Audit Your Copy for Clarity

Why this matters

A clarity audit is a structured read-through that catches the exact phrases where a reader would slow down, re-read, or lose confidence — it is the difference between hoping your copy is clear and knowing it is. Without a repeatable process, editing is guesswork.

Try it yourself

1. Print or paste a piece of copy and underline every phrase you cannot explain in one sentence without using the original words.
2. Read the copy aloud to someone unfamiliar with your product and note every place they say 'wait, what does that mean?' — those are clarity failures.
3. Apply the 'so what?' test to each sentence: if the answer is 'I don't know,' the sentence needs to be cut or rewritten.

References

• Nielsen Norman Group — Writing for the Web