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      "AI is a great tool, but for me copywriting is less about the end product (the words) and more about the process that ensures those words meet the objective."
      Jonathan Wilcock
      "In 2017 I went freelance and made a decision, to stop faffing and concentrate on brand copywriting. Nine years later, it still feels like the right move."
      Helen Johns
      "I view each project as a new challenge to be solved, deploying all my knowledge and skills so that the resulting articles or books are the best they can be."
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      Location: Online
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      NOV
      AI Copywriting | Special Interest Group | Live Chat
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The Copywriter Code
Overview Conduct Practice Competencies About Register
Sign the Code
Free · no membership required

Sign the Copywriter Code

Read the Code in full, then put your name to it. Signing is a public commitment to a professional way of working — free, and open to anyone who writes for a living.

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What you're putting your name to

The Copywriter Code is two documents and 71 provisions. Nobody expects you to memorise it, but you shouldn't sign it having only read a summary either. Every section is here, in full, in the order it appears in the Code.

If a single provision gives you pause, that's the point of reading it. You can email the Standards Committee before signing — and if the Code changes, we'll tell you what changed and ask again.

71 provisions ·
Code of Conduct · v0.18 · 22 provisionsHow other people experience your integrity, fairness and judgement.
1.1
We uphold the highest professional standards in all working relationships. This includes being polite and courteous, respecting boundaries, and making ethical decisions that support our clients' best interests. This means acting with honesty, professional care, and regard for the client's legitimate objectives, rather than simply doing everything a client requests.
1.2
We recognise the limits of our professional expertise and understand when to seek support. We refer clients to specialists when projects exceed our competence, and we acknowledge when we don't know something.
1.3
We support our professional community through activities such as mentoring, providing honest feedback, sharing knowledge, and advocating for fair practices. We also support diversity and inclusion initiatives and consider environmental impact in our recommendations and working practices.
1.4
We are honest about our experience and expertise, and we represent our services and skills fairly. We do not plagiarise material or present AI-generated content as our own.
2.1
We have a duty to act in our clients' and employers' best interests at all times.
2.2
We communicate honestly about what's achievable within given budgets and timelines. We don't promise miraculous results or guarantee specific business outcomes beyond our control, but we do commit to delivering strategically sound work based on agreed objectives.
2.3
We maintain the confidentiality of client information, strategies, and proprietary data. We don't use confidential client information for our benefit or share it inappropriately with other clients or third parties.
3.1
We take care to ensure that our work is ethically and legally sound and does not contravene any relevant regulations.
3.2
We consider the impact of our work on public discourse, mental health, and societal well-being.
3.3
We do not propagate false claims on our clients' or employers' behalf or engage in deceptive practices. We ensure environmental claims are substantiated, specific and reflect genuine results.
3.4
We disclose if content is sponsored, promotional or shared as part of an agreement.
3.5
We refuse work that is illegal, deliberately deceptive, promotes hatred or violence, could endanger public health or safety, sexualises children, or promotes products or services that cause serious harm.
3.6
When assessing conduct under this provision, the Standards Committee will consider whether the products or services involved are legal and regulated, whether the copy itself was honest and compliant, and whether the copywriter exercised reasonable professional judgement.

The Code doesn't specify which industries or products to avoid; it relies on professional judgement. It requires copywriters to think carefully about the impact of their work and not create content that is illegal, deliberately deceptive, or that causes serious harm.

4.1
If we use AI tools, we do so transparently and responsibly as part of our professional toolkit, maintaining human oversight and strategic thinking throughout the creative process.
4.2
We remain accountable for all work delivered under our name, regardless of which tools were used to produce it. We do not misrepresent material that is entirely AI-generated as our own creation.
4.3
We stay broadly informed about AI capabilities and limitations, using these tools to enhance rather than replace professional judgement, audience understanding and strategic thinking.
4.4
We credit collaborative contributions appropriately, whether from AI, other creatives, subject matter experts or client input.
5.1
We advocate for fair pricing and project schedules that reflect the strategic value of our work, not just the time spent writing.
5.2
We don't accept unachievable deadlines that would compromise the quality of our work or our wellbeing*.
5.3
We help clients and stakeholders understand the research, planning and revision stages that create effective copy, advocating for the time and budget needed to do good work.
5.4
We recognise that professional copywriting has value, and we don't undermine the profession by encouraging unrealistic expectations about what can be delivered, how quickly, or at what cost.
5.5
What constitutes an unrealistic commitment depends on the specific circumstances. The principle requires honest communication with clients about what's achievable.

*For employed copywriters, this principle means advocating for the time, resources and process that good work requires, even when organisational pressures push toward shortcuts. This includes making the case for proper briefing, realistic timelines, appropriate review processes, and treating content as a professional discipline rather than an afterthought. We understand that employed copywriters can't always control these decisions, but we expect them to advocate for professional standards within their sphere of influence.

Code of Practice · v0.19 · 49 provisionsThe processes and working practices behind the writing. Part 1 applies to everyone.
1.1
Copywriters must represent their experience and results accurately. This means not overstating the scope, seniority or achievements of past work, not claiming credit for work they did not do, and not implying expertise or specialisms they do not hold.
1.2
Copywriters must maintain and develop their professional skills through continuing professional development and by staying up to date with legal, ethical and technological developments affecting our work.
1.3
Copywriters must work within the limits of their competence. This means taking on work they have the skills and experience to deliver, being honest about their capabilities, and recognising when a project requires expertise they don't have.
1.4
Copywriters must commit to ongoing professional development through structured learning, peer review and keeping up to date with legal, ethical and technological developments affecting our work.
1.5
Structured learning means activities with a defined learning objective and active participation, such as workshops, courses, structured mentoring, or peer review groups.
1.6
General CPD includes any professional activity that intentionally develops your knowledge or skills, such as industry reading, attending webinars, writing articles, peer feedback, or learning from challenging projects through reflective practice. CPD doesn't need to cost money.
2.1
Copywriters must maintain high standards of professional conduct throughout the duration of a project.
2.2
Copywriters must manage client expectations and communicate openly and proactively about project progress. They must highlight unrealistic deadlines before work begins, work to the agreed brief, and ensure that any changes to original agreements are documented and agreed by the appropriate stakeholders.
2.3
Copywriters must deliver copy, content and concepts in agreed formats, adhere to agreed approval processes, and report immediately any issues preventing the expected delivery of material.
3.1
Copywriters should base content decisions on evidence rather than assumptions. What counts as evidence will vary depending on the project, the client and the context – but the same principle applies in all contexts: effective copy and content addresses genuine needs.
3.2
For many projects, the most important evidence comes from the briefing process. Good copywriters don't just ask "what do you want to say?"; they dig into what the client's customers actually need to hear. This means understanding who the audience is, what problems they're trying to solve, what questions they ask, what language they use, and why they choose one provider over another.
3.3
Client expertise is evidence. Customer reviews and testimonials are evidence. Competitor messaging and sector knowledge are evidence. A conversation with someone who actually buys the product is evidence. None of this requires a formal research budget; it requires professional curiosity and the right questions.
3.4
The degree of evidence-gathering should be proportionate. A homepage redesign for a large organisation warrants more rigorous research than writing a page of website copy for a local business. But even on smaller projects, the principle holds: understand the audience before you write for them, and be able to explain why you made the choices you made.
3.5
On larger or longer-term projects, copywriters should measure and learn from content performance where practical, using this evidence to improve future work.
3.6
Copywriters working in multidisciplinary teams should engage actively with user research, collaborate with designers and developers, and contribute their expertise to shared decision-making. Content decisions should be defensible — based on evidence, aligned with strategy, and made transparently.
4.1
Copywriters must take full professional responsibility for all work delivered under their name, regardless of which tools were used to create it.
4.2
Copywriters must not deliver AI-generated content without substantive human review, refinement and validation. They must verify the accuracy, originality and appropriateness of any AI-generated content before delivery.
4.3
Copywriters must be honest with clients about their use of AI tools when asked, and should proactively inform clients if AI has played a substantial role in creating deliverables. They must respect client preferences regarding AI use.
4.4
Copywriters must not input confidential client information into AI tools without appropriate safeguards and client consent.
4.5
Pricing should reflect the value, complexity and professional judgement involved in the work, not just the time spent writing. But where AI has substantially reduced the professional input required, pricing should reflect this.
5.1
Copywriters must comply with all relevant data protection laws and regulations (including the UK GDPR, PECR and Data Protection Act 2018).
5.2
Copywriters must protect clients' confidential information and trade secrets. They must not disclose proprietary information without written permission, use confidential information for personal gain, or break the terms of non-disclosure agreements.
5.3
Copywriters must respect individual and corporate privacy, obtaining informed consent before including personally identifiable information in published content.
6.1
Copywriters must ensure that their work is legally sound and compliant with relevant regulations. This includes making sure that copy is legal, decent, honest, truthful and free from plagiarism.
6.2
Copywriters must ensure that all content delivered is original, accurate and free of plagiarised and/or copyright-protected material. They must ensure that concepts and content comply with all relevant advertising, marketing, and data protection regulations.
6.3
Copywriters working in regulated industries (including alcohol, children's products, financial services, food and drink, fundraising, gambling, healthcare, legal services, and political campaigns) must comply with the requirements of those sectors.
6.4
Copywriters working with environmental or sustainability claims must understand the specific requirements for substantiation and presentation. The ASA and CMA have published detailed guidance on green claims, and this area is subject to increased regulatory scrutiny.
6.5
Copywriters working on public-facing services, particularly in the public sector, should be aware of applicable service standards and design principles that may govern content decisions.
7.1
Copywriters must ensure their work is accessible to people with disabilities. This is both a legal requirement and a professional responsibility.
7.2
In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Public sector organisations have additional duties under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018. Many other contexts — including financial services, healthcare, and organisations serving the public — have enhanced accessibility expectations beyond the legal minimum.
7.3
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide the international standard for accessible digital content. Copywriters should be familiar with the principles relevant to written content and understand the level of compliance required for their context.
7.4
Copywriters must apply accessible writing practices: using plain language appropriate to the audience, structuring content logically with a clear heading hierarchy, writing meaningful link text, describing images with appropriate alt text, avoiding reliance on colour alone, keeping sentences and paragraphs manageable, and defining acronyms and technical terms.
8.1
Copywriters working in health, social care, financial difficulty, crisis services, or other sensitive contexts must take additional care to protect users who may be vulnerable, distressed, or facing critical decisions.
8.2
This includes applying trauma-informed principles: ensuring content doesn't re-traumatise or trigger distress, using plain language, making actions obvious, avoiding language that implies blame, and signposting support.
8.3
Content that supports critical decisions (medical choices, legal rights, financial commitments, safety planning) requires particular care: presenting options clearly, explaining consequences in concrete terms, allowing time for reflection, and making it easy to get human help when needed.

This section applies when the nature of the content or the context in which it will be used means readers are likely to include people in vulnerable circumstances.

Part 2 · Independent practiceExtra requirements for freelancers, contractors and agencies.
9.1
Independent copywriters must define and agree on the project scope in writing before commencing work. This includes objectives, deliverables, approval requirements, feedback and revision limits, and timelines.
9.2
Independent copywriters must establish clear pricing before work begins. They should define what constitutes reasonable revision requests versus scope expansion, and charge appropriately for additional work beyond the agreed-upon brief.
10.1
Independent copywriters must agree terms in writing with clients before commencing work. A written agreement doesn't need to be a formal legal document – a clear email confirming scope, deliverables, fees and key terms can be sufficient.
10.2
Written agreements should cover: parties to the contract, description of services and deliverables, fees and payment terms, timelines, sign-off process, confidentiality requirements, liability, intellectual property, termination clause, and dispute resolution.
10.3
Independent copywriters typically operate on a work-for-hire basis. Copywriters must highlight alternative arrangements (such as licensing content or retaining certain rights) to clients and specify them in contracts before work begins.
11.1
Professional indemnity insurance is recommended for independent professionals subscribing to this code. Public liability insurance is recommended if you meet clients in person or work from premises other than your own home.
11.2
Cyber insurance is recommended (some professional indemnity policies include cyber cover) if you:
  • store client data, customer information or sensitive documents on your own devices or systems
  • handle work in regulated sectors such as healthcare, financial services or legal
  • regularly input confidential client information into AI tools or other third-party platforms
  • manage client websites, email systems or other digital assets
  • work with large organisations that require proof of cyber cover.
12.1
Copywriters must be honest about their experience and expertise, displaying credentials and evidence wherever possible. Copywriters must represent their services and skills honestly and fairly.
12.2
Client and employer testimonials must be genuine and approved for use by the author.
13.1
Projects can fail for many reasons. Independent copywriters should prevent problems by ensuring briefs are clear and agreed in writing, documenting significant decisions, raising concerns early, and building review points into longer projects.
13.2
When difficulties arise, copywriters should understand the cause, review the original brief and agreement, propose specific solutions, and document communications. Contracts should specify revision limits.
13.3
Payment disputes should be handled systematically: invoice correctly, follow up promptly, escalate gradually, and understand your legal rights.
14.1
When working as a subcontractor, copywriters must treat all project information as confidential, apply the same professional standards regardless of who is paying, and raise concerns with the contractor rather than the end client.
14.2
When subcontracting work to others, copywriters remain accountable to their client for quality and delivery. They must vet subcontractors appropriately, provide clear briefs, review work before passing it to clients, and pay subcontractors according to agreed terms and within reasonable timeframes.

Confirm and sign *

We publish your name and status — and the business name, town or county and website only if you choose to add them. We publish nothing else, ever. Our lawful basis is legitimate interest in a public standards register; you can withdraw at any time and your record comes down.

You'll get a confirmation email. You're signing against Code of Conduct v0.18 and Code of Practice v0.19.

What signing gets you

  • A permanent record clients can check
  • The badge, or a text link, for your site
  • Your name on a public standards list
  • Free ProCopywriters membership

A directory listing isn't part of it — that's a paid benefit.

CPD comes with the Code

Practice 1.2 and 1.4 ask you to keep developing, and to be able to show it (20 hours a year, 5 structured). Your free membership includes the tools for both.

CPD log — record hours as you go

Competency assessment — find the gaps worth closing

What it isn't

Signing isn't a qualification and we don't check your experience or your work. It's a public statement about how you intend to work.

The Code is a working draft

Your record stores the version you signed. When the Standards Committee publishes a new one, we send you what changed and ask you to sign it again — you're never held to wording you haven't seen.

Read the Code of Conduct

Read the Code of Practice

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