Stop 10 · UX Writing & Content DesignTopics · 2/7

Microcopy & Button Labels

In short

The word on a button decides whether people tap it with confidence or hesitate. Tiny text like 'Save changes' vs 'OK' does more work than most big headlines.

The small but high-impact text throughout an interface — button labels, tooltips, placeholder text — where specific, action-oriented wording ('Save Changes' vs 'Submit') meaningfully improves clarity.

Think of it like this

Labels on doors in an office

'Push' and 'Pull' on a glass door save you from walking into it. 'Room 204' beats a blank door. Nobody admires these labels, but life without them is awkward. Microcopy is the push and pull of your app.

Watch it happen

Vague labels vs specific labels

Vague

'OK' and 'Cancel' on a delete dialog
'Submit' on every form
Placeholder used as the only label

Specific

'Delete 3 photos' and 'Keep photos'
'Book table for 4'
Visible label above every field

A good button label tells people exactly what will happen when they tap it, even if they skipped everything else on the screen.

The big ideas

What you need to know

Verb plus object

'Download invoice', 'Add address'. People know the action and what it applies to.

Labels, not placeholders

Placeholder text disappears when you type. Keep a visible label so people remember what the field was for.

Helper text prevents errors

'We'll send an OTP to this number' under a phone field answers a worry before it starts.

Same word, same meaning

If it's 'Cart' on one screen, don't call it 'Bag' on the next.

Save yourself the pain

Common mistakes

Oops

Using 'Yes' and 'No' on a dialog asking 'Don't you want to cancel?'

Do this instead

Avoid double negatives. Ask 'Cancel your order?' with buttons 'Cancel order' and 'Keep order'.

Oops

Writing 'Click here' links.

Do this instead

Make the link text describe the destination, like 'See delivery charges'.

Your mission

Fix five buttons

~15 min

Quick check

A dialog asks 'Remove this item from your cart?'. Which button pair is clearest?

Go deeper

1Audit an app's button labels for vague wording ('Submit', 'OK') and rewrite them to be specific.
2Practice writing a helpful placeholder text for a form field, not just repeating the label.
3Learn why specific button labels reduce hesitation and errors at decision points.