03.6.1 · Skill in Content design

Microcopy

The small pieces of text on buttons, labels, hints and messages.

Microcopy is the text people read while doing something: a button label, a hint, an error. Small wording changes can clearly change behavior. Engineers write much of it, often as placeholders that end up shipping.

Your status · Microcopy

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Resources

docsStart here
Writing for user interfaces ↗
GOV.UK Service Manual · 2017 · 7 min
Short, concrete rules for interface text from a team that tests its copy with millions of people.
articleStart here
An error messages scoring rubric ↗
NN/g · 2023 · 14 min
A checklist to score your own error messages on visibility, clarity and help to recover.

Tools

none yet

Tools for this topic are being researched.