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Content

Before you ship

A practical checklist for writing and content design. Work through it before handing off or publishing.

0

of 19 checked

Clarity

Every sentence is as short as it can be without losing meaning
No jargon is used that a first-time user would not understand
The purpose of every page or screen is clear within the first two seconds
Active voice is used throughout — passive voice has been removed

Structure

Headings are descriptive and make sense read in sequence without surrounding content
Paragraphs contain one idea each
The most important information appears first on every page and section
Lists are used for three or more parallel items — not nested prose

Microcopy

Every button label starts with a verb and is specific about what will happen
Empty states explain what should be there and how to add it
Error messages explain what went wrong and what the user should do next
Placeholder text is not used as a label replacement

Voice and Trust

The tone is consistent throughout — no sudden shifts in formality or personality
No blame language is used in errors or warnings ("you entered an invalid…")
Privacy notices and legal text have a plain-language summary
Trust signals are present at decision points (security badges, social proof, guarantees)

SEO and Metadata

Every page has a unique, descriptive title under 60 characters
Meta descriptions accurately reflect page content and are under 160 characters
Every image has descriptive alt text

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