Here’s a rewrite of the article, presented as if I’m sharing my thoughts on the topic directly with you:
Ever think about a user – maybe someone juggling a million things, a new parent, or just someone genuinely excited to try out a new digital product? They open it up, ready to dive in, and then… boom, frustration. It’s not even about whether your product actually works well. It’s the words. The labels that make no sense, the error messages that just leave you hanging, the super techy talk, or sometimes, just a tone that feels completely off. These little word messes, they add up. They chip away at trust, they slow people down, and eventually, they just make users walk away.
You know, UX writing isn’t just about sticking words on a screen. It’s about building an invisible guide, one that knows what users need before they even ask. It clarifies tricky processes and builds a real connection through every single click and tap. It’s the silent storyteller of your user’s journey, and if that story gets garbled, the trip just becomes a chore. I want to talk about the biggest pitfalls I see in UX writing, and then give you some clear, actionable ways to turn those word roadblocks into smooth, clear paths.
What I Call “The Tyranny of the Vague”: When Our Words Just Don’t Inform
Vagueness, to me, is the quiet killer of a good user experience. When users bump into labels that are wishy-washy, calls to action that are too general, or instructions that are just… instructions, they have to guess. And guessing? That leads to frustration, fast. Good UX writing, in my book, is super precise, totally clear, and leaves absolutely no room for misunderstanding.
First Up: Ambiguous Labels and Buttons
Think of labels and buttons as the traffic signs on your interface. If they don’t clearly say what they do, users will hesitate, second-guess themselves, or just give up. Phrases like “Click Here” give zero context. “Submit” is too broad. And “OK”? That doesn’t tell me what I’m “OK’ing.”
- Why I think it frustrates people: Users are basically forced to be mind readers. That ramps up their mental effort and just slows them down. They might click the wrong thing, and then suddenly they’ve got to start over or, even worse, lose data.
- What I suggest for a fix: Be super explicit and descriptive. Focus on the action and what that action is affecting.
- Instead of: “Submit”
- Try: “Submit Application,” “Submit Payment,” “Submit Feedback”
- Instead of: “More Info”
- Try: “Learn More About Plans,” “View Product Specifications”
- Instead of: “OK” (especially after deleting something)
- Try: “Confirm Deletion,” “Delete File Permanently”
- Instead of: “Next” (if there are lots of steps)
- Try: “Next: Payment Details,” “Next: Review Order”
Next Issue: Unspecific Error Messages
“An error occurred.” “Something went wrong.” These messages, to me, are the digital equivalent of a shrug. They don’t tell the user what went wrong, why it happened, or, most importantly, how to fix it. That just leaves users feeling stranded and totally annoyed.
- Why I think it frustrates people: Users are left completely in the dark, unable to figure out the problem. They might even start thinking it’s their fault, or that the system itself is just broken.
- What I suggest for a fix: Provide context. If you can, briefly explain the cause. And always, always offer a clear solution.
- Instead of: “Error: Invalid Input.”
- Try: “Invalid email address. Please check the format (e.g., user@example.com).” or “Password must be at least 8 characters long and include a number.”
- Instead of: “System Failure.”
- Try: “We’re experiencing high traffic. Please try again in a few minutes, or contact support if the issue persists.”
- Instead of: “Upload Failed.”
- Try: “File upload failed. Your file exceeds the 5MB limit. Please reduce the file size and try again.” or “Unsupported file type. Please upload a PDF or JPG.”
Oh, and Generic Placeholders
Placeholder text like “Enter text here” or “Example” feels like a missed opportunity to me. It makes a field feel bland and uninviting. While it might tell you what kind of input is expected, it rarely helps the user effectively.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It’s just a wasted chance to proactively guide the user, clarify what they should be putting in, or offer helpful context.
- What I suggest for a fix: Use placeholders to give a concrete example of the expected format or type of information.
- Instead of: “Email address” (with placeholder: example@example.com)
- Try: “Email address” (with placeholder: jane.doe@example.com)
- Instead of: “Phone Number” (with placeholder: 123-456-7890)
- Try: “Phone Number” (with placeholder: (555) 123-4567) or (Placeholder: +1 555 123 4567) – adapt to local formats, you know?
- Instead of: “Search” (with placeholder: type keywords)
- Try: “Search for products, brands, or recipes” (with placeholder: “organic coffee beans”)
The “Jargon Jungle”: When Our Language Excludes
Every industry has its own language, right? But digital products are for everyone. Using super specialized terms, techy acronyms, or internal lingo just makes users who aren’t in your specific world feel completely lost.
Big One: Overly Technical or Industry-Specific Jargon
Developers and product managers, they speak one language. Your users? Often, they speak a totally different one. Terms like “asynchronous,” “latency,” “middleware,” “API,” or even “CRM” can totally baffle someone who isn’t familiar with them.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It slams an immediate barrier up, making users feel stupid or way out of their league. They might completely misunderstand instructions or just give up.
- What I suggest for a fix: Translate technical terms into plain, everyday language. If you absolutely have to use a technical term, make sure to explain it clearly and briefly, maybe with a tooltip.
- Instead of: “High latency detected. Please check your network connectivity.”
- Try: “Your internet connection is slow. Please check your Wi-Fi or data connection.”
- Instead of: “Submit your HTTP POST request to activate the OAuth flow.”
- Try: “To connect your account, please authorize access through the next screen.”
- Instead of: “Configure your DNS records.”
- Try: “To link your domain, you’ll need to update your domain’s settings with your domain provider.”
Also, Internal or Company-Specific Acronyms and Abbreviations
Your team might casually throw around “SLA,” “KPI,” “MVP,” or “FOB,” but your users probably have no clue. These are shortcuts for you, not for your audience.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It’s like listening to a secret code. Users feel like outsiders, and it lessens their feeling of control and understanding.
- What I suggest for a fix: Spell out acronyms the first time you use them, or even better, just avoid them altogether unless they’re super common like “FAQ” or “URL.”
- Instead of: “Your SLA is now active.”
- Try: “Your Service Level Agreement is now active.” or “Your guaranteed service plan is now active.”
- Instead of: “View your Q1 KPIs.”
- Try: “View your first quarter performance metrics.”
- Instead of: “Updates to the CRM are live.”
- Try: “Updates to the customer management system are live.”
The “Peril of the Overly Talkative Interface”: When Less Is More
For me, conciseness is the sign of really good UX writing. Every single word should earn its spot. Long, bloated sentences, redundant information, or overly flowery language just wastes user time and dilutes your message.
Watch Out For: Redundant Information and Unnecessary Words
Users don’t read every single word; they scan. If you repeat yourself or use super wordy phrases, you’re forcing users to dig through unnecessary text to find the main point.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It adds to their mental load and takes longer to read. Users might even miss critical info because it’s buried in fluff.
- What I suggest for a fix: Be absolutely ruthless with your editing. Cut out all those unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, and opening phrases. Get straight to the point.
- Instead of: “Please be advised that your order has now successfully been placed.”
- Try: “Order placed successfully!” or “Your order is confirmed.”
- Instead of: “It is necessary for you to input your credit card details into the field below.”
- Try: “Enter your credit card details below.”
- Instead of: “In order to proceed, you will need to click on the button that says ‘Continue’ located at the bottom of the page.”
- Try: “Click ‘Continue’ to proceed.”
And Also: Overly Flowery or “Marketing Speak” Language
While having a brand voice is important, UX writing, to me, is about clarity and usefulness, not persuasion. Hyperbolic language, buzzwords, or sales pitches in places where users are just trying to get things done feel totally out of place.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It comes across as disingenuous, distracting, or even a bit condescending when a user just needs straightforward information. It can actually hide the real meaning.
- What I suggest for a fix: Stick to plain, factual language. Let your product’s value speak for itself.
- Instead of: “Embark on an unparalleled journey of digital discovery with our revolutionary new dashboard.”
- Try: “Your new dashboard is here. See your latest activity at a glance.”
- Instead of: “Unleash your creative genius with our cutting-edge image manipulation module.”
- Try: “Edit your images with our new tools.”
- Instead of: “Experience seamless synergy as your data effortlessly propagates through our robust real-time analytics engine.”
- Try: “Your data is updated in real-time. View your latest analytics.”
The “Tone-Deaf Interface”: When Voice and Persona Clash
The voice and tone of your UX copy massively shape how users see your brand. A tone that’s mismatched or inconsistent can just lead to confusion, distrust, or even offense.
A Big One: Inconsistent Tone or Voice
One minute your product is super formal, the next it’s ridiculously casual. This jarring back-and-forth makes your brand feel disjointed and unprofessional.
- Why I think it frustrates people: Users struggle to form a consistent picture of your brand in their heads. It feels erratic and can really damage trust.
- What I suggest for a fix: Define your brand’s voice guidelines and make sure they’re applied consistently everywhere. Decide if you’re friendly, authoritative, playful, serious, etc., and then stick to it!
- Example (let’s say a professional, but friendly tone):
- Login: “Welcome Back!” (Friendly)
- Error: “Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again.” (Apologetic, helpful)
- Confirmation: “Your changes have been saved.” (Clear, direct)
- Contrast (Inconsistent, the bad example): “Hey there, bud! Loggin’ in?” (Super casual login) combined with “Fatal System Exception: Unable to Process Request.” (Super technical, formal error). See how weird that is?
- Example (let’s say a professional, but friendly tone):
Also: Overly Casual or Conversational Tone in Serious Contexts
Humor and casual language definitely have their place, but it’s not when users are doing something important or running into problems. A super casual tone during, say, a payment process or an error message can feel flippant or insensitive.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It makes serious actions or issues seem trivial, making users feel dismissed or not taken seriously. It can also make your product seem less reliable.
- What I suggest for a fix: Match your tone to the situation. Be empathetic and professional when the moment calls for it.
- Instead of (during a payment failure): “Oopsie! Your card decided to play hard to get. Try again?”
- Try: “Payment failed. Please check your card details and try again, or use a different payment method.”
- Instead of (after a big data loss): “Whoops! Looks like some files went bye-bye. Our bad!”
- Try: “An error occurred, and some of your recent changes could not be saved. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please refresh and try again.”
And: Using Jargon-Filled or Impersonal Language for User Support
When a user needs help, they want clarity and empathy, not tech-speak or passive voice. Messages like “Your query has been routed to the relevant department” just feel cold and unhelpful.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It makes it seem like you don’t care, or there’s no human connection. Users feel like a ticket number, not a person with a problem.
- What I suggest for a fix: Use active voice and personal pronouns (“we,” “you”). Be empathetic and reassuring.
- Instead of: “Your request has been received and will be processed accordingly.”
- Try: “We’ve received your request and will get back to you within 24 hours.”
- Instead of: “Issues must be reported via the designated portal.”
- Try: “If you’re having trouble, please report the issue through our help center.”
The “Invisible Obstacle”: When Context Is Missing
Without enough context, even really clear instructions can get confusing. Users need to know why they’re doing something, what a field is for, or what’s going to happen next.
A Big One: Missing Context for Actions or Inputs
Just labeling a field “Name” often isn’t enough. Is it first name, last name, full name, company name? And why are you even asking for it? Similarly, a button that just says “Save” can be vague if you’re not clear on what’s being saved.
- Why I think it frustrates people: Users stop, guess, or even put in wrong information. They might feel unsure about what their actions mean.
- What I suggest for a fix: Give just enough context to make things clear, maybe with a little bit of microcopy right next to the field or button.
- Instead of: “Name:”
- Try: “Full Name (as it appears on your ID):”, or separate fields for “First Name” and “Last Name.”
- Instead of: “Address:”
- Try: “Shipping Address:”, “Billing Address:”, “Service Address:”
- Instead of: “Create Account” (where password rules aren’t clear)
- Try: “Create Account” (with inline help: “Password must be at least 8 characters with a number and a symbol.”)
Another Point: Unclear Consequences or Next Steps
Users need to have a mental map of what’s happening. If they click a button or fill out a form, they need to know what’s coming next. “Proceed” can actually cause anxiety if they don’t know where they’re going.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It creates anxiety and uncertainty. Users might be scared of making a mistake or getting stuck in a flow they don’t want.
- What I suggest for a fix: Clearly state what an action will do or where a button will take them.
- Instead of: “Continue” (after reviewing a complex summary)
- Try: “Continue to Payment,” “Confirm Order and Pay”
- Instead of: “Delete” (without confirming)
- Try: “Delete [Item Name]” (followed by a confirmation: “Are you sure you want to permanently delete this item? This action cannot be undone.”)
- Instead of: “Submit” (on a long form)
- Try: “Submit Application for Review,” “Submit Feedback & Close”
The “Overwhelmed User”: When Cognitive Load Explodes
Cognitive load is basically how much mental effort it takes to use your product. Too much text, dense paragraphs, or a flood of information all contribute to just overwhelming the user.
A Big Offender: Walls of Text and Dense Paragraphs
Even though this article is long, I’ve tried to make it scannable. But on an interface, big blocks of text are just intimidating and rarely get read.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It looks heavy and feels mentally draining. Users will just skim, miss important stuff, or give up reading altogether.
- What I suggest for a fix: Break information down into tiny, digestible pieces. Use bullet points, numbered lists, headings, and lots of white space. Prioritize your info, putting the most important details first.
- Instead of: “It is imperative that you fully understand the terms and conditions outlined herein. By proceeding with this transaction, you are acknowledging that you have read, comprehended, and agreed to all stipulations presented, including but not limited to, refund policies, data privacy protocols, and service discontinuation clauses, all of which are subject to periodic review and amendment by our organization’s legal and compliance departments…”
- Try:
- Terms and Conditions:
- By proceeding, you agree to our:
- Refund policy
- Data privacy policy
- Service discontinuation terms
- (Link to full terms for detailed review)
And: Over-explaining Obvious Actions
Sometimes, users just get it. If your UI uses standard conventions, you don’t need to walk people through every single step like they’ve never seen a computer before. Telling someone to “Click the ‘X’ to close this window” is almost always unnecessary.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It wastes their time, feels condescending, and just clutters up the interface with useless information.
- What I suggest for a fix: Trust that users know common UI patterns. Just explain novel interactions or really critical processes.
- Instead of: “To input text into this field, simply click on it with your mouse and begin typing.”
- Try: (No explanatory text needed for standard text input fields.)
- Instead of: “To navigate back to the previous page, please locate and click the ‘Back’ button in your browser’s toolbar.”
- Try: (No explanation needed; users understand standard browser navigation.)
The “User-Hostile Design”: When Copy Puts the Product First
Good UX writing is all about the user. Bad UX writing puts system needs, legal stuff, or internal processes before what the user is trying to accomplish.
A Big One: Putting System Status Before User Needs
Messages that just focus on what the system is doing (“Processing request…”) without really acknowledging what the user did, or their progress, can feel very detached.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It doesn’t tell the user what they did, or what’s happening to their thing. It makes it about the machine, not the person.
- What I suggest for a fix: Frame system messages in terms of what the user is doing or what object they are working with.
- Instead of: “Processing purchase…”
- Try: “Processing your order…” or “We’re completing your purchase…”
- Instead of: “System preparing files for download.”
- Try: “Your files are ready to download.” or “Preparing your download…”
Another Issue: Forcing Legal or Corporate Language into the User Flow
While legal disclaimers and terms are necessary in many cases, shoving them into the main user flow in their raw, legalistic form is a recipe for frustration.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It breaks the flow, it’s hard to understand, and it’s often full of jargon that has nothing to do with what they’re trying to do right now.
- What I suggest for a fix: Summarize the key points in plain language within the flow, and then link to the full legal text for those who want to read it.
- Instead of: “By clicking ‘Accept,’ you hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its affiliates…” (as a banner)
- Try: “By accepting, you agree to our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Learn more (link).” Or just, a checkbox: “I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.” (with links).
- Instead of: “This offer is subject to standard force majeure clauses as outlined in Section 4.b of our corporate policy manual.”
- Try: “This offer may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.”
And: Passive Voice in Instructions or Error Messages
Passive voice (“The account was deleted”) avoids taking responsibility and can sound evasive. Active voice (“You deleted the account” or “We deleted the account”) is just clearer and more direct.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It creates ambiguity and can feel impersonal or like you’re trying to shift blame. Users might not understand who is doing the action.
- What I suggest for a fix: Use active voice whenever you can, especially in instructions, confirmations, and error messages.
- Instead of: “Your password has been reset.” (Who reset it?)
- Try: “You have reset your password.” or “We have reset your password.”
- Instead of: “An update is being installed.”
- Try: “Installing update…” or “We’re installing an update.”
- Instead of: “The file was uploaded successfully.”
- Try: “File uploaded successfully.” or “You uploaded the file successfully.”
The “Unforgiving Interface”: When Mistakes Are Punished
Users will make mistakes. Good UX writing anticipates this and offers gentle, helpful guidance, instead of harsh, blaming messages.
Don’t Do This: Blaming the User in Error Messages
Messages like “You entered an invalid password” or “Incorrect input” implicitly blame the user. That just creates a negative emotional response.
- Why I think it frustrates people: It feels accusatory and can make users feel frustrated or even stupid. It totally damages the psychological safety of the interaction.
- What I suggest for a fix: Focus on the problem, not the user. Lead with the solution, not the blame. Soften your tone.
- Instead of: “You entered an incorrect password.”
- Try: “Incorrect password. Please try again.” or “That password doesn’t match our records.”
- Instead of: “Invalid username.”
- Try: “Username not found. Please check your spelling.”
- Instead of: “File type not allowed.”
- Try: “Unsupported file type. Please upload a PDF or JPG.”
Crucial Point: Not Offering a Clear Path Forward After an Error
An error message that just tells you there’s a problem without suggesting how to fix it or what to do next? That’s profoundly frustrating. It’s a dead end.
- Why I think it frustrates people: Users are left with no way forward, forcing them to guess, restart, or just give up entirely.
- What I suggest for a fix: Always provide actionable advice: tell them what to do next, how to fix the issue, or where to find help.
- Instead of: “Connection Lost.”
- Try: “Connection lost. Please check your internet connection and try again.” or “Connection lost. We’ll automatically try to reconnect in 5 seconds.”
Instead of: “Access Denied.” - Try: “Access denied. You don’t have permission to view this page. Contact your administrator if you believe this is an error.”
- Instead of: “Transaction Timeout.”
- Try: “Transaction timed out. Please try again, or contact support if the issue persists.”
Let’s Wrap This Up: The Unseen Architect of Experience
Every single word, sentence, and phrase in your digital product either adds to or takes away from the user experience. UX writing isn’t something you just slap on at the end; it’s the unseen architect of clarity, confidence, and connection. By really digging in and avoiding vagueness, ditching jargon, being super concise, keeping a consistent and appropriate tone, giving all the necessary context, managing how much users have to think, and always, always putting the user first, you can turn potential frustrations into moments of seamless interaction.
For me, good UX writing is like a perfectly designed path: you barely notice it, but it just intuitively guides you exactly where you need to go. It builds trust, it gets people engaged, and ultimately, it decides whether your users come back, tell their friends, and truly fall in love with your product. So, let’s empower our users with words that don’t just tell them what to do, but actually build confidence and clarity, making every digital interaction a truly satisfying journey.