IT & Software

Microcopy Guidelines

Create Consistent, On-Brand Microcopy with this ChatGPT Prompt for UX Clarity and Conversion

What This Prompt Does

Generates a complete set of microcopy guidelines tailored to a specific product and brand voice.
Covers essential UX touchpoints including error messages, tooltips, buttons, form fields, and confirmations.
Provides practical templates and real examples (good and bad) for common interface scenarios.
Includes localization guidance to ensure microcopy remains culturally and contextually relevant across target markets.

Tips

  • Clearly define your product type and brand voice attributes (e.g., friendly, professional, playful, empathetic) to shape the tone of the microcopy.
  • Use real UI scenarios such as “payment failure,” “form submission,” or “account setup” to make the examples actionable.
  • Keep messages concise, helpful, and actionable—especially in error and confirmation states.
  • Apply consistent capitalization, punctuation, and terminology across all UI elements.
  • Think globally: adapt wording for different languages, cultures, and reading directions (e.g., left-to-right vs. right-to-left).
  • Use the generated output as a living guideline document for designers, developers, and content strategists.

Prompt

Develop comprehensive microcopy guidelines for [product type] that align with our brand voice: [list brand attributes]. Include specific guidance for: error messages, confirmation screens, tooltips, form labels, and button text. Create templates for common scenarios like [list scenarios]. Include examples of good and bad microcopy for [specific features]. Address localization for [target markets].

How To Use The Prompt

Fill in the placeholders [PRODUCT TYPE], [BRAND ATTRIBUTES], [COMMON SCENARIOS], [SPECIFIC FEATURES], and [TARGET MARKETS] with accurate product and brand details.

Example:
"Develop comprehensive microcopy guidelines for our mobile finance app that align with our brand voice: trustworthy, supportive, and straightforward. Include specific guidance for: error messages, confirmation screens, tooltips, form labels, and button text. Create templates for common scenarios like failed payment, adding a new card, account creation, and saving a goal. Include examples of good and bad microcopy for our budgeting dashboard and transaction history filters. Address localization for Spanish- and German-speaking markets."

Example Input

#INFORMATION ABOUT MY PRODUCT:

Product type: Web-based project management tool
Brand attributes: Efficient, clear, motivating, modern
Common scenarios: Task creation, missed deadlines, project archiving, collaborator invites
Specific features: Task editor, dashboard widgets, timeline filters
Target markets: English (US), French (Canada), Japanese

Example Output

Tone & Voice Overview

  • Voice: Professional but approachable
  • Tone by Context:

    • General UI: Clear and instructional
    • Errors: Reassuring and actionable
    • Confirmations: Positive and concise
    • Tooltips: Helpful, slightly informal tone

Microcopy Templates

  1. Error Messages

    • ✅ Good: "We couldn’t save your task. Please check your internet connection and try again."
    • ❌ Bad: "Error 105: Save failed"
    • Template: “We couldn’t [user goal]. [Friendly reason or fix].”

  2. Confirmation Screens
    • ✅ Good: “Your project was archived. You can restore it anytime from the Archives tab.”
    • ❌ Bad: “Success. Done.”
    • Template: “[Action] completed. Here’s what happens next: [next step or location].”

  3. Tooltips

    • ✅ Good: “Use filters to narrow down your timeline by team, tag, or deadline.”
    • ❌ Bad: “Click to filter.”
    • Template: “Use [feature] to [benefit].”

  4. Form Labels & Buttons
    • Labels should use sentence case (e.g., “Add task name”)
    • Button best practices:
      • ✅ Good: “Add Collaborator”
      • ❌ Bad: “Submit”
      • Use active verbs and be specific about the result

Common Scenarios Templates

  1. Task Creation Tooltip

    • “Tip: Add a due date to stay on track—missed deadlines will appear in red.”

  2. Missed Deadline Error
    • “Looks like this task is overdue. You can update the date or mark it complete.”

  3. Invite Collaborator Confirmation
    • “Invite sent! Your teammate will get an email shortly.”

Good vs. Bad Microcopy for Dashboard Widgets

  • Good: “Your week at a glance: 3 tasks due today, 5 overdue, 1 completed.”

  • Bad: “Dashboard Summary: Tasks Today: 3. Overdue: 5. Completed: 1.”

Good vs. Bad Microcopy for Filters Panel

  • Good: “Filter by: Project, Due Date, Assignee”
  • Bad: “Apply Filters”

Localization Considerations

  • French (Canada): Translate confirmation actions with culturally appropriate tone; avoid overly direct commands (e.g., use “Confirmer” instead of “Exécuter”)
  • Japanese: Use polite form (です/ます) for system feedback; ensure button text fits smaller UI space due to character width
  • Avoid idioms and wordplay in error messages to ensure clarity across markets

Additional Information

This mega-prompt is a must-have for UX writers, product designers, localization teams, and content strategists. It bridges the gap between brand personality and user interaction, ensuring every click, tap, or error message contributes to a seamless, consistent experience.

  • Use the guidelines in design systems, CMS, or UX documentation.
  • Share across teams to maintain tone consistency in product updates.
  • Easily extend to chatbot dialogs, onboarding flows, or mobile push notifications.

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