Building the Product

How do I write clear button and error messages so users know exactly what to do next?

A starting point

Microcopy is design. A button should say the outcome ("Send invoice") not the mechanism ("Submit"), and an error should tell the user what went wrong and how to fix it, never just "Something went wrong." As a starting point, read every label out loud and ask whether a first-time user would know what happens when they tap it.

Go deeper

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 3 link-checked Read Use

Read

📖 Book

✓ Link checked Paid Intermediate

Why we picked it This is the book most working UX writers point to when they need a system, not just tips, for the exact text on buttons, errors, labels, and confirmations. Chapter 4 walks through UX text patterns for each of these components, so it directly answers how to phrase a button so people know what will happen and how to turn a vague error into a next step. The 2nd edition is current (2025) and covers writing copy in a world of AI-generated UI text.

Strategic Writing for UX (2nd Edition)

From O'Reilly Media by Torrey Podmajersky

Treat every button and error as a pattern with a job to do, then write to that job (buttons name the action, errors name the fix), rather than reaching for generic words like Submit or OK.
Keep button labels tight (Podmajersky's guidance is roughly three words max) and use an action verb so the label reads as what happens next.
Anchor your voice and word choices to product principles so copy stays consistent across every screen, not written fresh and randomly each time.

Open oreilly.com →

📄 Article

✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it Nielsen Norman Group is the closest thing to a standard reference in usability, and this piece is a clean, specific checklist for turning a scary or vague error into something a user can actually act on. It groups the patterns into visibility, communication, and efficiency, with concrete phrasing rules like describe exactly what went wrong, offer a fix, and never blame the user. It is a good starting point you can hold your own error copy up against, not abstract theory.

Error-Message Guidelines

From Nielsen Norman Group by Tim Neusesser and Evan Sunwall (Nielsen Norman Group)

Say precisely what went wrong and what to do about it: a bare An error occurred leaves people stuck, so pair the problem with a next step.
Put the message right next to the field or element that caused it, in plain language, and never phrase it as the user's fault.
Preserve what the user already typed and anticipate common mistakes so they can correct one thing instead of starting over.

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Use

🛠️ Tool

✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it UX Writing Hub is a well known home for this craft, and this guide is a browsable reference of real product screenshots showing microcopy that works and microcopy that fails (Bumble, Slack, Spotify, YouTube, and more). Instead of telling you rules in the abstract, it lets you see good and bad button labels, notifications, and error copy from products you already use, so you can model your own by comparison. Use it as a swipe file when a Click here or a cryptic error is not landing.

Microcopy in a Nutshell: Past, Present and Future

From UX Writing Hub by Anja Wedberg (UX Writing Hub)

Real before and after style examples from shipping products make it easy to spot why one button or message reads clearly and another confuses.
Generic CTAs like Click here and developer style error strings are shown as anti-patterns, with clearer alternatives to copy.
It also covers inclusive language and localization, useful if your users span multiple languages or you are building outside the big startup hubs.

Open uxwritinghub.com →