Edit copy for clarity and accessibility

Edit the meaning before polishing the sentences. A fluent paragraph can still omit the reader's next step, hide a limitation or make a claim the business cannot support.

Work through the draft in passes: task, facts, order, language, links and media. This makes it easier to separate a missing answer from a stylistic preference.

Before: a fictional service paragraph

Here at Alder & Grain, our bespoke solutions utilise traditional expertise to deliver unparalleled outcomes for all your furniture needs. Whether your treasured piece has seen better days or you simply require a refresh, we ensure an exceptional finish every time. Our seamless process makes it easy to transform your furniture. For further information regarding our extensive offering and to get the ball rolling, click here and send us your details.

The problem is not just length. The paragraph promises a result for “all” furniture, gives no actual scope and leaves “your details” undefined. The reader cannot tell whether to send a photograph, book a visit or expect a fixed quotation.

After: a complete revised passage

Fictional teaching copy, based on the approved facts in this exercise:

Alder & Grain considers wooden dining-chair joint repairs and minor repairs to wooden tables.

Start by preparing an overall photograph, a close-up of the problem and a short description of what you have noticed. Photographs help with the initial review; they do not establish the final repair scope or price.

Where an inspection is appropriate, arrange a visit to the workshop. We explain the proposed work and provide a written quote before you decide whether to proceed.

This service does not include upholstery, home visits or national collection. Please arrange a visit before bringing in an item.

Suggested next-step label: Prepare an assessment enquiry.

The revision gives the reader a decision and a task. It is not claiming that this fictional workshop exists or that the suggested action is available on Content Charlie.

What changed and why

Pass one: can the reader complete the task?

Write the page's job at the top of your working document. Compare every section with it. Keep material that answers a question or supports a decision; move substantial information for another task to its own page.

Ask what the draft assumes the reader already knows. “Send the usual information” may make sense to staff while being unusable to a new customer. List the actual information required and explain why any unusual item is needed.

Pass two: do the facts support the claims?

Underline every statement that implies a fact, promise or comparison. Check it against the source pack. Dates, service areas, compatibility, stock, prices and turnaround times need the same attention as obvious claims such as “award-winning”.

Do not turn uncertainty into confidence while shortening a sentence. “May be suitable after assessment” should not become “suitable for everyone”. If information is unavailable, explain the relevant limit or obtain it before publishing the claim.

Pass three: does the structure make sense?

Read the headings on their own. They should make an intelligible outline, with related subsections grouped under the relevant topic. W3C's headings tutorial explains the role of heading structure in navigation and understanding.

Put a limitation beside the offer it qualifies. Put a preparation instruction before the action that requires it. A shorter paragraph is not automatically a clearer paragraph if it separates those relationships.

Pass four: can the wording be more precise?

Prefer the familiar word when it carries the same meaning. Replace “utilise” with “use”, but retain a necessary technical term and explain it. A product's “160 pages” and “80 leaves” describe different units; removing one can create confusion rather than simplicity.

Keep one main idea in a sentence when possible. Read the draft aloud to find overloaded clauses, then check whether the edit preserves the conditions and the meaning. A readability score cannot determine whether the underlying advice is accurate or complete.

Pass five: do links and images make sense in context?

Use wording that tells the reader what a link offers. “Download the content brief CSV” is clearer than “download”. If several links lead to different destinations, their wording should reflect those differences.

Decide what each image contributes. W3C's image tutorial distinguishes information, decoration and function when choosing text alternatives. Apply that decision to the actual placement:

Do not insert a string of keywords into an image description. Describe what matters to the reader's task.

Use a repeatable final check

Before approving the page, confirm that the reader can identify the offer, important limits and next action; that every factual claim has a basis; that headings and link wording make sense; and that media information is available appropriately.

Editorial checks improve the content. They do not evaluate all keyboard behaviour, contrast, zoom or other aspects of the website. Include the broader launch review before treating the whole experience as ready.

For a new assignment, use the content brief worksheet. For another worked edit, follow the product description's facts-to-claims table.