The interface is designed well, but the text inside it — error messages, button labels, empty-state copy — was written in a rush or typed in by a developer during the build. The user sees "An error occurred" and has no idea what to do next.
Microcopy that guides the user instead of losing them
Microcopy and UX Writing Optimisation
The interface is designed well, but the text inside it — error messages, button labels, empty-state copy — was written in a rush or typed in by a developer during the build. The user sees "An error occurred" and has no idea what to do next.
A form on your site has a high abandonment rate on one specific field, and nobody has checked whether the problem is simply an unclear label or an error message that doesn't say what to fix. Your app's onboarding walks the user through several screens, but the copy on them is generic — "Welcome! Let's get started!" — and doesn't explain what the user is actually about to do. Buttons in different parts of the product name the same action differently, so the user has to re-orient every time.
We go through specific screens and flows — forms, error messages, empty states, onboarding — and rewrite the copy so each one answers the user's question at that moment: what happened, what do I do now, what should I expect.
We approach every screen from the perspective of a specific step in the user's flow, not as an isolated sentence to polish — an error message at checkout needs a different tone than an empty state on a to-do list. We work directly with the person responsible for the product or UX, so the text fits the interface logic rather than just reading nicely in isolation. What we don't do: change the interface's layout or appearance — we work on the copy within the existing screens, not the UI design.
What you get out of it
- Fewer drop-offs at critical momentsA clear error message and a clear field label reduce the number of people who give up halfway through a form or checkout process.
- Consistent language across the productThe same action is named the same way everywhere in the app, so the user doesn't have to relearn the interface on every screen.
- A brand-consistent tone of voiceThe copy in the interface sounds like the rest of your communication, not like default phrases left behind by the development team.
Instead of a case study, we show you an example rewrite of one type of screen — an error message or an empty state — turned into a version that tells the user what to do next, instead of just flagging a problem.
Scope and pricing
The work covers a review of the screens or flows you specify, a list of copy to change with a rationale for each change, and implementation-ready text delivered in a format that fits your product team.
- Review of the specified screens and collection of the current copy.
- Analysis of where the wording is likely getting in the way.
- Rewriting the copy, with a short rationale for each change.
- One revision round after the product team's review.
You know the price after the initial call — it depends on the number of screens, the complexity of the flows, and whether a review of the product's naming glossary is also needed.
Our guarantees
Every change comes with a rationale. You don't just get a list of new copy — for each piece we explain what problem it solves.
Consistency with the existing interface. New copy is fitted to the screen it appears on; we don't propose layout changes.
Naming consistency. We check that the same actions and concepts are named the same way across every screen we review.
Availability
Turnaround depends on the number of screens and flows to review — for larger products, it's worth planning the review in stages.
Order a microcopy review
Send us which screens or flows are causing the most trouble for users — we'll propose a review scope and a quote.
What you lose by waiting
Every month with an unclear error message at a critical point means users who give up mid-process and don't come back to try again.
In short
We rewrite copy in forms, error messages, empty states and onboarding · every change comes with a rationale, not a guess · we don't change the interface layout, only the copy in it · we keep naming consistent across the whole product · we work directly with the product or UX team.
Frequently asked questions
Do you review the whole product, or just selected screens?
We usually start with the screens you flag as highest-risk — a full product review can be tackled in stages.
Do you need access to our design system or codebase?
Screenshots or a link to the live product are enough — we don't need code access to rewrite the copy.
Do you also handle translating microcopy into other languages?
Yes, we can prepare versions in several languages while keeping tone and naming consistent between them.
Do you also review push notification and transactional email copy?
Yes, if you flag those channels as part of the review, we cover them with the same approach.
How do you measure whether a copy change actually improved anything?
We don't run analytics ourselves, but we can advise which metrics on your side are worth watching after launch.