Notely

UX Writing Guide ​

Purpose: keep labels and messages consistent, clear, and action-oriented.

Core Rules ​

  • Use sentence case for buttons, labels, and helper text.
  • Start actions with a verb: Open, Create, Save, Delete, Show, Hide.
  • Keep labels short: prefer 2 to 4 words when possible.
  • Use consistent nouns across UI: note, folder, workspace, command palette.
  • Avoid mixed casing of the same phrase (for example, "AI data" vs "AI Data").

Buttons and Actions ​

  • Primary button text: explicit outcome, e.g. "Save", "Export", "Create note".
  • Secondary button text: supportive action, e.g. "Close", "Cancel", "Show details".
  • Destructive actions: include object and consequence, e.g. "Clear AI data".

Empty, Error, and Status Text ​

  • Empty states should include a next step.
  • Error states should describe what failed and what to do next.
  • Success states should confirm completion in one short sentence.

Examples ​

  • Good: "Search commands and actions"
  • Good: "No matching commands"
  • Good: "Connect providers, tune behavior, and manage local AI data."
  • Avoid: title-case fragments like "Type a command or action" when sentence case is used elsewhere.