> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.snowdoughnut.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Write copy

> How a piece of copy gets briefed, written to the right channel template, checked against the brand system, and filed. Covers ads, email, SMS, and social captions.

Use this for any short-form writing that runs on a channel: an ad, an email, a subject line, a social caption, an SMS. For long-form, use [write an article](/write-an-article) instead.

## Before you start

| You need                       | Where it lives                                                 |
| :----------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The message this piece carries | [Messaging](/messaging)                                        |
| How the brand sounds           | [Brand voice and tone](/brand-voice-and-tone)                  |
| A named customer profile       | [Customer profile library](/customer-profile-library-overview) |
| What is and isn't sayable      | The approved claims table in [messaging](/messaging)           |

## The path

<Steps>
  <Step title="1. Fill in the copy brief">
    Copy the [copy brief](/ad-copy-standards) and fill in the strategic core: objective, reader action, customer profile and insight, the key message, the proof, and the mandatories.

    The reasoning behind each section is in [copy brief concepts](/copy-brief-concepts).
  </Step>

  <Step title="2. Pull the message, don't invent it">
    The key message comes from a pillar in [messaging](/messaging). A campaign where every asset carries a slightly different main message stops reading like one campaign.
  </Step>

  <Step title="3. Point at the voice section that applies">
    [Brand voice and tone](/brand-voice-and-tone) is one document, but a pricing email and a support reply draw on different parts of it. Name the part in the brief rather than restating the rules.
  </Step>

  <Step title="4. Pick the channel template">
    The brief holds the strategy. The template holds the character limits and field structure.

    **Meta:** [static and video](/meta-static-video-copy-template), [carousel](/meta-carousel-copy-template), [collection](/meta-collection-copy-template), [lead ad](/meta-lead-ad-copy-template).
    **Google:** [search](/google-search-copy-template), [Performance Max](/google-pmax-copy-template), [Demand Gen](/google-demand-gen-copy-template), [display](/google-display-copy-template), [YouTube](/google-youtube-copy-template), [app](/google-app-campaign-copy-template).
    **LinkedIn:** [single image](/linkedin-single-image-copy-template), [video](/linkedin-video-copy-template), [carousel](/linkedin-carousel-copy-template), [document](/linkedin-document-copy-template), [message](/linkedin-message-ad-copy-template), [conversation](/linkedin-conversation-ad-copy-template), [text](/linkedin-text-ad-copy-template), [follower](/linkedin-follower-ad-copy-template).
    **TikTok:** [in-feed](/tiktok-in-feed-copy-template), [Spark](/tiktok-spark-ad-copy-template), [carousel](/tiktok-carousel-copy-template), [video shopping](/tiktok-video-shopping-copy-template), [TopView](/tiktok-topview-copy-template).
    **Email:** [email copy template](/email-copy-template).
  </Step>

  <Step title="5. Draft inside the limits">
    Write to the character counts in the template, not to a comfortable length you trim later. Copy written long and cut short usually loses the specific part and keeps the generic part.
  </Step>

  <Step title="6. Check the claims">
    Every factual claim has to appear in the approved claims table in [messaging](/messaging). Anything not on the list goes to review before it ships, not after.
  </Step>

  <Step title="7. Get approvals">
    [Brand approval](/brand-approval-process) for voice and claims. [Legal review](/legal-review-process) for anything comparative, numeric, or regulated.
  </Step>

  <Step title="8. Name and file it">
    Name the copy file with [file naming conventions](/file-naming-conventions), and name the ad it becomes with [ad name conventions](/ad-name-conventions). Link the finished copy from the brief.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Related resources

* [**Copy brief**](/ad-copy-standards) The workbook.
* [**Copy brief concepts**](/copy-brief-concepts) Why a copy brief differs from a creative brief.
* [**Brand voice and tone**](/brand-voice-and-tone) How the brand sounds.
* [**Messaging**](/messaging) Where the message and the claims come from.
* [**Brief creative**](/brief-creative) The parallel path for visuals.
* [**Email**](/email-home) and [**organic social**](/organic-social-home) What's different about those two channels.
* [**Copy best practices**](/copy-best-practices) What separates copy that works from copy that reads fine.