UX Writing vs. Copywriting: 5 Things You Didn't Know

Writing is writing… right? So what’s “UX writing”? If that pair of words has you scratching your head, fear not. In some ways, UX writing (aka content design) is the new kid on the (writing) block, the result of the digital revolution that has us all using apps, websites, and platforms all day, every day.

You can think of UX (user experience, that is) writing as the road signs that guide users through a digital product, like an app, and play a big role in the user experience.

Like copywriting and content writing, it requires good writing skills, including the ability to be clear and concise. But that’s just about where the similarities end.

Let’s unpack some of the differences between UX writing and copywriting:

1. Telling vs. Selling

Remember the first time you signed up for an email account, like Gmail, and found out that you couldn’t just use [first name]@gmail.com? The site told you that it was already taken and pointed you in the direction of other similar options. These little bits of text helped you understand how to move forward, even without any previous experience with Gmail (or another provider). That’s UX writing in a nutshell.

UX writing is all about telling you what you can/can’t do, what you should expect, and what you should do next—it’s the text within the product’s interface that helps you understand how to use the product better and more successfully. Copywriting, on the other hand, focuses on getting users to take a specific action, typically as part of a marketing funnel whose ultimate goal is making a sale.

2. Must work with a team vs. May work with a team

Since UX writing focuses on guiding readers (users) in using a digital product, UX writers can’t work alone—they have to understand how the product works, what it looks like (design-wise), and what happens at each step in the flow. UX writers typically work closely with product managers and designers, and occasionally other team members, to make sure they’re creating an optimal user experience in terms of functionality, design, and copy.

Copywriters, on the other hand, often work alone. Armed with a brief, they can hunker down in their research-and-writing cave and not come up for air again until they have a first draft ready for their client or colleague.

3. Users vs. Prospects

All professional writers write with a target audience in mind. For UX writers, that audience is users—people who have already bought into the value of a product or who are curious enough to give it a spin before signing up/subscribing/upgrading, etc. Copywriters, in contrast, are typically speaking to people who are still in that “discovery” phase—that is, they either don’t yet know about the product or service or they have some awareness but haven’t been totally convinced yet. In fact, copywriters aim to help convert those people (prospects) into the people who will end up encountering and interacting with the UX writers’ work (as users).

4. Technical writing vs. Creative writing

There can be a lot of creativity in UX writing, but it’s not typically the main goal. UX writing seeks, first and foremost, to communicate actions and scenarios to users in a clear, straightforward way. Creativity may come into play as part of the voice and tone, but it’s not a must and won’t be a fit for every brand. At its core, UX writing is technical, practical, and functional. A great user experience can only happen when the guidelines don’t beat around the bush. On the other hand, copywriters are more likely to try to stir up their audience’s imagination and emotions and prompt a reaction, often using more creative prose and techniques.

5. Conversational vs. Storytelling

Because digital products function much like a conversation (they’re meant to be interacted with, and responses are, for the most part, immediate), their language has to be conversational—that is, short, simple, and natural, rather than long, flowery sentences and complicated words or jargon. Copywriters, in contrast, often seek to tell a story, employing literary devices like metaphors and imagery, and trying to pique curiosity and spur intrigue. They’re less likely to be focused on the shortest path from point A to point B.

UX writing and copywriting both have a place in today’s writing ecosystem, and their differences open writers up to more variety, challenges, and opportunities to learn and carve out their own unique niche and place.

Think you have what it takes to become a UX writer and shape users’ experiences online? Join the waitlist for UX to Success!