---
title: Copywriting
description: A concise guide for writing UI copy in Supabase.
---

Write UI copy that helps developers complete tasks quickly. Be direct, action-oriented, and respectful of developer time.

## Voice and tone

Supabase UI copy is:

- **Direct**: Say what something does, not what it "enables" you to do.
- **Action-oriented**: Focus on what happens, not what we built.
- **Technical without jargon**: Use precise terms but explain when necessary.
- **Pragmatic**: Acknowledge tradeoffs and limitations when relevant.

## Buttons and actions

### Use verbs, not nouns

<ComponentPreview name="copy-button-verbs" hideCode />

### Be specific about outcomes

| Bad         | Good             |
| ----------- | ---------------- |
| "Remove"    | "Delete project" |
| "Change"    | "Revoke access"  |
| "Configure" | "Enable RLS"     |

### Match button text to the action

| Action            | Bad       | Good           |
| ----------------- | --------- | -------------- |
| Primary action:   | "Submit"  | "Create table" |
| Secondary action: | "Go back" | "Cancel"       |

## Form labels and descriptions

### Labels describe the field, not the feature

<ComponentPreview name="copy-form-labels" hideCode />

| Action       | Bad                                                                                              | Good                                     |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| Label:       | "Name your table"                                                                                | "Table name"                             |
| Description: | "This field allows you to specify a name for your table using letters, numbers, and underscores" | "Letters, numbers, and underscores only" |

### Descriptions explain constraints, not concepts

| Bad                                                             | Good                               |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| "This ensures your table name is unique"                        | "Must be unique within the schema" |
| "You can enter up to 255 characters here"                       | "Maximum 255 characters"           |
| "This field is required when using Row Level Security policies" | "Required for RLS policies"        |

### Use present tense

| Bad                                    | Good                              |
| -------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| "Will store connection pool settings"  | "Stores connection pool settings" |
| "This will limit query execution time" | "Limits query execution time"     |

## Error messages

### State what went wrong, then how to fix it

<ComponentPreview name="copy-error-messages" hideCode />

| Bad                                       | Good                                                  |
| ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| "An error occurred"                       | "Table name already exists. Choose a different name." |
| "Something went wrong. Please try again." | "Invalid API key. Check your project settings."       |

### Be specific about the problem

| Bad                | Good                                          |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------- |
| "Invalid input"    | "Password must be at least 8 characters"      |
| "Connection error" | "Connection failed: timeout after 30 seconds" |

### Avoid blame or apology

| Bad                          | Good                                             |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| "Sorry, we couldn't connect" | "Unable to connect to database"                  |
| "Oops! Something went wrong" | "Table creation failed: column name is reserved" |

## Success messages

### Confirm what happened

<ComponentPreview name="copy-success-messages" hideCode />

| Bad                   | Good                         |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| "Success!"            | "Table created successfully" |
| "Done"                | "API key revoked"            |
| "Operation completed" | "Changes saved"              |

### Keep it brief

| Bad                                                           | Good                |
| ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| "Your backup has been successfully restored to your database" | "Backup restored"   |
| "The migration has been applied successfully to your project" | "Migration applied" |

## Tooltips and help text

### Explain why, not what

<ComponentPreview name="copy-tooltips" hideCode />

| Bad                       | Good                                             |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| "This is a toggle switch" | "Enables real-time subscriptions for this table" |
| "Click to delete"         | "Prevents accidental deletions"                  |

### One sentence maximum

| Bad                                                                                                                                        | Good                                       |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| "Row Level Security restricts access based on user policies. When enabled, users can only access rows that match their policy conditions." | "Restricts access based on user policies"  |
| "This setting controls the maximum number of concurrent connections that can be established to your database at any given time."           | "Maximum number of concurrent connections" |

## Navigation and headings

### Use sentence case

| Bad                     | Good                    |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------- |
| "Set Up Authentication" | "Set up authentication" |
| "Database Settings"     | "Database settings"     |
| "Create New Project"    | "Create new project"    |

### Headings describe the page, not the feature

| Bad                            | Good                 |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------- |
| "Manage your API keys"         | "API keys"           |
| "Configure connection pooling" | "Connection pooling" |
| "Edit your tables"             | "Table editor"       |

## Empty states

### Explain what's missing, then how to add it

<ComponentPreview name="copy-empty-states" hideCode />

| Bad                               | Good                                                       |
| --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| "You don't have any tables"       | "No tables yet. Create your first table to get started."   |
| "There are no API keys available" | "No API keys. Generate a key to connect your application." |

### Include the action

| Bad                      | Good                                              |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| "No buckets found"       | "No buckets yet. [Create bucket] button"          |
| "No functions available" | "No functions deployed. [Deploy function] button" |

## Loading states

### Describe what's happening

<ComponentPreview name="copy-loading-states" hideCode />

| Bad              | Good                    |
| ---------------- | ----------------------- |
| "Please wait..." | "Creating table..."     |
| "Loading..."     | "Loading schema..."     |
| "Processing..."  | "Applying migration..." |

### Match the action verb

| Action                      | Bad              | Good                  |
| --------------------------- | ---------------- | --------------------- |
| "Delete project" → Loading: | "Processing..."  | "Deleting project..." |
| "Save changes" → Loading:   | "Please wait..." | "Saving changes..."   |

## Confirmations and dialogs

### State consequences clearly

<ComponentPreview name="copy-confirmations" hideCode />

| Bad                                   | Good                                                                                      |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Are you sure?"                       | "Delete this project? This action cannot be undone and will permanently delete all data." |
| "This action is permanent. Continue?" | "Revoke this API key? Applications using this key will stop working immediately."         |

### Use active voice

| Bad                                                          | Good                                                |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| "All data will be removed if this project is deleted"        | "Deleting this project will remove all data"        |
| "Existing connections will be broken if this key is revoked" | "Revoking this key will break existing connections" |

## Words to avoid

### Marketing language

| Bad                          | Good                 |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------- |
| "Easily create tables"       | "Create tables"      |
| "Simply configure settings"  | "Configure settings" |
| "Powerful database features" | "Database features"  |

### Vague verbs

| Bad              | Good                             |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------- |
| "Manage tables"  | "Create, edit, or delete tables" |
| "Handle errors"  | "View and resolve errors"        |
| "Work with data" | "Query and update data"          |

## Capitalization

- **Sentence case** for all UI text (buttons, labels, headings)
- **Product names:** Database, Auth, Storage, Edge Functions, Realtime, Vector
- **Postgres**, not PostgreSQL
- **Supabase** (capitalize except in code)

## Formatting

- **Bold for emphasis** only when necessary
- **Inline code** for technical terms: `RLS`, `API key`, `supabase init`
- **No italics** for emphasis
- **No exclamation marks** unless critical (e.g., destructive actions)

## Quick checklist

Before publishing UI copy, ask:

- Does it use an action verb?
- Is it specific about what happens?
- Can a developer complete the task without reading more?
- Does it avoid marketing language?
- Is it in sentence case?
- Is it one sentence or less (for labels, buttons, tooltips)?