The Copywriter Code
The Copywriter Code / Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct

Professional principles for how we work, collaborate, and contribute to our industry.

"This code is built on the understanding that copywriting is skilled intellectual work that demands a foundation of specific knowledge, ongoing professional development, and a high degree of professional consistency."

Understanding this code

The Code of Conduct establishes the professional principles that guide how copywriters behave, collaborate, and contribute to our industry.

It recognises that copywriters in different settings will have differing degrees of control. For example, copywriters working within agencies may not decide schedules, deliverables, or deadlines.

Code of Conduct: Principles-based guidance on how we behave — our values, attitudes, and professional relationships.

Code of Practice: Detailed standards on what we do — specific requirements for project management, compliance, and business operations.

Read the Code of Practice →

The Principles

Five principles that define professional copywriting conduct. Click any principle to explore.

Professional copywriters demonstrate competence through measurable experience, continued learning and ethical practice. We define competence as having completed substantial paid work for multiple clients over at least two years, or equivalent experience gained through formal training programmes, internships or mentored practice.

We commit to ongoing professional development through structured learning, peer review and staying current with legal, ethical and technological developments affecting our work. This includes understanding advertising standards, data protection laws, accessibility requirements and emerging AI applications.

While many copywriters are generalists when it comes to content topics or industries, we maintain professional boundaries by referring clients to specialists when projects exceed our competence. We acknowledge when we don't know something and seek appropriate guidance.

See also: Regulatory obligations in our Code of Practice

We establish clear, fair pricing that reflects the strategic value of our work, not just the time spent writing. We educate clients about the research, planning and revision stages that create effective copy and we price accordingly.

We define project scope precisely before commencing work, including what constitutes reasonable revision requests versus scope expansion. Self-employed copywriters charge appropriately for additional work beyond the agreed brief, and adhere to agreed terms relating to revisions and amendments.

We honour agreed timelines while maintaining quality standards and promptly communicate when circumstances affect delivery schedules. We don't accept unachievable deadlines.

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. We remain accountable for all work delivered under our name, regardless of which tools assisted in its creation.

We credit collaborative contributions appropriately, whether from AI, other creatives, subject matter experts or client input. We don't claim sole authorship of genuinely collaborative work, nor do we minimise our strategic contribution when tools contribute to the output.

We stay broadly informed about AI capabilities and limitations, using these tools to enhance rather than replace professional judgement, audience understanding and strategic thinking.

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.

We maintain confidentiality regarding 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.

We challenge client requests that could be harmful, misleading or legally problematic, offering alternative approaches that ethically achieve their objectives. We don't simply execute unsound strategies without raising concerns about potential consequences.

We strive to elevate professional standards by supporting emerging practitioners through mentoring, honest feedback and knowledge sharing. We don't deliberately undermine other professionals through unfair pricing or unprofessional conduct.

We consider the broader impact of our work on society, declining projects that promote harmful stereotypes, misleading claims or discriminatory practices.

We contribute to a more sustainable industry by advocating for fair practices, supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives, and considering environmental impact in our recommendations and working practices.

Related resources

Code of Practice
Competency Framework
Enforcement & Accountability

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