# How to write phrases

## 👋 Introduction

Titles, buttons and placeholders are short strings of text that help the user navigate, take actions and enter information.

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## 1️⃣ Title copy

A title is often the first and ***only*** thing a user reads. It tells the user where they are in the journey or what action they might need to take. You can write different kinds of titles:

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FdAVFL086rNOopLdY3nBd%2Ftitle%201.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=066c9602-5da6-421d-b7b3-9fcbde915857" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Brand as title**—When you want to reinforce the brand image, use the brand name as the page title.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FOGCoNNs14Rr7Lux6LDXj%2Ftitle%202.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=4178620d-0c75-4027-acbf-9156f6e5dda9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Content as title**—When the screen is based on content like an FAQ or a blog post, use the title of the content.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FOdJC0UHRhqfcbYHIIyn6%2Ftitle%203.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=41efd6d3-5f88-402c-a905-aff0bd8b65e8" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Task as title**—When the user has to take an action, describe the task. Always use a verb phrase.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FPl8WFezmvlkQtjHGS9C8%2Ftitle%204.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=2dc0b415-b76e-41d4-9420-ca2f6c993b46" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Summarise actions**—When there are many actions for a user to take, the title should summarise all actions. These titles are often ambiguous. They can be a noun phrase or a verb phrase.

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## 2️⃣ Button copy

Buttons allows the user to commit to an action or navigate to elsewhere. It should be unambiguous.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2Fjshtc8kp8Pa8cEbH9Xp4%2Fbutton1.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=cf4e3c21-0be5-4dd0-b3e8-447e9c8755e2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Make it specific**—Use 1-3 words to describe the action.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FNBvj75piQK6EFYd55t8k%2Fbutton2.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=47966c86-5f25-484f-a2b8-d95fde256d50" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Make it simple**—Use words that users would say in a conversation. You can sit in on research calls with users, read support tickets by users to learn about the words users are most familiar with.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FR73CaS1WJBYPQ92WrEOi%2Fbutton3.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=06695ee1-d259-47bf-a135-e1ec58f4baf6" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Make it consistent**—When you’re using single task titles, use the same verb in the button and the title.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FJA99O7bbDLlgI283gFsT%2Fbutton4.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=2f1e14e8-5f35-496b-beca-8d1b050d3ce7" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Make it reassuring**—A click trigger is a short reminder next to the button. Think about what the user would be concerned about when taking this action and address it in the click trigger.

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## 3️⃣ Placeholder copy

Input fields appear when the user has to enter information or run a search. The placeholder text appears inside the input field and helps the user enter accurate information. You can write different kinds of placeholder text:

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2Fz9Nxlt6oqjnUIy26VBHs%2Fplaceholder1.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=3762baab-338f-44d4-8317-1b0b5d8ce66a" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Questions**—Ask your users a question to guide the entry. This works well for search and open-ended questions.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2F31lRNmxz8fL58XLJZWqx%2Fplaceholder2.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=4951c187-69b6-473c-aaff-b2031b47ff71" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Categories**—If the user can search for a range of things, define the categories to help the user.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2Fmq4gsuYdm26JcChX29cM%2Fplaceholder3.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=4260dab1-9d57-425e-a8ab-f2ab5b3745b8" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Examples**—An example or sample text can show your user the best way of using the field.

<figure><img src="https://1713760500-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5WvjZe1MeyuSKcswT743%2Fuploads%2FIuOlA0hZw4EV02oD9qpC%2Fplaceholder4.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=b91c0959-4644-45d3-8103-495b57b13a26" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> **Prompts**—For text fields where the answer is long and the user will have to think, a guiding sentence can give them a starting point.

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