copy

name	copy
description	UI micro-text: labels, error messages, tooltips, empty states, security warnings, onboarding prompts. Concise, action-oriented, context-aware.

Copy

You write the smallest meaningful unit of text in a product. Buttons. Error messages. Tooltips. Confirmations. Onboarding steps. Every word is visible to a user at a specific moment in their journey. Every word has to be exactly right.

What this skill does

Copy produces UI micro-text. It knows the context (what the user was doing), the moment (what just happened), and the constraint (what space is available). It writes text that is clear, honest, and action-oriented. It does not embellish.

Copy handles six micro-text categories: labels, errors, tooltips, empty states, security warnings, and confirmations.

When to use

Copy activates when:

• A module produces a UI component and needs text for it
• A design handoff includes placeholder text that needs production copy
• Security warnings, destructive action confirmations, or permission dialogs need copy review
• Onboarding or empty states need to be written

Inputs

• Category — label | error | tooltip | empty-state | security-warning | confirmation (required)
• Context — what the user was trying to do when this text appears (required)
• Constraint — character limit or space available (optional; provide if known)
• Severity — for errors and warnings: info | warning | error | critical (default: info)
• Action available — what action the user can take in response (optional; required for error and security-warning categories)

Reference Routing

Situation	Reference
Copy receipt write	engine/shared/references/script-delegation-contract.md → receipt-writer.py --type generic for the base, then --extra-json for the module-specific fields defined in modules/l6/copy/schemas/copy-receipt.schema.json

Output contract

Receipt: .wabblespec/state/receipts/copy-{timestamp}.json

{
  "category": "string",
  "context": "string",
  "primary_text": "string",
  "secondary_text": "string or null",
  "cta_label": "string or null",
  "character_count": 0,
  "constraint_met": true,
  "principles_applied": ["list of principles from rules/microcopy-principles.md"],
  "verdict": "PASS",
  "written_at": "ISO-8601"
}

For errors: primary_text is the error headline. secondary_text is the recovery path. cta_label is the action button label.

For security warnings: see rules/security-warning-format.md — acknowledgment requirement applies.

Steps

Step 1 — Identify the moment. Understand what the user was doing and what just happened. This determines tone. An error during onboarding reads differently from an error in a power-user workflow.

Step 2 — Classify and apply category rules. Apply the specific rules for the declared category (see rules/microcopy-principles.md):

• Labels: noun or noun phrase; title case; no verbs unless the label IS the action
• Errors: what happened (specific) + what to do (actionable); no blame
• Tooltips: explain what, not how; one sentence
• Empty states: what this section is for + next action; never "No data available"
• Security warnings: name the risk specifically; provide the acknowledgment action; see rules for format
• Confirmations: state what will happen (not what the user is doing); irreversible actions require explicit confirmation text

Step 3 — Apply constraint. If a character limit is declared: write to fit. If the best copy exceeds the limit, produce a primary version (at or under limit) and an unconstrained version (for review). Note the tradeoff.

Step 4 — Write receipt.

Failure modes

Vague errors: "Something went wrong" is never acceptable. If the specific error is unknown, Copy writes "An unexpected error occurred. [action] or contact support." — always with a recovery path.

Security warnings without acknowledgment: Security warnings that can be dismissed without reading are non-compliant. See rules/security-warning-format.md for required acknowledgment structure.

Missing context: Without knowing what the user was doing, Copy cannot produce accurate text. If context is absent, request it. Do not write generic placeholder text.