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kemal.earth
bfe3ea06df
* feat: create entry points for copy writing docs * feat: basic page generated using the supabase writing style guide * chore: editing page * feat: more components * feat: remaining example components * chore: remove duplicate registry entry * chore: add aria label to example * chore: run prettier * fix: alphabetise getting started section * chore: rename copy writing to copywriting
241 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
241 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: Copywriting
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description: A concise guide for writing UI copy in Supabase.
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---
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Write UI copy that helps developers complete tasks quickly. Be direct, action-oriented, and respectful of developer time.
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## Voice and tone
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Supabase UI copy is:
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- **Direct**: Say what something does, not what it "enables" you to do.
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- **Action-oriented**: Focus on what happens, not what we built.
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- **Technical without jargon**: Use precise terms but explain when necessary.
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- **Pragmatic**: Acknowledge tradeoffs and limitations when relevant.
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## Buttons and actions
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### Use verbs, not nouns
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-button-verbs" hideCode />
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### Be specific about outcomes
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| Bad | Good |
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| ----------- | ---------------- |
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| "Remove" | "Delete project" |
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| "Change" | "Revoke access" |
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| "Configure" | "Enable RLS" |
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### Match button text to the action
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| Action | Bad | Good |
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| ----------------- | --------- | -------------- |
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| Primary action: | "Submit" | "Create table" |
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| Secondary action: | "Go back" | "Cancel" |
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## Form labels and descriptions
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### Labels describe the field, not the feature
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-form-labels" hideCode />
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| Action | Bad | Good |
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| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
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| Label: | "Name your table" | "Table name" |
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| Description: | "This field allows you to specify a name for your table using letters, numbers, and underscores" | "Letters, numbers, and underscores only" |
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### Descriptions explain constraints, not concepts
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| Bad | Good |
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| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
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| "This ensures your table name is unique" | "Must be unique within the schema" |
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| "You can enter up to 255 characters here" | "Maximum 255 characters" |
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| "This field is required when using Row Level Security policies" | "Required for RLS policies" |
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### Use present tense
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| Bad | Good |
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| -------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
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| "Will store connection pool settings" | "Stores connection pool settings" |
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| "This will limit query execution time" | "Limits query execution time" |
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## Error messages
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### State what went wrong, then how to fix it
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-error-messages" hideCode />
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| Bad | Good |
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| ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
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| "An error occurred" | "Table name already exists. Choose a different name." |
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| "Something went wrong. Please try again." | "Invalid API key. Check your project settings." |
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### Be specific about the problem
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------- |
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| "Invalid input" | "Password must be at least 8 characters" |
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| "Connection error" | "Connection failed: timeout after 30 seconds" |
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### Avoid blame or apology
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| Bad | Good |
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| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
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| "Sorry, we couldn't connect" | "Unable to connect to database" |
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| "Oops! Something went wrong" | "Table creation failed: column name is reserved" |
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## Success messages
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### Confirm what happened
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-success-messages" hideCode />
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| Bad | Good |
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| --------------------- | ---------------------------- |
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| "Success!" | "Table created successfully" |
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| "Done" | "API key revoked" |
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| "Operation completed" | "Changes saved" |
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### Keep it brief
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- |
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| "Your backup has been successfully restored to your database" | "Backup restored" |
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| "The migration has been applied successfully to your project" | "Migration applied" |
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## Tooltips and help text
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### Explain why, not what
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-tooltips" hideCode />
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
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| "This is a toggle switch" | "Enables real-time subscriptions for this table" |
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| "Click to delete" | "Prevents accidental deletions" |
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### One sentence maximum
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
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| "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" |
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| "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" |
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## Navigation and headings
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### Use sentence case
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| Bad | Good |
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| ----------------------- | ----------------------- |
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| "Set Up Authentication" | "Set up authentication" |
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| "Database Settings" | "Database settings" |
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| "Create New Project" | "Create new project" |
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### Headings describe the page, not the feature
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------------------ | -------------------- |
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| "Manage your API keys" | "API keys" |
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| "Configure connection pooling" | "Connection pooling" |
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| "Edit your tables" | "Table editor" |
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## Empty states
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### Explain what's missing, then how to add it
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-empty-states" hideCode />
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| Bad | Good |
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| --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
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| "You don't have any tables" | "No tables yet. Create your first table to get started." |
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| "There are no API keys available" | "No API keys. Generate a key to connect your application." |
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### Include the action
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
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| "No buckets found" | "No buckets yet. [Create bucket] button" |
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| "No functions available" | "No functions deployed. [Deploy function] button" |
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## Loading states
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### Describe what's happening
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-loading-states" hideCode />
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| Bad | Good |
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| ---------------- | ----------------------- |
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| "Please wait..." | "Creating table..." |
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| "Loading..." | "Loading schema..." |
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| "Processing..." | "Applying migration..." |
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### Match the action verb
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| Action | Bad | Good |
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| --------------------------- | ---------------- | --------------------- |
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| "Delete project" → Loading: | "Processing..." | "Deleting project..." |
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| "Save changes" → Loading: | "Please wait..." | "Saving changes..." |
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## Confirmations and dialogs
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### State consequences clearly
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<ComponentPreview name="copy-confirmations" hideCode />
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| "Are you sure?" | "Delete this project? This action cannot be undone and will permanently delete all data." |
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| "This action is permanent. Continue?" | "Revoke this API key? Applications using this key will stop working immediately." |
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### Use active voice
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| Bad | Good |
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| ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
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| "All data will be removed if this project is deleted" | "Deleting this project will remove all data" |
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| "Existing connections will be broken if this key is revoked" | "Revoking this key will break existing connections" |
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## Words to avoid
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### Marketing language
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| Bad | Good |
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| ---------------------------- | -------------------- |
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| "Easily create tables" | "Create tables" |
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| "Simply configure settings" | "Configure settings" |
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| "Powerful database features" | "Database features" |
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### Vague verbs
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| Bad | Good |
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| ---------------- | -------------------------------- |
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| "Manage tables" | "Create, edit, or delete tables" |
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| "Handle errors" | "View and resolve errors" |
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| "Work with data" | "Query and update data" |
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## Capitalization
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- **Sentence case** for all UI text (buttons, labels, headings)
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- **Product names:** Database, Auth, Storage, Edge Functions, Realtime, Vector
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- **Postgres**, not PostgreSQL
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- **Supabase** (capitalize except in code)
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## Formatting
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- **Bold for emphasis** only when necessary
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- **Inline code** for technical terms: `RLS`, `API key`, `supabase init`
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- **No italics** for emphasis
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- **No exclamation marks** unless critical (e.g., destructive actions)
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## Quick checklist
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Before publishing UI copy, ask:
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- Does it use an action verb?
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- Is it specific about what happens?
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- Can a developer complete the task without reading more?
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- Does it avoid marketing language?
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- Is it in sentence case?
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- Is it one sentence or less (for labels, buttons, tooltips)?
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