Microcopy is the small text around an interface: button labels, form hints, error messages, empty states. It is easy to write last and fix never. Yet many of the questions that reach a support inbox start with a few words someone didn’t understand.
Start with your support inbox#
The fastest way to find microcopy worth fixing is to read what people ask. Group recent questions by the screen they relate to. Each group usually points to a label, hint or message that isn’t doing its job.
- “Did my payment go through?” points to an unclear confirmation.
- “Where is my discount?” points to a missing hint about when it applies.
- “Why can’t I log in?” often points to an error message that hides the real reason.
Say what will happen#
Buttons are promises. Vague labels make people hesitate, because they can’t predict the result.
Before
Submit
Continue
OK
After
Send inquiry
Continue to payment
Delete 3 photos
A good test: could someone predict exactly what happens next, from the button alone?
Answer the question before it’s asked#
Place a short hint where the doubt appears, not in a help center people never visit.
Before
A field labeled Reference number, with nothing else.
After
Reference number with a hint underneath: “The 8-digit number at the top of your invoice, starting with INV.”
Write errors that help#
An error message should say what went wrong and how to fix it, in plain words, without blame.
Before
“Error 403: authentication failed.”
After
“That password doesn’t match this email. Check for typos, or reset your password.”
Use your customers’ words#
Internal names leak into interfaces: product codes, team names, technical terms. People search and scan for the words they already use. The support inbox, search logs and sales calls all tell you what those words are.
Measure the change#
Pick one screen, rewrite its microcopy, and watch the related support questions for a month. It is one of the few design changes where the result shows up in your inbox, not just in your analytics.