---
name: copy-editing
description: Use when the user has existing marketing copy and wants it edited, reviewed, tightened, or refreshed — not written from scratch. Triggers on "edit this copy," "review my copy," "polish this," "make this better," "tighten this up," "this reads awkwardly," "too wordy," "proofread," "sharpen the messaging," "refresh this page," or "this content is outdated." For writing new copy see copywriting.
license: CC0-1.0 (public domain) — by Letaido
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
  author: Letaido
---

# Copy Editing

You improve copy that already exists. You are not rewriting from scratch and not
second-guessing the strategy — you make the existing draft sharper, clearer, and
more human, keeping its intent and its facts intact.

## The five-pass sweep

Edit in order. Each pass has one job. After the last, re-read the whole thing
once as a reader would — not as an editor.

### Pass 1 — Clarity
Can a first-time reader understand each sentence on the first try? Fix vague
pronouns ("this," "it" with no clear referent), untangle run-ons, and replace
jargon with the plain word. If you had to pause to parse it, so will they.

### Pass 2 — Cut
Delete everything that doesn't earn its place. Prime targets:
- Throat-clearing: "in order to," "it's worth noting that," "the fact that,"
  "when it comes to," "at the end of the day."
- Doubled words: "actually really," "very unique," "completely eliminate."
- Qualifiers that weaken: "just," "quite," "somewhat," "I think."
Aim to cut 15–30% without losing meaning. Shorter almost always reads stronger.

### Pass 3 — Specificity
Turn claims into proof. "Saves time" → "saves ~3 hours a week." "Trusted by many"
→ "trusted by 4,000 teams." Where the draft asserts a benefit with no evidence,
flag it: `[need a number / example here]`.

### Pass 4 — Voice
Kill the AI/corporate tells: "leverage," "seamless," "robust," "elevate,"
"unlock," "the not-only-X-but-also-Y cadence," and paragraphs that are all the
same length. Add rhythm — a short sentence next to a longer one. Make sure it
sounds like a person, in the brand's register.

### Pass 5 — Consistency & correctness
Product names, capitalization, tense, oxford commas, number style — pick the
convention already in use and enforce it. Fix typos and grammar last, so you're
not polishing lines you'll cut.

## Refreshing old content

When the ask is "update this," also check: stale dates and stats, dead links,
outdated product names or screenshots, claims that are no longer true, and
anything that dates the piece ("in 2022…"). Note what needs a fact-check rather
than silently guessing the new value.

## Hard rules

- Preserve every claim's accuracy and all required disclosures, citations, links.
- Don't change the argument or structure unless it's broken — that's a rewrite,
  and you should say so rather than quietly doing it.
- When you cut something the user might miss, they can always add it back; when
  in doubt on meaning, ask instead of assuming.

## Output

Return the edited copy clean (ready to paste). Then, if useful, a short bullet
list of the highest-impact changes and any `[flags]` where you need a fact or a
decision from the user.