# Casper Copywriting > Carousell Copywriting Skill - Skill: `thanhhapham/casper-copywriting` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add thanhhapham/casper-copywriting` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/thanhhapham/casper-copywriting/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: thanhhapham (https://skillmd.com/u/thanhhapham) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/thanhhapham/casper-copywriting --- # Carousell Copywriting Skill ## Overview This skill helps you write, audit, and generate copy that aligns with Carousell's content style guide. It supports three core workflows: 1. **Audit existing copy** — Check copy against Carousell standards, explain issues, suggest alternatives 2. **Generate new copy** — Create 2-3 options with different tones/angles so you can pick the best fit 3. **Handover gate** — Quick 5-rule checklist before copy ships to engineering --- ## Core Rules The full rule set is the single source of truth in [copy.md](copy.md) — Carousell's complete content style guide. Read it before auditing or generating copy. It covers: - Grammar & mechanics — sentence case, simple past tense, no periods on CTAs, no Oxford comma, contractions, numbers, currency - Tone & voice — active voice (with the notification/error passive exception), "please"/"sorry" usage, they/them pronouns, no slang - Special formatting — quotation marks for exact UI text, "and" not "&", links, slashes, promo codes - Carousell terminology — Listings, Store, Buyers, Mobile number, Meet-up (noun) vs meet up (verb), Listing form - Professional Seller capitalization rules - Directing users without relying on "button" or colour - Error messages, empty states, notifications, microcopy patterns, tone calibration by context The quick 5-rule checklist below is the fast gate-check derived from that guide — use it for handover, not as a replacement for the full guide. --- ## Three Workflows ### 1. Audit Existing Copy **When to use:** Someone asks "review this copy", "audit these messages", "is this on-brand?", or you say "handover" **Output format depends on context:** #### Quick Handover Checklist (5 rules) When the trigger is **"handover", "ready for eng", "before we ship"**, I run a fast gate-check: 1. **Sentence case only** — No Title Case or ALL CAPS 2. **No unnecessary "please"** — Only when Carousell's at fault 3. **Use contractions** — "You're", "don't", "we've" sound friendlier 4. **Active voice** — "We're investigating" not "The issue is being investigated" 5. **Carousell terminology** — "Listings", "store", "buyers", not "items", "shop", "customers" Each rule shows ✓ or ✗, and if failed, a one-line fix. --- #### Full Detailed Audit (everything in the guide) When the trigger is **"audit this copy", "review for quality", "polish this messaging"**, I go comprehensive: For each issue found: - **What's wrong** (with example) - **Why** (reference to the guide + rationale) - **2-3 alternatives** with tone/style notes (e.g., "Option A sounds friendlier, Option B is more direct") - **Rationale** for each alternative Example output structure: ``` Original: "Please adjust the price of your items" Issues: ❌ Unnecessary "please" — not Carousell's fault, can sound harsh ❌ "Items" is vague — Carousell standard is "listings" Why? Per the guide: avoid "please" unless making users fix something because of our fault. Here the user is choosing to adjust pricing. Also, "listings" is the standard term. Suggested alternatives: A) "Adjust the price of your listings" — Direct, conversational B) "Update your listing prices" — Slightly more formal, emphasizes ownership C) "Change your prices" — Most concise, action-focused ``` --- ### 2. Generate Copy **When to use:** "Write copy for...", "Help me come up with...", "What should this button say?" **Output:** 2-3 solid options, each with a different angle or tone. For each option: - The copy itself - **Tone/angle** (e.g., "Friendly", "Action-driven", "Minimal") - **Use case note** (when this option works best) - **Key decisions** (what Carousell rules it follows) Example: ``` Brief: CTA for daily digest email (bundled notifications) Option A (Friendly): "View all your messages" Tone: Conversational, welcoming Use when: You want users to feel like we're checking in with them Key points: Contraction implied ("You can view..."), active voice, no "please" Option B (Action-driven): "Check your new messages" Tone: Direct, slightly urgent Use when: You want a sense of timeliness/newness Key points: "New" adds urgency, "check" is crisp, simple past potential Option C (Minimal): "Read your messages" Tone: Clean, no frills Use when: Space is tight or tone should be neutral Key points: Shortest option, still active voice, accessible verb ``` --- ### 3. Handover Gate (Quick Mode) **When to use:** You mention "handover", "ready for eng", "shipping this", "QA this copy" **Output:** A pass/fail checklist on 5 key rules, flagged issues get a one-liner fix. ``` ✓ Sentence case ✓ No unnecessary "please" ✗ Contractions — should be "You've reached" not "You have reached" ✓ Active voice ✓ Carousell terminology ``` If all pass: "Ready to ship!" If issues: List them with quick fixes. --- ## How to Use This Skill ### Ask the skill to audit copy ``` "Can you audit this copy against Carousell standards?" [paste copy] "Is this ready for handover to eng?" [paste copy] ``` ### Ask the skill to generate copy ``` "Write a CTA for a listing detail page that encourages sharing" "Generate copy for an error state when someone exceeds their upload limit" "What should this notification say?" ``` ### Ask the skill to explain a rule ``` "Why do we use contractions?" "When is passive voice OK?" "What's the difference between 'meet-up' and 'meet up'?" ``` --- ## Edge Cases & Context ### When Professional Seller rules apply If copy mentions "Professional account", "Professional seller", "account types", or seller tier switching: - Flag capitalization (must be "Professional" and "Personal", not lowercase) - Example: "You've been switched to a Professional account" ✓ vs "You've been switched to a professional account" ✗ Passive-voice exceptions, contraction edge cases, and currency/number formatting (including per-market ranges and time formats) are covered in [copy.md](copy.md) — that's the canonical version if you spot any discrepancy with older notes elsewhere. --- ## What to Reference This skill's workflows point to [copy.md](copy.md), Carousell's complete content style guide, covering: - Grammar & mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, tense, numbers, currency) - Tone & voice (active voice, contractions, emotional language) - Special cases (links, quotation marks, directing users) - Carousell terminology (listings, store, buyers, etc.) - Professional seller rules - Context-specific guidance (notifications, errors, empty states, serious contexts, tone calibration) When you ask why a rule exists, I'll explain the rationale from the guide (readability, consistency, friendliness, accessibility, brand coherence). --- ## Tips for Best Results 1. **Paste the full context** — If you're auditing copy for a specific screen or feature, give me the headline + body so I can check consistency 2. **Tell me the context** — Is this a notification? A CTA? Help text? The guide has nuances for each 3. **Tell me your audience** — Carousell users range from teens to elderly, so "no slang" is crucial 4. **For generation**: Tell me the tone you want or the use case — I'll tailor the options 5. **Ask follow-ups** — If you don't like an option, tell me why and I'll riff on it --- ## Known Limitations - This skill doesn't cover **long-form copy** (blog posts, articles) — it's optimized for short-form (product UI, notifications, CTAs, help text) - It doesn't do **translation or localization** for other Carousell markets (SG, MY, PH, etc.) — it assumes English - It doesn't make **strategic brand decisions** (e.g., should we call ourselves "Carousell" or just "we"?) — just enforcement of existing guide rules