5 exercises — Practice vocabulary for writing onboarding copy: empty state encouragement, tooltips without jargon, progress indicators, welcome messages, and verb-led CTAs.
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
A UX writer designs the empty state of a new dashboard. Their manager says: "Empty state copy should encourage the first action." What is an empty state and how does good copy work?
Empty states are moments of highest leverage in onboarding — the user is engaged, open to guidance, and a single piece of well-written copy can be the difference between a user who activates and one who churns.
The anatomy of a great empty state: (1) An illustrative graphic (optional, but supports the message); (2) A headline that explains what happens in this space ("Your saved items"); (3) A body line that motivates the first action ("Save anything you find interesting to access it later"); (4) A CTA button with a verb-led label ("Save your first item" or "Browse to get started"). What to avoid: generic messages like "No items found" (explains nothing), apologetic language ("Sorry, nothing here yet"), or empty states with no CTA (the user has nowhere to go). Duolingo, Notion, and Linear are often cited for exemplary empty state copy because they make empty states feel like invitations rather than dead ends.
Key vocabulary:
• empty state — a UI state shown when an area has no content yet; a key onboarding moment that should guide users toward their first action
• activation — the moment a new user first experiences the product's core value; the goal that empty state copy supports
• call to action (CTA) — a button or link that prompts the user to take a specific action; should be verb-led ("Create", "Add", "Start")
2 / 10
A UX writer adds a tooltip to a complex control in an onboarding flow. Their principle: "The tooltip explains the control without jargon." What makes a tooltip effective during onboarding?
Tooltips are contextual help — they appear exactly when the user needs them (hovering over something unfamiliar) and disappear when they don't. Good tooltip copy earns its brief screen time by delivering precisely the right information in plain language.
Tooltip writing guidelines: (1) Lead with the outcome — "Automatically re-run" tells the user the effect before the condition; (2) Match the user's vocabulary — use the language from their domain, not the implementation's terminology; (3) Be concise — if the explanation requires more than 2 sentences, consider a "Learn more" link to documentation rather than cramming it into the tooltip; (4) Avoid redefining the label — "Delete: Deletes the item" wastes the tooltip's opportunity; (5) Consider the user's context — a new user needs more basic explanation than an experienced user who is looking for edge-case information. Some products use progressive disclosure: a brief tooltip for new users that links to more detail for curious ones.
Key vocabulary:
• tooltip — a contextual help text triggered by hovering over or focusing a UI element
• contextual help — assistance delivered at the moment of need in the context where the user needs it
• progressive disclosure — revealing information progressively as users need it, rather than showing everything at once
3 / 10
A product designer adds a progress indicator showing "3 of 5 steps" to an onboarding flow. A UX writer asks what copy should accompany it. Which approach is most effective?
Progress indicators reduce abandonment by making the end visible — but they work best when each step has a clear purpose and the remaining steps feel achievable rather than burdensome.
The psychology of progress indicators: the "goal gradient effect" (Kivetz, Urminsky) shows people accelerate as they get closer to completion. "3 of 5 steps" is more motivating at step 4 than at step 1 — this is normal and expected. To combat early-flow abandonment: (1) make the first step easy and quick (give users early "wins"); (2) consider showing the step count prominently only from step 2 onward; (3) name the remaining steps so users can anticipate them ("Just billing details and you're done"). The most effective onboarding flows also show the value the user has already built up — "Your profile is 60% complete. Add your skills to appear in more searches." mixes progress with motivation.
Key vocabulary:
• progress indicator — a UI element showing how far through a multi-step flow the user is (e.g., "3 of 5 steps", a progress bar)
• goal gradient effect — the psychological tendency to accelerate effort as one gets closer to a goal
• onboarding step — a discrete task in a structured first-use flow that moves the user toward product activation
4 / 10
A new user signs up and sees a welcome message. A UX writer says: "The welcome message sets expectations." What should a welcome message communicate?
A welcome message is the user's first impression of the product's communication style and their first moment of orientation — it should answer "am I in the right place and what do I do first?" before the user has to ask.
Welcome message anatomy: (1) Address the user by name if known ("Welcome, Maria!") — personalisation increases engagement; (2) Confirm the value they've just gained — "You now have access to all [product] features"; (3) Orient them to what's next — "Start by connecting your first data source" or "Your 14-day trial starts now"; (4) Set timeline expectations if relevant — "It takes about 5 minutes to complete setup"; (5) Signal support availability — "If you need help, we're here at support@company.com." What to avoid: long feature lists (overwhelming), generic corporate-speak ("We're thrilled to have you"), or welcome messages with no call to action (the user reads it and then... does what?). Stripe and Notion are frequently cited for welcome messages that are brief, confident, and immediately action-oriented.
Key vocabulary:
• welcome message — the first communication a new user receives after signing up; sets expectations and directs the first action
• user orientation — helping a new user understand where they are, what the product does, and what to do first
• personalisation — adapting content (name, use case, role) to the specific user to increase relevance and engagement
5 / 10
A UX writer reviews all the CTAs in an onboarding flow and notes: "The call to action (CTA) is verb-led." Why is verb-led CTA copy important?
Verb-led CTAs reduce cognitive friction at the highest-stakes moments in an onboarding flow — when a user hesitates before clicking a button, the label is often the problem, not the feature.
CTA writing principles: (1) Start with a verb — "Create", "Add", "Start", "Connect", "Explore"; (2) Complete the sentence "I want to..." — if the button label completes this naturally ("I want to Create my project"), it's well-written; (3) Be specific — "Set up billing" is better than "Continue"; "Invite your team" is better than "Next step"; (4) Use first-person for high-commitment CTAs — "Start my free trial" feels more personal and positive than "Start free trial"; (5) Match the visual hierarchy — primary CTAs (the action you want) should be prominent, secondary CTAs (skip, cancel) should be de-emphasised visually. The classic UX writing reference on this is the Torrey Podmajersky book "Strategic Writing for UX," which uses the "voice-and-tone" + "verb-led" framework as the foundation of interface copy.
Key vocabulary:
• CTA (call to action) — a button or link that prompts a specific user action; the most important piece of copy in any onboarding step
• verb-led CTA — a button label that starts with an action verb ("Create", "Add", "Start") and clearly states what clicking will do
• cognitive friction — mental effort or hesitation caused by unclear, ambiguous, or unexpected interface copy
6 / 10
Liam (Senior Engineer) just submitted a code review comment on a new feature. He writes: 'This field should clearly state the expected data format.' As a UX writer focusing on onboarding copy, what does Liam's comment primarily highlight?
Liam's comment focuses on clarity—specifically, how users are expected to provide information. While documentation and architecture are important, this comment directly addresses the user experience aspect of data input instructions. The core problem is that the existing copy isn't sufficiently guiding the user to correctly format their data.
7 / 10
You're crafting a Slack message to announce a new onboarding flow update to your team. The message reads: 'We've streamlined the process – now it's faster and easier!' As a UX writer, what is the most critical element missing from this announcement that would be beneficial for developers?
While links and emojis are nice-to-haves, a Slack announcement needs to explain the *value* of the change. Developers will be more receptive if they understand why the update was made – e.g., reduced time to completion or improved efficiency. Simply stating it's 'faster' isn't enough to drive engagement.
8 / 10
A PR description for a new onboarding screen reads: 'This PR implements the user authentication flow.' As a UX writer, what's the primary issue with this description from a usability perspective?
The description focuses solely on the *implementation* of authentication, neglecting its purpose. Developers know authentication is necessary, but onboarding copy needs to clearly explain *why* a user is being asked for credentials and what they'll gain by completing the process – establishing trust and setting expectations.
9 / 10
During a standup meeting, your team lead asks: 'What's the status of the onboarding flow copy?' You respond: 'We're focusing on making it more verb-led.' What does 'verb-led' CTA copy mean in this context and why is it valuable for onboarding?
'Verb-led' CTA copy means using action verbs (e.g., 'Sign Up,' 'Start Now,' 'Continue') to directly tell the user what they need to do. This is crucial in onboarding because it removes ambiguity and provides clear direction – a key factor for first-time users navigating unfamiliar processes.
10 / 10
You're reviewing an API response from the user onboarding service. The response includes the following JSON: `{"status": "error", "message": "Invalid email format."}`. As a UX writer contributing to this flow, how should you translate this API message into copy for a user who receives it?
The API message is specific and technical. The UX copy needs to translate this into user-friendly language while maintaining accuracy. 'Your account could not be created due to an invalid email address' clearly explains the error and guides the user on how to correct it.
This exercise, "Onboarding Copy Vocabulary", tests your understanding of ux writing vocabulary and phrasing through 10 multiple-choice questions drawn from real workplace scenarios.
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This exercise has 10 questions. Each one presents a realistic sentence or scenario with multiple-choice options and an explanation once you answer.
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Who is this UX Writing exercise for?
It's designed for IT professionals and learners who want to sound natural discussing ux writing topics in English — useful for meetings, documentation, interviews, and day-to-day communication with English-speaking teams.
How is this different from reading a glossary or blog article?
Exercises like this one are active recall drills — you have to choose the correct term or phrasing yourself, which builds retention faster than passively reading a definition.
Where can I find more UX Writing exercises?
Browse the full UX Writing exercises hub for more practice, or explore other exercise categories covering vocabulary, grammar, interviews, and workplace communication.