Content & Copy Skill

Auto-apply to all written content in this project. No exceptions.

Voice — Non-Negotiable Rules

DO:

• Direct, first or second person ("Get started" / "You'll receive")
• Active voice ("The system sends a confirmation" → "You'll get a confirmation")
• Outcome-focused ("Save 3 hours a week on scheduling")
• Specific and concrete ("500+ food truck operators" not "many operators")
• Conversational but professional — no corporate jargon

DO NOT:

• Passive voice ("An error was encountered" → "Something went wrong — try again")
• Filler phrases: "In order to", "Please note that", "It is important to", "Feel free to"
• Vague hedging: "might", "could potentially", "in some cases" (unless genuinely uncertain)
• Tech jargon aimed at non-technical users unless the audience is technical
• Exclamation marks in body copy (one per page maximum, in hero or celebration moments only)
• Ellipsis (...) — says nothing, adds nothing

CTAs — Specific and Action-Oriented

Pattern: [Action verb] + [what they get] + [optional: timeframe or qualifier]

Rules:

• CTA text must tell the user exactly what happens next when they click
• No two CTAs on the same page should be identical if they lead to different destinations
• Primary CTA: one per page/section
• Destructive actions: include the specific action in the label ("Delete listing" not "Confirm")

Headlines — Formula-Driven

Two approved formulas:

Formula 1 — Outcome + Differentiator: [What you get] + [why here / what makes it different]

"Verified food trucks for your next event — no cold calls, no surprises" "Book recurring truck slots in minutes — built for HOA event managers"

Formula 2 — Problem + Solution: [Pain the user has] + [how this solves it]

"Tired of tracking down trucks on Facebook? Browse verified operators in one place." "Last-minute cancellations cost you clients. Build a backup bench before you need it."

Rules:

• H1: One per page, uses Formula 1 or 2, no more than 12 words preferred
• H2: Section-level, summarizes what follows, not a label ("How It Works" is weak; "Three steps from search to booked" is strong)
• Avoid questions as headlines unless the answer is immediately provided
• No "Welcome to..." headlines

No Lorem Ipsum — Ever

When placeholder copy is needed, generate realistic content relevant to the project context. For this project (ServiceWindow — food truck marketplace, SWFL):

• Company names: "Coastal Eats LLC", "Fuego Street Kitchen", "The Nacho Truck"
• Event names: "Cape Coral HOA Monthly Night Market", "Estero Community Block Party"
• Cuisine types: "Tacos, BBQ, Mediterranean, Asian Fusion, Desserts"
• Planner names: "Marcus T.", "Sandra R.", "Cape Coral Community Association"
• Prices: "$49/mo", "$29 founding rate", "$450 event booking"

For non-ServiceWindow projects, generate realistic copy in the project's domain.

Error Messages — Human-Readable, Actionable

Pattern: [What happened] + [What to do next]

Rules:

• Never show raw error codes to users (log them, don't display them)
• Never blame the user ("You entered an invalid..." → "That doesn't look right...")
• Always include the next step — never leave the user at a dead end
• For recoverable errors: include a retry action
• For unrecoverable errors: include a contact or fallback path

Form Labels — Explicit and Persistent

• Labels must be visible at all times — never placeholder-only
• Placeholder text is supplementary hint text only — it disappears on focus
• Label text: noun or short phrase describing what to enter ("Business name", "Email address")
• Placeholder text (when used): example value or format hint ("e.g., Fuego Street Kitchen", "[email protected]")
• Helper text: appears below the input, explains constraints ("Must be at least 8 characters")
• Required fields: marked explicitly — asterisk with a legend, or "(required)" in label

✓ [Label: "Email address"] [Input: placeholder "[email protected]"]
✗ [Input: placeholder "Email address" — label disappears on focus]

Meta Descriptions

Formula: [Primary keyword phrase] + [value proposition] + [optional CTA]

Constraints:

• 150–160 characters exactly (flag if outside this range)
• Include the page's primary keyword in the first 60 characters
• No keyword stuffing — one to two keyword variations, naturally written
• Present tense, active voice

Examples:

"Browse verified food trucks in Southwest Florida. Find cuisine, check availability, 
and book directly — no middlemen. 21 cities covered." (152 chars)

"List your food truck on ServiceWindow and reach event planners, HOAs, and venues 
across SWFL. Free 30-day trial, no credit card needed." (137 chars)

Scannable Copy Rules

Body content:

• Maximum 3 sentences per paragraph
• One idea per paragraph
• Subheadings every 200–300 words in long-form content
• Subheadings describe what follows — not clever wordplay that obscures meaning
• Bullet lists for 3+ parallel items
• Bold for key terms on first use only — not for decoration
• No walls of text — if a section exceeds 4 paragraphs, restructure with a subheading

UI copy:

• Tooltip: 1 sentence max, ends without a period
• Empty states: 2 lines max — what's empty + what to do about it
• Confirmation messages: past tense ("Booking sent" not "Your booking has been sent successfully and will be processed")
• Success messages: specific ("Truck profile saved" not "Success!")

Applying This Skill

Before submitting any copy:

1. Read every sentence — rewrite any passive voice
2. Check every CTA — does it say exactly what happens next?
3. Verify no lorem ipsum anywhere
4. Check every error message — does it tell the user what to do?
5. Check every form label — is it visible and persistent?
6. Check any meta description — is it 150–160 characters with the keyword in first 60?
7. Count paragraph sentences — flag any over 3

If a design asks for copy that violates these rules, write compliant copy and note what was changed.