Copywriting

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

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

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

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

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

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"

Use title case for page names in the main nav and document titles (e.g. "Database Settings", "Project Settings"). This distinguishes the page as a destination from section labels and in-page headings, which use sentence case.

Use declarative page descriptions

Use a fragment with no trailing period, and prefer declarative over instructional. Describe what the page covers, not what the user should do.

Good	Bad
"General configuration, domains, ownership, and lifecycle"	"Configure general options, domains, transfers, and project lifecycle"

Use sentence case for section labels and headings

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

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

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

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, section headings)
Title case for page names in navigation
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)?