Copywriting best practices

Use when writing or reviewing copy for products, websites, landing pages, emails, ads, or in-app UX.

Mental model

• Good copy helps people understand, trust, and act.
• Prioritize clarity before cleverness. If the reader has to decode the sentence, the copy is already underperforming.
• Write for the reader’s context: what they are trying to do, what they are worried about, and what decision they need to make next.

Core principles

• Lead with the most important point.
• Use plain, specific language instead of vague claims and inflated adjectives.
• Show the benefit, not just the feature.
• Keep the reader moving: every sentence should either clarify, reassure, or advance the action.

Headlines and openings