---
name: copy-editing
description: Edit and improve existing marketing copy through focused sequential passes. Use when the user says "edit this copy", "review my copy", "tighten this up", "polish this", "too wordy", "sharpen the messaging", or "refresh this content". Not for writing new copy from scratch: use copywriting. Not for page structure or conversion strategy: use cro. Not for gathering customer language first: use customer-research.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: TechTide AI (Alex Cinovoj)
  provenance: rewritten from patterns in an open SaaS marketing skills pack (MIT)
  category: Content & Publishing
---

# Copy Editing

Editing is enhancement, not rewriting. Run focused passes, one dimension at a time, because a single unfocused review misses what a targeted sweep catches. Preserve the author's voice and core message.

## Before You Edit

Check for a product marketing context file (`.agents/product-marketing.md` or `.claude/product-marketing.md`). If it exists, read it and use its brand voice and customer language. Then confirm: what is this copy's goal (awareness, conversion, retention), what action should readers take, and is this a polish job or a content refresh.

## The Seven Sweeps

Run them in order. After each sweep, re-check that earlier sweeps still hold, edits in one dimension can break another.

| # | Sweep | The question | Fail signs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clarity | Can a stranger understand it in one read? | Jargon, ambiguous pronouns, buried points |
| 2 | Voice | Does it sound like one person throughout? | Casual open, corporate middle, random tech-speak |
| 3 | So What | Does every claim answer "why should I care"? | Features with no "which means..." bridge |
| 4 | Prove It | Is every claim backed? | "Industry-leading", "trusted by thousands", no names or numbers |
| 5 | Specificity | Is it concrete enough to believe? | "Save time" instead of "save 4 hours a week" |
| 6 | Emotion | Does the reader feel the pain or the win? | Flat, informational, nothing at stake |
| 7 | Zero Risk | Is every barrier to action removed? | Objections unaddressed, no guarantee, vague next step |

Per sweep: mark problems first, then propose specific edits, then verify intent survived. Do not fix mid-read.

For the quick-pass word lists (cut words, weak-to-strong swaps), the expert panel scoring method for high-stakes copy, and the content refresh checklist: read references/checks.md when you finish the sweeps or when the user asks for a fast review instead of the full seven.

## Working Collaboratively

1. Run a sweep, present findings with reasons.
2. Propose specific edits, never just "this is weak".
3. Let the author decide. It is their copy.
4. Re-verify earlier sweeps after each round.
5. Stop when a full pass finds nothing new.

## Verification

Do a final cold read of the edited copy top to bottom. Expect: no sentence you stumble on, every claim carries proof or a specific number, exactly one clear next step for the reader. If any sentence stumbles, it failed Clarity, run sweep 1 on that section again before delivering.

## Good vs Bad

Judgment call: a claim with no proof.

**Bad edit:** "Customers love us" becomes "Customers really love us". Intensifier added, nothing proven.

**Good edit:** "Customers love us" becomes "Rated 4.8 from 312 reviews, and 40% of new customers come from referrals." Claim now carries its own evidence.

## Footguns

- **Rewriting instead of editing.** If your edit changes the argument, you switched skills. Fix: flag it and offer to run copywriting instead, or constrain edits to the existing message.
- **Fixing everything in one pass.** You will catch clarity issues and miss proof gaps. Fix: one dimension per pass, no exceptions.
- **Later sweeps breaking earlier ones.** Adding emotion in sweep 6 often adds vagueness. Fix: after every sweep, spot-check the previous ones.
- **Polishing copy that should be retired.** Outdated stats and dead examples need a refresh decision, not line edits. Fix: use the refresh vs rewrite matrix in references/checks.md.

## Completion Checklist

- [ ] Context file checked, goal and audience confirmed
- [ ] All seven sweeps run in order, or quick-pass explicitly agreed with the user
- [ ] Every proposed edit has a stated reason
- [ ] Core message and author voice preserved
- [ ] Final cold read passed

Any box unchecked: not done. Fix or say so.