Key takeaways

  • Use clear, plain language to support fast reading and improve user understanding.
  • Structure content with headings to help users and search engines navigate easily.
  • Keep line lengths short to make text easier to read and more inviting to scan.
  • Break up long text聽to make content easier to scan and digest.
  • Place key information first so users can act quickly without reading everything.

Clear and accessible language

The clearer and easier the information is presented, the better the user experience will be.

Not everyone speaks English as a first language. Not everyone has time or wants to decode jargon. Reading online is different from reading offline: when online, users tend to be more task-based, read in a non-linear fashion, have shorter attention spans, and their eyes tire out faster.聽

Therefore use plain, consistent language. It improves readability, supports localization, and creates a better experience for everyone.聽Even experts prefer clarity when the goal is quick understanding.

Scannable writing improves usability by more than 120%.

Headings recommendations

Headings help structure the text on a page, organizing content into smaller sections for easy navigation and understanding by both visitors and search engines.

Most users have limited time, patience, and attention spans. They want to complete聽their tasks as quickly and easily as possible.聽When they land on a webpage, they want to know if they are in the right place just by scanning the page. We can help them scan for and easily find what they need with these best practices.

They provide a quick overview of the content, making it easier to read. Additionally, titles assist visitors using screen readers, enhancing their experience.

Studies show that, on average, readers consume only 20鈥30% of the content on an聽average website.聽

Use headings to structure content

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Keep proper headings hierarchy

Image shows a page with clear structure

Favorable illustration

Unfavorable illustration

Text length recommendations

Optimal line length聽is between 50 and 80 characters, inclusive spaces. Providing users with text line lengths of 80 characters or fewer is one step toward more readable text on a site.聽
descritive grafic showing best use of text between 50 and 80 characters
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By setting line lengths to support readability, sites will encourage users to learn more about products and services.

Examples

Crosslinks

How to handle long text

  • Use clear, eye-catching headings and subheadings to organize content and identify sections so readers can find what interests them most.
  • Place only important information up front. If someone wants to read further, they can do so on a details page or expand/extend the existing information.
  • Use bulleted lists to help the eye focus on the most important information.
Jumping to sections
Allows users to quickly jump to different sections of the page.
Break up long text
There are some proven methods to break up long copy
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UX best practices overview

Fundamentals

Web creation

Practical resources

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