Ethical Review Checklist
A pre-publication checklist for reviewing copy against professional and ethical standards — from truthfulness and transparency to vulnerable audiences and dark patterns.
About this resource
This checklist helps you make sure your copy is honest, fair and responsible before it's published. It covers the ethical considerations that go beyond legal compliance — substantiation, transparency, the treatment of vulnerable audiences, and manipulative design patterns — so your work reflects professional standards.
Structured by theme with space for notes, it supports the ethical principles at the heart of the Copywriter Code.
What's included
- Truthfulness and accuracy checks
- Rules on claims and comparisons
- Transparency and disclosure requirements
- Considerations for vulnerable audiences
- Checks for dark patterns and ethical persuasion
- Space for notes and reviewer sign-off
How to use it
Review your copy against each section before publication, making notes where a point needs attention or a judgement call. Address any issues before the work goes live.
Use it as a routine part of your quality process, and as evidence of the professional standards you apply to client work.
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