What Is Microcopy?

Key takeaways

• Microcopy is the small cluster of words, such as error messages and titles, that appears across websites and applications to help users navigate through pages, pop-ups, forms, and more.

• Microcopy in UX serves a variety of purposes, such as alleviating customer concerns and helping users make decisions.

• Microcopy best practices include writing straightforward, comprehensive, and concise content.

Microcopy writing is easy to understand, speaks to your users’ needs, considers how your users feel, and reinforces your brand’s energy. Discover more about microcopy, including what it is, why it’s important, and how to create it. If you’ve decided to pursue a career in UX design, enroll in the Google UX Design Professional Certificate. In as little as six months, you can learn about responsive web design, user research, usability, wireframing, Figma (design software), and more.

What is microcopy?

Microcopy is the small cluster of words that appears across websites and applications that help users navigate through the various pages, pop-ups, forms, and more.

Although microcopy can be subtle in digital media, it plays an important role in the user experience. Microcopy informs users on what to do, how to navigate websites or applications, and provides clarity on any particular web page. Ultimately, it's a major part of the communication between site and application owners and users.

Some of the most common examples of microcopy include:

• Error messages and alerts

• Calls to action

• Titles and subheadings

• Confirmation and status messages

• Navigation text

• Terms of use

• Prompts that explain how to enter certain information

• Buttons

Why is microscopy important?

Microcopy serves many purposes, but they all help improve the user experience. If the microcopy is confusing, a user might abandon a product or service out of frustration. Microcopy can also help alleviate customer concerns, for example, a company saying they won't sell your personal data or spam you.

Microcopy also helps the user make decisions. For example, a user might be hesitant to sign up for an email newsletter, but microcopy containing a short positive review from an influencer might convince them the newsletter is worth their time.

How to create microcopy

When creating microcopy, you want to make sure it's straightforward, comprehensive, and concise so that users can maintain interest. It’s also essential to be mindful of where microcopy is placed so that it’s in the correct location to be seen.

How to write good microcopy

Good microcopy should be concise and easy to understand. To write microcopy that speaks to your users’ needs and influences user direction, consider how your users feel or what they need, and reinforce your brand’s energy.

Read more: Brand Marketing: What It Is + How to Create Your Strategy

Related terms

• User flow

• Typography

• Task analysis

• Information architecture

• Service blueprint

• Attention economy

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