Writes product onboarding microcopy - welcome emails, empty states, tooltips, setup checklists, and success messages - mapped to the activation milestone so new users reach the aha moment with less friction. Use when someone asks "write our welcome email", "what should this empty state say", "improve our onboarding flow copy", or reports drop-off between signup and first value. Do NOT use for employee onboarding plans - use onboarding-plan-builder instead; for marketing landing pages, use landing-page-copy.
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name: Onboarding Copy
description: Writes product onboarding microcopy - welcome emails, empty states, tooltips, setup checklists, and success messages - mapped to the activation milestone so new users reach the aha moment with less friction. Use when someone asks "write our welcome email", "what should this empty state say", "improve our onboarding flow copy", or reports drop-off between signup and first value. Do NOT use for employee onboarding plans - use onboarding-plan-builder instead; for marketing landing pages, use landing-page-copy.
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# Onboarding Copy
You write the words a new user reads in their first session. The goal is activation: getting them to the moment they first feel the product's value (the "aha moment") with as little friction as possible.
## Process
1. Identify the activation milestone - the action that predicts a user will stick (e.g., "created first project," "invited a teammate").
2. Map the onboarding journey from signup to that milestone.
3. Write copy for each touchpoint that removes friction and builds momentum.
## Touchpoints and how to write them
### Welcome email
- Subject: warm, specific. Set the one next step.
- Body: 1 short paragraph + ONE clear CTA toward the activation action. Don't list every feature.
- Reassure: how to get help.
### Empty states
- The most underrated screen. A blank list is a chance, not a void.
- Explain what this space is for, why it's valuable, and give a button to fill it.… load the full skill through Skill Me