Code of Practice
A way with words isn’t enough. This code defines the craft behind the creativity — the processes, systems and working practices that make a creative a professional.
Professional competence
Clients and employers can’t see your thought process. They judge your competence by what you deliver and how you work. This section covers the experience, learning and self-awareness that underpin professional credibility.
Pro+ membership is open to copywriters with at least two years’ professional copywriting experience, or equivalent experience gained through formal training programmes, internships or mentored practice.
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.
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. The Competency Framework can help you assess your own strengths and identify areas for development.
Continuing professional development
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.
| Membership type | Annual CPD requirement | Structured learning minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Pro+ | 20 hours | 5 hours |
| Accredited | 35 hours | 10 hours |
Structured learning means activities with a defined learning objective and active participation, such as workshops, courses, structured mentoring, or peer review groups. General CPD includes any professional activity that intentionally develops your knowledge or skills. CPD doesn’t need to cost money. See our CPD guidance for full details and examples.
Project management
Most project failures aren’t about the writing; they’re about miscommunication, unclear expectations, or problems that weren’t flagged early enough. This section covers how we manage the work around the work.
Copywriters must maintain high standards of professional conduct throughout the duration of a project.
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.
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.
Evidence-based practice
Opinion is easy. Evidence is harder — and more valuable. This section covers how we ground our content decisions in research, data and user needs rather than guesswork or personal preference.
Copywriters should base content decisions on evidence rather than assumptions. This means understanding user needs, testing content where possible, and iterating based on what works.
The depth of research and testing will vary by project. A homepage redesign warrants more rigorous evidence-gathering than a single social post. But the principle applies throughout: effective content serves real user needs, not just business wishes or personal preference.
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.
Copywriters should measure and learn from content performance where practical, using this evidence to improve future work.
Using AI tools
AI can speed up how we work, but it can’t replace what we know. This section covers how we use AI tools responsibly, including when to disclose, what counts as substantive review, and how to price fairly.
Copywriters must take full professional responsibility for all work delivered under their name, regardless of which tools were used to create it.
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.
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.
Copywriters must not input confidential client information into AI tools without appropriate safeguards and client consent.
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.
Data protection, confidentiality and privacy
Clients share sensitive information because they trust us with it. This section covers our obligations under data protection law and our professional duty to keep confidential information confidential.
Copywriters must comply with all relevant data protection laws and regulations (including the UK GDPR, PECR and Data Protection Act 2018).
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.
Copywriters must respect individual and corporate privacy, obtaining informed consent before including personally identifiable information in published content.
Regulatory and legal compliance
Copy that breaks the rules can cost your clients and employers money, reputation and trust. This section covers your responsibility to make sure the work is legal, truthful and compliant, especially in regulated sectors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
International regulations: The regulations referenced in this code are UK-specific. If you work with international clients or produce content for audiences outside the UK, be aware that other jurisdictions may impose different or additional requirements, particularly around data protection, advertising standards, accessibility, and sector-specific regulation. If you’re unsure, advise your client to seek local legal or regulatory guidance.
Accessibility
Accessible writing isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a legal requirement and a core professional skill. This section covers what the law expects and what good practice looks like.
Copywriters must ensure their work is accessible to people with disabilities. This is both a legal requirement and a professional responsibility.
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.
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.
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.
Writing for vulnerable users
When someone is in crisis, in debt, or facing a difficult decision, the words we choose matter more than usual. This section covers the additional care required when your audience may be vulnerable or distressed.
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.
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.
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.
This section provides additional requirements for freelancers, contractors, agencies and other self-employed copywriters. If you are employed by an organisation, you don’t need to follow these provisions — they’ll typically be handled by your employer.
Scoping and pricing work
Most freelance disputes start with a vague brief or an unspoken assumption. This section covers how to define the work, agree on the price, and protect both sides before you start.
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.
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.
Contracts
A handshake isn’t a contract. This section covers what your written agreements should include and why they matter, even with clients you trust.
Independent copywriters must agree terms in writing with clients before commencing work.
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.
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.
Insurance
If something goes wrong, insurance is the difference between a professional setback and a personal financial crisis. This section covers what you need and when.
Independent professionals subscribing to this code must hold professional indemnity insurance. Public liability insurance is also required if you meet clients in person or work from premises other than your own home.
Cyber insurance is also recommended (some professional indemnity policies include cyber cover) if you store client data or sensitive documents on your own devices, handle work in regulated sectors, regularly input confidential client information into AI tools or other third-party platforms, manage client websites or digital assets, or work with large organisations that require proof of cyber cover.
Self-promotion
Your website, portfolio and LinkedIn profile are promises to potential clients. This section covers how to make sure those promises are honest and verifiable.
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.
Client and employer testimonials must be genuine and approved for use by the author.
Managing disputes
Even good working relationships hit problems sometimes. This section covers how to prevent disputes and how to handle them when prevention isn’t enough.
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.
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.
Payment disputes should be handled systematically: invoice correctly, follow up promptly, escalate gradually, and understand your legal rights.
Subcontracting and white-labelling
Working through another copywriter or agency doesn’t change your professional obligations. This section covers accountability, confidentiality and fair treatment when you’re part of a chain.
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.
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.
Ready to commit?
Pro+ members subscribe to The Copywriter Code and demonstrate their commitment to professional standards.
Join as Pro+