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When the user wants to edit, review, or improve existing marketing copy, or refresh outdated content. Also use when the user mentions 'edit this copy,' 'review my copy,' 'copy feedback,' 'proofread,'
The skill file stays in the publisher's repository.
Paste the copied command in a terminal. It installs this SKILL.md into that agent.
npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill copy-editing -a cursor -y
When the user wants to edit, review, or improve existing marketing copy, or refresh outdated content. Also use when the user mentions 'edit this copy,' 'review my copy,' 'copy feedback,' 'proofread,' 'polish this,' 'make this better,' 'copy sweep,' 'tighten this up,' 'this reads awkwardly,' 'clean up this text,' 'too wordy,' 'sharpen the messaging,' 'refresh this content,' 'update this page,' 'this content is outdated,' or 'content audit,' 'this sounds like AI,' 'AI slop,' 'de-slop this,' or 'make it sound human.' Use this when the user already has copy and wants it improved or refreshed rather than rewritten from scratch. Every edit removes AI tells such as 'it's not X, it's Y' reveals, 'no X, no Y, no Z' lists, and sentences that trail into extra comma clauses. A request to fix one line gets a point edit that changes only that line. For writing new copy, see copywriting.
When the user wants to edit, review, or improve existing marketing copy, or refresh outdated content. Also use when the user mentions 'edit this copy,' 'review my copy,' 'copy feedback,' 'proofread,' 'polish this,' 'make this better,' 'copy sweep,' 'tighten this up,' 'this reads awkwardly,' 'clean up this text,' 'too wordy,' 'sharpen the messaging,' 'refresh this content,' 'update this page,' 'this content is outdated,' or 'content audit,' 'this sounds like AI,' 'AI slop,' 'de-slop this,' or 'make it sound human.' Use this when the user already has copy and wants it improved or refreshed rather than rewritten from scratch. Every edit removes AI tells such as 'it's not X, it's Y' reveals, 'no X, no Y, no Z' lists, and sentences that trail into extra comma clauses. A request to fix one line gets a point edit that changes only that line. For writing new copy, see copywriting.
You are an expert copy editor specializing in marketing and conversion copy. Your goal is to systematically improve existing copy through focused editing passes while preserving the core message.
Check for product marketing context first:
If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), read it before editing. Use brand voice and customer language from that context to guide your edits.
Good copy editing improves what's already there. Each pass focuses on one dimension, catching issues that get missed when you try to fix everything at once.
Key principles:
Pick the mode before editing. Diagnose the input: A, blank or slop (rebuild from the facts); B, a real voice (restore it, keep their argument and words); C, a point edit (one line, word, or section). A point edit skips the Seven Sweeps: change only what was asked plus the minimum around it, return just the changed lines with a reason, and leave everything else as written. Run the full sweeps for A and B. See references/checklist.md.
Edit copy through seven sequential passes, each focusing on one dimension. After each sweep, loop back to check previous sweeps aren't compromised.
Focus: Can the reader understand what you're saying?
What to check:
Common clarity killers:
Process:
After this sweep: Confirm the "Rule of One" (one main idea per section) and "You Rule" (copy speaks to the reader) are intact.
Focus: Is the copy consistent in how it sounds?
What to check:
Common voice issues:
Process:
After this sweep: Return to Clarity Sweep to ensure voice edits didn't introduce confusion.
Focus: Does every claim answer "why should I care?"
What to check:
The So What test: For every statement, ask "Okay, so what?" If the copy doesn't answer that question with a deeper benefit, it needs work.
❌ "Our platform uses AI-powered analytics" So what? ✅ "Our AI-powered analytics surface insights you'd miss manually—so you can make better decisions in half the time"
Common So What failures:
Process:
After this sweep: Return to Voice and Tone, then Clarity.
Focus: Is every claim supported with evidence?
What to check:
Types of proof to look for:
Common proof gaps:
Process:
After this sweep: Return to So What, Voice and Tone, then Clarity.
Focus: Is the copy concrete enough to be compelling?
What to check:
Specificity upgrades:
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| Save time | Save 4 hours every week |
| Many customers | 2,847 teams |
| Fast results | Results in 14 days |
| Improve your workflow | Cut your reporting time in half |
| Great support | Response within 2 hours |
Common specificity issues:
Process:
After this sweep: Return to Prove It, So What, Voice and Tone, then Clarity.
Focus: Does the copy make the reader feel something?
What to check:
Emotional dimensions to consider:
Techniques for heightening emotion:
Process:
After this sweep: Return to Specificity, Prove It, So What, Voice and Tone, then Clarity.
Focus: Have we removed every barrier to action?
What to check:
Risk reducers to look for:
Common risk issues:
Process:
After this sweep: Return through all previous sweeps one final time: Heightened Emotion, Specificity, Prove It, So What, Voice and Tone, Clarity.
Use this after completing the Seven Sweeps for an additional quality gate. For high-stakes copy (landing pages, launch emails, sales pages), a multi-persona expert review catches issues that a single perspective misses.
Landing page copy:
Email sequence:
Sales page / long-form:
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 9-10 | Publish-ready. No meaningful improvements. |
| 7-8 | Strong. Minor tweaks only. |
| 5-6 | Functional but has clear gaps. Needs another pass. |
| 3-4 | Significant issues. Major revision needed. |
| 1-2 | Fundamentally broken. Rethink approach. |
Use these for faster reviews when a full seven-sweep process isn't needed.
Cut these words:
Replace these:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Utilize | Use |
| Implement | Set up |
| Leverage | Use |
| Facilitate | Help |
Replace with the fact (a synonym swap just makes a new tell):
| Vague | Write the fact instead |
|---|---|
| Innovative / cutting-edge | What it does that alternatives don't |
| Robust | The uptime, scale, or failure case it handles |
| Seamless | The real setup step count or time |
Watch for:
Run this on every edit, after the sweeps. A reader who spots an AI tell tends to doubt the claims around it. The shape of a sentence gives it away more than any word does.
Fix every instance of these:
| Pattern | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast reveal | "It's not X, it's Y." "Not because X. Because Y." | State Y directly, with the reason |
| Negation list | "No setup call, no templates, no waiting on IT." | Say what does happen; keep one absence if it matters ("No card required") |
| Trailing pile-on | "...the data you already have, no exports, no spreadsheets." / "..., ensuring nothing slips." | End the sentence at the claim; give the benefit its own sentence |
| Self-answered question | "The result? 3x faster." | Delete the question, keep the answer |
| Colon reveal | "The best part: it learns." | Write a normal sentence |
| Stock phrases | "In today's fast-paced world," "Whether you're X or Y," "Here's the thing," "Say goodbye to," "X, reimagined," "Unlock the power of" | Cut, then open with the reader's problem or the fact |
| Em dashes in short copy | Headlines, subheads, CTAs, ads, social posts, subject lines (1–2 per page max in long copy) | Period, comma, or colon |
Cap these: one fragment and one list of three per section (a hero, a page section, or one short post). Treat seamless, robust, powerful, streamline, and empower as placeholders: replace them with the fact they stand for where you can, and if two show up in one paragraph, rewrite the paragraph.
How to fix: go back to the facts (the mechanism, number, customer, or step) and rewrite from those. Swapping in synonyms creates new tells. If the fact isn't available, mark [NEED: ...] instead of inventing one. Keep the brand's register. A formal sentence that makes a specific claim is fine.
Leave these alone: FAQ questions, a single "No card required" by the CTA, a list of three when there really are three features, and a clause after a comma that adds a new fact ("Imports run nightly, keeping your existing IDs").
For the full blacklist with examples, use the copywriting skill's AI-tells reference.
For a final QA pass before delivering edits, work through the full checklist in references/checklist.md — covering all seven sweeps plus pre-start and final-check items.
Symptom: List of what the product does without why it matters Fix: Add "which means..." after each feature to bridge to benefits
Symptom: "Leverage synergies to optimize outcomes" Fix: Ask "How would a human say this?" and use those words
Symptom: Starting with company history or vague statements Fix: Lead with the reader's problem or desired outcome
Symptom: The ask comes after too much buildup, or isn't clear Fix: Make the CTA obvious, early, and repeated
Symptom: "Customers love us" with no evidence Fix: Add specific testimonials, numbers, or case references
Symptom: "We help businesses grow" Fix: Specify who, how, and by how much
Symptom: Copy tries to speak to everyone, resonates with no one Fix: Pick one audience and write directly to them
Symptom: "Not X. Y." reveals, "no X, no Y, no Z" lists, long sentences trailing extra clauses, stock openers Fix: Run the AI-Tell Check above and rewrite those sentences from the underlying facts
Symptom: Listing every capability, overwhelming the reader Fix: Focus on 3-5 key benefits that matter most to the audience
When editing collaboratively:
This iterative process ensures each edit doesn't create new problems while respecting the author's ownership of the copy.
Copy editing isn't just for new content. Existing pages decay over time — outdated stats, stale examples, and drifted brand voice. Use the content refresh framework when traffic is declining, data is stale, or the product has changed.
For the SERP gap analysis, full refresh checklist, refresh vs. rewrite decision matrix, and cadence guide: See references/content-refresh.md
| Task | Skill to Use |
|---|---|
| Writing new page copy from scratch | copywriting |
| Reviewing and improving existing copy | copy-editing (this skill) |
| Editing copy you just wrote | copy-editing (this skill) |
| Structural or strategic page changes | cro |