← All Guides
Best Practices

How to Write Great Tooltip Copy

Tooltip copy is the most constrained form of UX writing. You have 10-15 words to educate, motivate, or guide a user. Every word must earn its place. Here is how to write tooltips that actually help.

1

Start with the user goal

Frame copy around what the user wants to achieve, not what the feature does. "See which pages users visit most" beats "Page analytics dashboard".

2

Use active voice

Active voice is shorter and clearer. "Click here to save" beats "Your changes can be saved by clicking this button".

3

Be specific, not generic

Replace vague descriptions with concrete outcomes. "Reduces load time by 50%" is more compelling than "Improves performance".

4

Cut ruthlessly

Remove every word that does not add information. "You can" and "In order to" are almost always unnecessary.

5

Match the user context

Reference what the user just did or is about to do. Contextual copy feels helpful; decontextualized copy feels like spam.

6

Test readability

Read your copy aloud. If it sounds unnatural or takes more than 3 seconds to read, it is too long or complex.

Pro Tips

  • Use numbers and specifics: "3 steps remaining" is better than "a few more steps."
  • Write at a 6th-grade reading level; simplicity is not dumbing down.
  • Avoid jargon unless your audience expects it (e.g., developer tools).
  • Create a copy style guide so all tooltips have a consistent voice.

Conclusion

Great tooltip copy is invisible: users absorb the information without noticing the writing. Practice radical conciseness, test with real users, and remember that the best tooltip is the one that makes itself unnecessary by being so clear the user never needs to read it twice.

Ready to get started?

Try Produktly free and implement what you learned in this guide.

Start free trial

Related Guides

Best Practices

How to Segment Users for Targeting

Best Practices

How to Design Effective Tooltips

Best Practices

How to Reduce Support Tickets with In-App Guidance

Best Practices

How to Handle Change Management with In-App Guidance

Best Practices

How to Design Effective In-App Messages

Best Practices

How to Drive Product-Led Growth

Related Features

Tool TipsSmart TipsProduct Tours