What is Microcopy?

Let’s break it down. If copy is the text that’s published in a source such as a newspaper or a magazine, and micro means small, then we get “small text.” For our purposes, microcopy is the text we use to design interfaces and create engaging products. This includes the text on forms, error messages, and so on.

Think of it as the text in the user interface whose purpose is to guide the user through the product and help them interact with it. A large percentage of the microcopy you’ll be crafting will be directly related to actions the user should take, such as:

• Onboarding a new user and general product guidance
• Making users buy more of our products
• Encouraging the user to carry out an action
• Guiding the user through the execution of an action
• Giving feedback and clarifying the results of an action that was taken 

Microcopy is found throughout digital products. We find it in confirmation messages, error states, empty states, buttons, search bars, all types of forms, onboarding processes, navigation bars, and headlines. 

Note though, that a single accepted definition of microcopy hasn’t quite solidified yet. There are some slight differences, depending on who you’re talking to. According to Kinneret Yifrah, author of Microcopy: The Complete Guide, microcopy is:

The words or phrases in the user interface that are directly related to the actions a user takes: 

• The motivation before the action 
• Instructions that accompany the action 
• The feedback after the user has taken the action

Some have an even narrower definition, limiting microcopy to the short texts that support other copy or elements on the page. For example:

Here, some might say that only the “SHIFT+ENTER” is microcopy, as it’s a little bit of text supporting the send button.

For the purposes of this course, we’ll take a broader definition of microcopy that includes most of the copy inside an app or website. With this broad definition, we see that microcopy is the very framework upon which the rest of our apps and websites are built.

But words alone are not enough. The most powerful way to deliver a message is through visual communication. That’s why writing and design go together hand in hand. Let’s have a look at a few historical examples to show just how closely these two elements are linked:

Think small was a 1959 ad campaign by Volkswagen and has been called the best advertising campaign of the twentieth century.

Two words, one simple image, and they managed to build one of the most successful ad campaigns in history that boosted sales and built a lifetime of brand loyalty. The way the text and image support each other needs no explanation. 10/10 for copy and design.

Here’s an example of a brilliant use of text and design together that also highlights the product—a simple lottery ticket:

They have managed to communicate that you can change your entire life in an instant just by scratching a ticket.

But not all microcopy is for advertising. When it comes to apps and websites, the best microcopy should make the user feel as if they are communicating with a real person rather than just a digital interface. The role of the UX writer is to bring this goal to fruition, which has the power to make or break a product.

In short, make sure your writing is brilliant! No, not full of light brilliant. Brilliant as in superb or wonderful. OK, I think you get the point.

Microcopy is the term for the small bits of copy in a UI that help users do things, including error messages, labels in contact form, e-commerce hints, etc. These tiny words have a huge impact on conversion.

To find where your product could benefit from some changes/additions to your current copy, look for the microcopy that isn’t currently working well. If many users are asking for pricing information, chances are your “Request a quote” microcopy needs to be improved. Changing to “Request pricing” gets more conversions after testing.

Use microcopy to address user concerns including things like confirming they won’t get SPAM or fear of data loss. Can also inform users about why the app is asking for certain information. 

Microcopy includes helpful error messages that instruct the user as to how to correct the error.

Good microcopy should be short, helpful, and should come at just the right moment.

Let’s check out some examples

Airbnb’s search prompt

Let’s kick things off with Airbnb’s simple but effective search bar.

Many users probably fail to even register what it says, but that’s the whole point. Short and simple – it subtly prompts users to start searching and see what they find.

Muzzle’s cheeky Lorum Ipsum

Muzzle has a single page website to explain its product – an app that stops potentially embarrassing notifications from popping up on your screen.

It’s a lovely little site, full of delightful details (like the below example notifications) and very cheeky copy.

I particularly like how the text at the bottom of the page promtoes related products and services, all-depending on whether or not the user can or cannot build websites.

Grammarly’s smart call to action

Unsurprisingly given the nature of its product, Grammarly uses concise and descriptive homepage copy to guide users along.

It could have easily kept its button at ‘Add to Chrome’, however, the extra ‘It’s free’ immediately reassures and creates urgency.

Dollar Shave Club’s hidden humour

Microcopy provides brands with further opportunities to convey personality. Dollar Shave Club, which is known for its sarcastic and humorous tone of voice, adds extra bullet-points to product descriptions purely for entertainment purposes.

Do people really bother to read the small print? Well, if they happen to do so, this kind of copy is sure to stick in their minds (“This blade comes from the future and lives in outer space”)

eHarmony’s touchy feely 404

eHarmony takes the opportunity to adds personality and tone into its error page, reinforcing its promise to users looking for love.

The calls-to-action also lessen the chances of users abandoning the site, giving them an option to either sign-up or log-in.

Reformation’s conscientious copy

Reformation is another brand that uses microcopy to educate users, this time pointing them towards its stance on sustainability and the environment. Note the fun and light-hearted tone of its product description and garment care too.

Elsewhere, the retailer uses friendly and engaging text on its homepage, using ‘we’ and ‘you’ to highlight the relationship between brand and consumer.

Modcloth’s reassuring tooltip

Long and confusing checkouts can lead to basket abandonment, which is why it’s so important to include copy to help combat this.

Modcloth asks for a phone number as part of its form, but instead of leaving it there, it takes the opportunity to reassure customers that it’s for their own benefit. The tooltip is also slick, taking away the need for any intrusive pop-ups or to veer away from the page.

Yelp’s trustworthy credentials

Microcopy can also be used to anticipate customer concerns, often by highlighting further information such as privacy or data policies. While Yelp is a rather busy website in appearance, it still finds the space to point users towards its advertising policy.

However, the microcopy means that users probably won’t feel the need to click through – it convincingly states that there are no dodgy reviews allowed on its site.

Elsewhere on Yelp, I also like the microcopy that brings to life its star rating system, beginning with ‘Eek! Methinks not!’ for one star and ending with ‘Woohoo! As good as it gets!’ for five.

WeTransfer’s amusing FAQs

FAQ and help sections tend to be awash with copy. This means that brands often run the risk of over-complicating things or coming across as supremely dull. WeTransfer does the opposite on both accounts, infusing an amusing and ironic tone into its example FAQ’s.

In addition, it cleverly conveys that social channels are there to help with customer service queries.

Wonderbly’s pared down FAQs

Wonderbly’s help section is also pleasingly pared down, simply urging people to search for keywords or ask entire questions if they’d like.

Below, instead of confronting users with example questions, it uses categories like ‘our products or ‘printing and delivery’, showing that good FAQs can be intuitive.

Slackbot (microcopy personified)

Slack shows how to personify microcopy with the help of Slackbot – the app’s friendly guide.

Instead of leaving the user to their own devices, it lets you know just how easy and helpful Slackbot can be. The bold copy grabs the user’s attention, while the emphasis on being ‘only a bot’ promotes transparency.

Timely’s password advice

There’s nothing more frustrating than entering a new password, only to find you need a more specific combination of symbols and numbers.

Timely, a productivity-tracking app, immediately lets users know what the score is with its informative microcopy.

Its trial sign-up form also effectively emphasises that there are no traps, with copy stressing its ‘no credit card no nonsense’ policy.