Introduction
This page gives you quick prompts to help you simplify your draft, follow our house style and check for gaps before sending content to the web team. Using these steps first will speed up publishing and reduce rewriting later.
Write clearer web content with Copilot (and why it matters)
Writing for the web is different from writing for reports, emails or briefings. Online users skim, scan and search - they don’t read every word. That means our website content needs to be:
- short
- clear
- structured
- written in Plain English
- free from jargon and unexplained acronyms and abbreviations
- easy to understand for a reading age of around 9-11 years.
When services send content to the web team for publishing, it often arrives too long, too complex, or full of specialist language, and the web team has to rewrite it. This can feel like we're undoing your hard work but, in reality, we’re shaping it to meet usability standards and accessibility law. We're not changing the message, we're just making sure your audience can understand it.
To reduce friction (and speed things up for everyone), we're asking services to use Copilot to simplify drafts before sending them to us.
Why use Copilot before sending content to the web team?
Using Copilot helps you to:
- cut down unnecessary words while keeping the meaning
- bring the reading age down to an accessible level without sounding childish
- break up long text with useful headings and bullet points
- remove jargon and explain required terminology clearly
- align content with our writing style and accessibility guidance.
This means the web team can focus on shaping and checking - not rewriting from scratch - and the publishing process becomes much smoother for everyone.
How to use Copilot effectively
Before sending your content to the web team use one or more of the Copilot prompts below.
Copy and paste one of the prompts into Copilot followed by your draft text. You can find Copilot in the left-hand menu of Teams:
Step 1. Simplify my draft
Once you have simplified your content, you should check that it still offers the customer the information they need, in the format they need it in.
This should always be your first step before sending content to the web team.
Prompt:
Rewrite the text below in clear, plain English for a council website.
Aim for a reading age of around 9-11 years.
Remove jargon, simplify sentences, and break up long paragraphs.
Add helpful headings and bullet points.
Keep the meaning accurate.
Here is the text:
[PASTE YOUR TEXT HERE]
Step 2. Check for missing information (gap check)
Once you have simplified your content, you should check that it still offers the customer the information they need, in the format they need it in.
Prompt:
I’m creating content for the council website.
Here is the user context:
Who the user is: [describe your user]
What they need to do: [describe the task]
What they might already know: [describe their starting point]
What they might find confusing: [describe any barriers]
Please identify:
- any gaps or missing information
- anything unclear, contradictory or confusing
- anything that isn’t relevant to the user’s task
- opportunities to simplify or shorten the content.
Then provide a revised version that fixes these issues.
Here is my draft content:
[PASTE YOUR TEXT HERE]
Step 3. Check if the content meets user needs
These prompts can help to further refine the content, after you’ve completed Step 2.
Prompt:
Analyse the text below against these questions:
- Does it help the user complete their task quickly?
- Is any background information unnecessary?
- Is the most important information at the top?
- Are the steps clear and easy to follow?
Please provide a revised version based on your analysis.
Here is the text:
[PASTE YOUR TEXT HERE]
Step 4. Turn complex service information into a simple user journey (optional)
If your content has task-based information in it, where the user needs to 'do' something, it’s useful to break that task down into simple steps.
Prompt:
Here is some service information.
Rewrite it as a simple, step-by-step user journey that explains:
- what the user needs to do
- when they need to do it
- what they need to provide
- how long it will take
- what happens next.
Here is the text:
[PASTE YOUR TEXT HERE]
Step 5. Final quality check
Prompt:
Review this as if you were a resident visiting the council website.
Point out:
- anything you don’t understand
- anything too long, too wordy or too formal
- anything that feels like internal process.
Then rewrite it to make it as clear and task-focused as possible.
Here is the text:
[PASTE YOUR TEXT HERE]
Other useful ways to use Copilot in your daily work
Below are simple prompts that you can use to speed up everyday tasks, improve clarity, and reduce admin time, however, you must never include sensitive data or personal information.
1. Summarise long documents
Summarise the following text in clear, Plain English.
Keep only the key points people need to know.
Here is the text:
[PASTE TEXT]
2. Turn technical information into something residents can understand
Rewrite the text below so it’s easy for a resident to understand.
Remove jargon and explain any technical terms simply.
Keep it factual and neutral.
[PASTE TEXT]
3. Draft emails
Write a clear, friendly and professional email that says the following:
[OUTLINE WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY]
Keep the tone polite and concise.
4. Create briefing notes
Turn the following information into a short, structured briefing note with headings and bullet points.
Make it easy to skim-read.
[PASTE TEXT]
5. Turn messy notes into something usable
Rewrite these notes into a clear, structured summary with headings and bullet points.
Remove repetition and guess the intended meaning if anything is unclear.
[PASTE NOTES]
6. Create checklists or step-by-step guides
Turn the following information into a simple step-by-step guide or checklist.
Use bullet lists where possible.
Use Plain English.
[PASTE TEXT]
7. Improve the tone of a message
Rewrite the text below to sound more polite, professional and positive, while keeping the meaning the same.
[PASTE TEXT]
8. Rephrase something diplomatically
Rewrite the following message in a polite, neutral tone suitable for internal communication, while keeping the key points.
Write in Plain English.
[PASTE TEXT]
9. Analyse feedback or survey comments
Summarise the main themes in the feedback below.
Group similar comments together and highlight any significant issues or trends.
[PASTE FEEDBACK]
10. Create short social-media-friendly versions
Rewrite the text below as a short, clear post suitable for social media.
Use Plain English and add a clear call to action.
No longer than [insert number] characters.
[PASTE TEXT]
11. Help with internal reports
Rewrite the following text to be clearer, more concise and easier to understand.
Keep all important details but reduce unnecessary wording.
[PASTE TEXT]
12. Turn long emails into action points
Read the email below and extract only the actions, who they belong to, and any deadlines.
[PASTE EMAIL]
13. Rewrite for specific audiences
Rewrite this message for the following audience, (for example, frontline staff/senior managers/new starters/residents).
Keep the meaning but adapt the tone and detail.
[PASTE TEXT]
When not to use Copilot
AI (artificial intelligence) can speed up your work, but there are situations where you should not rely on it. Please avoid using AI in the following cases:
1. When handling personal, confidential or sensitive information
Do not paste anything into Copilot that contains:
- personal details about residents or staff
- case notes
- addresses or contact details
- health or social care information
- financial or legal details
- safeguarding concerns
- anything that could identify a real person.
Instead, summarise the situation in general terms with no names or identifiers.
2. When creating or reviewing formal legal, financial or statutory content
AI should not be used to:
- draft legal wording
- write contracts or tenancy agreements
- interpret legislation
- prepare statutory notices
- provide financial advice
- confirm compliance on its own.
Always involve the correct service such as legal, finance or people services.
3. When content needs professional judgement
Don't use AI for decisions that require human assessment, especially in:
- safeguarding
- social care
- housing eligibility
- enforcement
- complaints handling
- regulatory functions.
AI can help summarise or explain information, but not make or guide decisions.
4. When accuracy is critical and must be exact
Avoid AI for:
- policies
- official statements
- technical instructions
- anything where incorrect details could have consequences.
Use AI only to rephrase, not to generate facts.
5. When working with confidential internal information
Don't paste:
- unpublished reports
- budget information
- internal discussions
- commercially-sensitive data
- procurement details
- draft policy proposals.
Instead, describe the topic in neutral terms or use acronyms if you need help with structure or tone, but need the copy to remain confidential.
6. When you need a definitive source
AI is not a source of truth.
It can summarise *your information, but:
- don’t rely on it for factual accuracy
- don’t use it to confirm regulations, deadlines or eligibility rules
- don’t treat AI text as 'approved' content.
Always verify against official documents and seek confirmation from a service specialist.
7. When the task is quicker to do yourself
Examples:
- writing a one-line email
- adding one sentence to a webpage
- changing a date or opening hours.
AI is helpful, but don’t use it when it slows you down.
8. When the tone needs to be highly sensitive
Avoid AI for:
- condolence messages
- disciplinary matters
- performance issues
- delivering difficult news
- mediation or conflict resolution.
These require a human touch.
Before sending content to the web team
Please make sure you have:
- used one or more of the prompts above
- checked the reading age (Copilot can assess your finished content and provide this information)
- removed acronyms and jargon
- added headings and bullet points
- cut any internal or process-heavy detail users don't need
- kept the content task-focused (how a user can do something, not what the service does).
This helps us publish your information faster and reduces the need for heavy rewriting later.
Find out how to submit website changes or intranet changes.