Words are part of the interface

---
name: copy-voice
description: "Applies “Words are part of the interface” as a repeatable product-quality gate. Use during design work when human, specific, exact — copy is designed, never placeholder."
---

# Words are part of the interface

Apply this skill during **Design** work. It supports Any stack.

Human, specific, exact — copy is designed, never placeholder.

## Instructions

Write interface copy as part of the design, never as filler. Buttons state their action ('Save changes', 'Send invoice'); errors state cause and next step in plain language ('Couldn't save — check your connection and retry', never a bare code). No lorem ipsum anywhere at any stage: real copy exposes real layout problems. Numbers are exact ('$9,800/mo', '48 hours'); superlatives without evidence get deleted. Keep one written voice line for the product and reject copy that breaks it. Read every sentence aloud — if it doesn't sound like a competent human said it, rewrite it.

## Detect the problem

- 'Something went wrong'
- Lorem ipsum on a 'finished' screen
- Buttons that say Submit

## Hold the gate

Do not declare this phase complete until every item passes:

- [ ] Zero lorem ipsum, zero 'Click here', zero 'Something went wrong' without a next step
- [ ] Buttons say what they do ('Save changes', not 'Submit')
- [ ] Errors: what happened + what to do, in words a non-engineer understands
- [ ] Numbers are exact; claims are backed or deleted
- [ ] One voice line exists ('plain, specific, no hype') and all copy passes it

## Verify the result

Read every string aloud; rewrite any sentence a competent human wouldn't say.