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  • 🚀Get Started
    • What is JourneyApps Platform?
    • Tutorial: Build your First App
      • 1. Introduction
      • 2. Create a new App
      • 3. OXIDE IDE Overview
      • 4. Hello World app
      • 5. The Data Model
      • 6. View Components
      • 7. Queries and Data Sync
      • 8. Simple Navigation
      • 9. View Stack
      • 10. Input Validation
      • 11. View Parameters
      • 12. Data Manipulation
      • 13. Responsive Apps
      • 14. Styling
      • 15. Lists
      • 16. GPS Capturing
      • 17. Relationships
      • 18. Multiple User Roles
      • 19. Deployment and Users
      • 20. Version Control
      • 21. CSV and APIs
      • 22. Conclusion
    • JourneyApps Platform Fundamentals
      • Creating a New App
        • Git-enabled Apps
      • What are Views?
      • What is the Data Model?
      • JourneyApps Syntax Basics
      • Access the Database (DB)
        • Manipulate DB Objects
        • Query DB Objects
      • View Navigation
        • Deep Linking
      • CloudCode Overview
      • OXIDE (Online IDE)
  • 💻Build your App
    • JourneyApps Syntax
      • Syntax Basics
      • Access the DB
      • View Navigation
      • Async & Await
      • TypeScript Apps (Beta)
        • runtime-build package
        • TypeScript App Troubleshooting
      • What's New in V4
        • Updating to the V4 API
    • Configure your Data Model
      • What is the data model?
      • Reference: model
        • field
        • belongs-to
        • has-many
        • index
      • Data Rules
        • Data Buckets
        • Sync Rules - Limit data synced to devices
        • Data ACLs - Limit access to data
        • Real-world example for Data Rules
        • ❔FAQs
        • Migrate to Data Rules
      • App Indexes
      • Webhooks
    • UI Components
      • All UI Components
        • actionSheet
        • Attachments
        • button
        • button-group
        • capture-coordinates
          • marker
          • marker-query
        • capture-file
        • capture-photo
        • capture-signature
        • card
          • accent
          • action
        • columns
          • column
        • component
        • context-menu
          • divider
          • item
        • CSV
        • date-input
        • datetime-input
        • dialog
          • body
        • display-3d-model
          • 📖display-3d-model Guides
            • Guide 1: Initialize and layout a 3D model in a view
            • Guide 2: Control playback position
            • Guide 3: Troubleshooting controls
        • display-coordinates
        • display-file
        • display-image
        • display-photo
        • display-signature
        • heading
        • html
          • HTML Advanced Topics
          • ❔HTML FAQs
          • 📖Guide: HTML & JourneyApps iFrame Client
        • icons
        • info
        • info-table
          • row
        • journey.photos (capture multiple photos)
        • JourneyPrinter (print PDFs)
        • grid
          • cell
          • 📖grid Examples
        • list
          • list-item
            • accent
            • asset
            • pills
              • pill
            • action
        • multiple-choice-checklist
        • navigation (Navigation drawer)
          • general-section
            • item
          • section
            • item
              • item
          • ❔navigation FAQs
        • notification
        • object-dropdown
        • object-list
          • action
        • object-repeat
        • object-table
          • action
          • column
            • action
            • edit-boolean
            • edit-date
            • edit-datetime
            • edit-integer
            • edit-number
            • edit-select
            • edit-text
            • edit-time
            • edit-typeahead
              • action
            • header-action
          • column-group
          • empty-action
          • 📖object-table Guides
            • Actions
            • Cell callouts
            • Column groups
            • Columns
            • Controlled object-table
            • Controls
            • Copy & paste data
            • Edit cells
            • Filters
            • Frozen columns
            • Fullscreen object-table
            • Mode
            • State
            • Styles
        • optionList
        • PhotonSync (transfer data offline)
        • power-bi
          • 📖Guide: PowerBI Embedding
        • scan-barcode
        • shortcut
        • sidebar
        • single-choice-dropdown
        • single-choice-radio
        • template
        • text-input
        • time-input
        • toggle
        • view
      • JS/TS Events
      • Show / Hide UI Components
      • View Templates
      • XML Fields (Attributes)
        • align-content
        • align-controls
        • align-label
        • bind
        • clear-button-visibility
        • control-order
        • disabled
        • error-message
        • icon-position
        • id
        • hide-if
        • modifier-text
        • label
        • label-case
        • label-color
        • on-change
        • on-press
        • placeholder
        • required
        • show-if
    • JS / TS APIs
      • Attachment
      • Bluetooth (Beta)
      • Broadcast
      • component
      • CSV
      • DB
      • HardwareBarcode
      • journey
        • journey.config
        • journey.container
        • journey.device
        • journey.diagnostics
        • journey.dialog
        • journey.files
        • journey.hardware
        • journey.photos
        • journey.runtime
        • journey.sensors
        • journey.viewStack
      • JourneyPrinter
      • KeyboardBarcode
      • LocalDB
      • NFC
      • OnlineDB
      • PhotonSync
      • SerialPort
      • ShortcutManager
      • TCPSocket
      • user
    • Extend your App with Custom Code
      • App packages
        • App packages overview
        • PDF report package
        • TypeScript library & unit tests
        • Manage External Dependencies
      • Custom HTML
    • Style & Customize your App
      • Style & configure UI components
        • Overview
        • Understand extendable themes
        • Use themes on a view
        • Theme specific components on a view
        • Examples
        • Debugging
        • ❔FAQs
      • Change your App Font
      • Custom Branding
        • Custom Container Features
        • Special Requirements for iOS Containers
    • Integrate your App
      • Backend integrations with CloudCode
      • Barcode Scanning
        • Barcode Scanning using Keyboard Emulation
        • Hardware Barcode Scanning
        • scan-barcode
      • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
      • Broadcast API
      • HTTP requests (Fetch API)
      • JourneyApps Print (Android)
      • Maps and navigation
      • NFC
      • Opening external links/apps
      • Serial Port
      • TCP Sockets
    • Design Intuitive Apps
      • UX Guidelines
      • Write Effective Copy
  • 📱App Features
    • RealWear® Voice Control
      • Automatic Voice Commands
        • Automatic Voice Commands - Advanced
      • Manual Voice Commands
    • App, Runtime and Container Updates
    • Batch Operations (App)
    • Call JS/TS Functions from XML
    • Capture GPS Locations
    • Push Notifications
    • Translations
    • XML Format Strings
    • Webhooks (External)
  • 🌐CloudCode
    • CloudCode Overview
    • Trigger a CloudCode Task
      • Trigger CC with a Schedule
      • Trigger CC via a Webhook
      • Trigger CC from an App
      • Trigger CC from Another Task
      • Trigger CC via HTTP
    • Attachments in CloudCode
    • Timezones
    • Advanced CloudCode Topics
      • Access Multiple DBs in CloudCode Tasks
      • Batch API (CloudCode)
      • CloudCode Dependencies
      • Configure HTTPS in CloudCode
      • Deployment environment variables
      • Local CloudCode Development
      • PDF Reports using CloudCode
      • Shared CloudCode Tasks
      • Translations in CloudCode
  • 📥Backend API
    • Introduction
    • API Reference
      • Retrieve All Objects
      • Query Objects
      • Sort Results
      • Limit and Skip
      • Count Objects
      • Create a New Object
      • Retrieve a Single Object
      • Update a Single Object
      • Delete a Single Object
      • Batch Operations (v4 API)
      • Oplog API
      • Retrieve the App Data Model
      • Manage App Users and Sessions
      • Field Representation
      • Error Responses
    • API Limits
    • Update to the V4 API
  • ⚙️Technical
    • Data Synchronization Priority
    • Device Diagnostics
    • JSON1 Query Engine
    • Improve App Performance
    • Security Measures
    • Supported Platforms
      • Web Container
      • Windows Installer
    • Domain Whitelist
  • 🖥️OXIDE
    • Get started with OXIDE
      • OXIDE Overview
      • Components of OXIDE
    • Configure Testing Deployments
    • Edit and Manage Files
      • How to Navigate to a Function
      • Manage External Dependencies
    • Create and Manage App Containers
    • Debugging & Troubleshooting
      • Common Troubleshooting Pointers
      • App Diagnostics Reports
      • Build Logs
    • OXIDE Workspaces
      • OXIDE Trees
  • ❕Deprecated Features
    • Deprecated Features and Components
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On this page
  • Writing for Alerts and Dialogs
  • Writing Error Messages
  • Writing Empty States
  1. Build your App
  2. Design Intuitive Apps

Write Effective Copy

PreviousUX GuidelinesNextRealWear® Voice Control

Last updated 2 years ago

When writing copy, it is important to determine the tone of voice of your app (how professional, or how friendly should it be?) and keep it consistent throughout. All your copy should be as succinct and clear as possible while giving the user all the information and context needed to understand what to do next.

Writing for Alerts and Dialogs

Apps can contain two types of alerts. These include either confirmations, which are usually dialogs with "confirm" and "cancel" type buttons requesting that the user confirm proceeding with an action or acknowledgments which do not always require an action and can take the form of a notification bar informing the user that something has happened or will happen in the background.

Confirmation Dialogs

Use these dialogs sparingly as they tend to interrupt the user. If they are used too often, users tend to stop reading dialogs and clicking any button to get rid of them. When writing the copy, summarize the action that needs to be confirmed in one sentence and accompany it with two buttons allowing the user to take action. Avoid using vague description button labels like "Are you sure?", "Yes" and "No". Instead, use clear language so the user has no doubt about what will happen next, for example: "Delete this user?" with "Cancel" and "Delete".

Acknowledgements

These notification bars should be used to remove uncertainty and notify the user when an action has been completed. These should be as short as possible, since the notification bar disappears after a few seconds, but they should still be informative and useful. They can contain text like "Report sent". They can also contain an action, provided that it is not a critical action to take. The user should be able to ignore the notification and move on if need be.

When in doubt, use confirmation dialogs when it is absolutely necessary to stop the user and ask them to confirm or cancel an action. Furthermore, if you have a dialog popping up with only one button on it, limiting the user to one action only, consider that a notification bar may do the same job in a less jarring way.

Writing Error Messages

Error messages should be informative, helpful and friendly. Always word error messages in a way that does not make the user feel blamed or stupid. Furthermore, error messages should be as descriptive as possible so that the user knows how to fix the problem - avoid vague messages like "Something went wrong" or, worse, "Error".

Writing Empty States

When specifying your own empty-message on your components, keep in mind that empty states should have a positive tone and add clarity. It's not your user's fault that there are no items yet - so avoid saying things like "No items found", as this makes it sound like there is an error or like your user has done something wrong. Where relevant, empty state messages could include an explanation on how the list or table could be filled so that the user has a better idea of the purpose of the empty component, as well as what to do next.

Read more about confirmation and acknowledgments .

It is also helpful to include an instruction or explanation so that the user knows what to do next. has more helpful tips on writing good error messages.

More guidelines on writing copy can be found in .

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