UX glossary
Microcopy
Microcopy is the short text in an interface, such as button labels, hints and error messages. It answers people’s questions at the exact moment they come up.
Imagine you’re signing up for an online store. You type in a password and get the message “Invalid input.” What’s wrong? Too short? One special character too many? After the third attempt, you close the tab.
If a short line under the field had said “At least 8 characters, including one number,” you’d have been done in ten seconds. Small bits of text like that are called microcopy.
Explained simply
Microcopy is the short text in an interface: button labels, hints below form fields, placeholders, error messages, confirmations, or the line of text on an empty screen. Often it’s just a few words. Even so, it has a real say in whether people reach their goal.
You know this from signage in everyday life: an “Exit” sign with an arrow helps you more than a nicely painted wall. Microcopy is the signage of an app or website. It sits exactly where a question comes up, and it answers that question.
The term is often traced back to a 2009 blog post by designer Joshua Porter. In essence, Porter argues that microcopy is small but powerful because it’s contextual: it answers a specific question at the moment someone has it. His example: on a checkout form, many payments failed because people entered an address that didn’t match the one on file for their credit card. According to Porter, a single reminder above the form made those errors go away.
Where microcopy makes a difference
Buttons should say what happens next: “Create account” instead of “Next,” “Place order” instead of “OK.” Error messages, according to the Nielsen Norman Group, work best when they use plain language to explain exactly what went wrong and how to fix it, without blaming the person. Words like “invalid” or “incorrect” can easily sound like an accusation. Hints remove doubt before it arises, such as “We’ll never share your number” next to a phone field.
Good microcopy reduces cognitive load: if people don’t have to guess, they don’t have to think as hard. For a closer look at how this plays out in forms, read Forms Nobody Abandons: 12 Rules for Better Form UX.
An example
Before: a newsletter form has nothing but a “Send” button. After clicking, the page says “Success.” Many people wonder whether they’re now subscribed or still need to do something.
After: the button reads “Subscribe to newsletter.” Below it: “Once a month, unsubscribe anytime.” After clicking: “Almost done. Please confirm the link we sent to your inbox.” Three short sentences, and every open question has an answer.
In practice
- Name the action. Label buttons with what happens after the click. A verb plus an object works almost every time.
- Help fix errors, don’t just report them. Say what’s missing and how to move on. Keep what people already entered so nobody has to start over.
- Stay honest. Microcopy can be friendly, but it shouldn’t manipulate. Wording designed to make people feel guilty counts as one of the dark patterns.
Related terms
Cognitive Load, Dark Patterns, Onboarding, Design System