs = monotonous reading.
Short.
Then a medium paragraph that expands with more detail.
Then short again.
This creates rhythm. The eye moves easily.
Vague problems feel overwhelming. Quantified problems feel solvable.
Don't just describe the pain. Do the math:
"4 hrs to set up emails + 6 hrs designing a landing page + 4 hrs to handle Stripe webhooks + 2 hrs for SEO tags + ∞ hrs overthinking...
>
= 22+ hours of headaches.
>
There's an easier way."
When readers see "22+ hours," they calculate whether that's worth paying to eliminate. You've turned abstract frustration into a number they can weigh against your price.
Another approach: the scenario that makes them feel it:
"Imagine the scene: you and your team get an urgent email, so you rapidly reply. But just after you hit send, your team replies as well. In the best case, you look disorganized. In the worst case, you contradict each other."
They've been there. Now they feel the problem instead of just acknowledging it.
AI stops at the first layer of benefit. "Saves time." "Increases productivity." "Helps you grow." Weak.
For every feature, ask "so what?" until you hit something emotional or financial:
Feature: Fast database "So what?" Functional: Queries load in milliseconds "So what?" Financial: Users don't bounce, revenue doesn't leak "So what?" Emotional: You stop waking up stressed about churn
The bottom of the chain is where the copy lives. Not "saves 4 hours" but "close your laptop at 5pm instead of 9pm." Not "automates outreach" but "wake up to replies instead of a blank inbox."
Three levels deep. Then write from there.
Here's where most AI-generated copy fails. It's either all choppy fragments or all flowing paragraphs. Real human writing alternates.
Short sentence. Impact. Then a longer one that breathes, adds context, feels like actual conversation.
Watch how Hormozi does it:
"Customers do NOT buy code. Customers buy a life transformation."
Punchy. Declarative. Repeated structure.
Now Justin Welsh:
"Once upon a time, you had a job. You traded hours for dollars, clocked in and out, and waited for the weekend. Your skills were confined to a cubicle and your ambitions to an annual review and a 4% raise."
Longer. Conversational. Building through parallel structure.
Both work. The key is knowing when to punch and when to breathe.
The pattern:
Then repeat.
Almost every high-converting creator page includes a first-person story. The format: humble origins, struggle, discovery, success, offer.
The arc is always: vulnerability → credibility → shared journey
If you're writing for a founder, get their story. This isn't optional. It's the highest-trust element on the page.
Generic testimonials ("Great product!") carry zero persuasive weight. Structure them as mini case studies:
[Before state] + [action taken] + [specific outcome] + [timeframe] + [emotional reaction]
Examples:
The specifics are everything. "4 months" is believable. "Helped me succeed" is not.
This feels counterintuitive but works consistently. Tell certain people they're not a fit:
"You're a good fit for this if: ✅ You know this is a tool, and you'll need to use it ✅ You're willing to reassess your existing ideas
>
You're NOT a good fit if: ❌ You equate success with just buying a course ❌ You're not willing to do the unsexy work required"
Why this converts: It flips from "please buy" to "prove you're worthy." Velvet rope effect. Also pre-filters customers likely to complain.
Weak CTAs command action. Strong CTAs describe the benefit:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| "Sign Up" | "Get ShipFast" |
| "Learn More" | "See the exact template I used" |
| "Subscribe" | "Send me the first lesson free" |
| "Buy Now" | "Start building" |
Below the CTA, add friction reducers:
"$199 once. Join 2,600+ marketers. 2 minutes to install."
Pattern: [Risk reversal] + [Social proof] + [Speed/ease]
Patterns that signal "written by someone who lives online, not a marketing team":
When building a complete landing page:
When the deliverable is a VSL, TSL, video ad, or any script that hands off to a video editor, the format matters as much as the words. The editor is a creative collaborator, not a transcriber. Over-specifying visuals slows them down and signals you don't trust their craft.
The rule: deliver the voiceover as the primary artifact, with minimal directions. Add a visual cue only where something specific must happen.
Editors read bracketed notes as mandatory, not suggestive. A heavily directed script — [CUT TO X], [B-ROLL Y], [TRANSITION Z] on every line — reads as a contract. So instead of moving, the editor schedules a call to "align on the directions" before touching the timeline. The script that looks more thorough actually delays the cut. Counterintuitively, a sparser script gives them permission to do their best work.
Most editors will choose better B-roll, transitions, music, and pacing than you'd describe in brackets. Leave that lane open for them.
The bulk of the document is plain paragraphs of what the narrator says, broken naturally for breath and emphasis. No section headers like "Hook / Problem / Promise" inside the script itself — those belong in a separate one-line note at the top if at all, not in the deliverable the editor reads.
Only when one of these is true:
Outside of these, stay silent and let the editor work.
Over-directed (triggers a clarification meeting):
[CUT TO: extreme close-up of clock ticking] [B-ROLL: stressed man at desk, papers flying] "Most people waste 4 hours every morning..." [TRANSITION: hard cut to bright kitchen] [B-ROLL: woman smiling, sipping coffee] "...but there's a faster way to start the day."
Right amount (editor moves immediately):
"Most people waste 4 hours every morning... but there's a faster way to start the day."
>
[ON-SCREEN: "4 hours = 1,460 hours/year"]
The on-screen text is there because the number needs visual anchoring. The imagery, mood, and cuts are the editor's call.
[ON-SCREEN: "$47/month"], [B-ROLL: founder at whiteboard], [PRODUCT SHOT]That's a different deliverable from a VSL handoff to an editor working with stock and existing footage. Confirm before producing one — most of the time, the lean voiceover-first script is what's actually wanted, and a full shot list slows the workflow rather than helping it.
Overused words: delve, dive into, comprehensive, robust, cutting-edge, utilize, leverage, crucial, vital, essential, unlock, unleash, supercharge, game-changer, revolutionary, landscape, navigate, streamline
Overused phrases: "In today's fast-paced world...", "It's important to note that...", "When it comes to...", "In order to...", "Whether you're a... or a...", "Are you ready to take your X to the next level?", "Let's dive in"
Structural tells: Every paragraph the same length. Every bullet starts the same way. Overly organized with too many headings. Bold on every key term.
The fix: Read your copy out loud. If you stumble, a reader will too. If it sounds like a textbook, rewrite it.
Before you ship, read it out loud. Ask:
If any answer is no, rewrite that part.
The goal isn't to hide that you're selling. It's to sell like a human, with honesty, specificity, and respect for the reader's intelligence.
Your headline and approach must match where your reader is:
They don't know they have a problem. Lead with identity or emotion, not the problem.
They know they have a problem but don't know solutions exist. Name the problem vividly, then introduce that solutions exist.
They know solutions exist but don't know your product. Show your specific mechanism or approach is different/better.
They know your product but haven't bought yet. Overcome objections, add proof, create urgency.
They know your product and want it. Just need a push. Lead with the deal.
The rule: The less aware they are, the longer your copy needs to be.
Enter the conversation already taking place in the customer's mind.
All the greats agree:
~30 seconds. Free. No account. Every finding cites a rule and a line of evidence.