Illustration for Content & copy marketing skills
Content & copy skill · v0.2.0

Copy editing skill

Edit existing copy for clarity, specificity, proof and flow with a structured review pass.

Free · MIT licence · Copy needs a free sign-in

Category
Content & copy
Works with
Claude, Codex, Cursor, any agent
Format
SKILL.md · 1,473 words
Version
v0.2.0
Price
Free · MIT

The Copy editing skill file

cmo-copy-editing/SKILL.md1,473 words · MIT
---
name: cmo-copy-editing
description: Edit existing copy for clarity, specificity, proof and flow with a structured review pass.
---

Improve copy that already exists without turning it into someone else's copy. The method is a series of focused passes, each looking at one thing (clarity, voice, relevance, proof, specificity, feeling, risk), because one read that tries to fix everything misses most of it. Every edit has a reason the author can see, and the author keeps the final say.

When to use

  • "Edit", "polish", "proofread", "tighten", "review my copy", "this reads awkwardly".
  • A page, email, post or ad is basically right but flat, long, vague or unconvincing.
  • After cmo-copywriting or cmo-blog-writing produced a first draft.
  • If the text is mainly AI-sounding, run cmo-humanize first.

Not for: copy whose message is wrong or missing (cmo-copywriting, or cmo-positioning if the positioning is unclear), page layout and conversion testing (cmo-page-cro), refreshing an outdated blog post (cmo-content-refresh) or Maggie's drafts in CMO.so (cmo-draft-review).

Sign in to see, copy and download the whole skillIt's free. Copying also upvotes and saves it, so you'll find it again under Saved.
Preview: the workflow, output, example, quality bar and guardrails unlock when you sign in.

Adapts open work by alirezarezvani/claude-skills (MIT), chatwoot/chatwoot (MIT), wondelai/skills (MIT).

Everyday usage

How people use Copy editing day to day

Ask in plain words. The agent picks this skill, asks for anything it needs and hands back the result. Words in a highlight are yours to change.

Most common · also on the Content & copy page

Copy editing

An edited version with the core message intact

Ask your agentEdit this copy
  • An edited version with the core message intact
  • A change log: each significant edit with the sweep it came from and why
  • A health summary and the open items only the author can supply

More things to ask

  • Edit the wording of this email before I send it
  • Tighten this up
  • This reads awkwardly, can you fix it?
  • Proofread and polish this
  • Too wordy, cut it down
  • Give me feedback on this page copy
How it works

From input to output

  1. 1You give it
    • The copy to edit (pasted text, a file or a page URL)
    • Its goal: the reader and the one action it should drive
    • Brand voice notes or a sample the user likes, if any
  2. 2It works through the method
    • Asks what's missing, one question at a time
    • Follows the workflow step by step
    • Checks the result against its quality bar and guardrails
  3. 3You get
    • An edited version with the core message intact
    • A change log: each significant edit with the sweep it came from and why
    • A health summary and the open items only the author can supply
Why a skill

The skill against the alternatives

Do it yourselfHire helpCopy editing skill
CostYour own timeAgency or freelancer feesFree, MIT licence
Time to a first resultHours, every timeDays to weeks, plus revisionsMinutes, in your agent
ConsistencyDepends on remembering every stepAs long as the retainer lastsSame steps and checks every run
The methodIn your headTheir process, often hiddenWritten down: read it, change it
Who does the workYou, from scratchSomeone learning your businessYour agent, following the skill
FAQ

Questions about the Copy editing skill

What it does, what it needs and how to use it with your agent.

Still not sure?Try it free on your own website and see the first posts before you decide.
Start free
What is the Copy editing skill?

Edit existing copy for clarity, specificity, proof and flow with a structured review pass.

It's one of cmo.so's open Content & copy skills: a SKILL.md file that tells an AI agent when to use it, what to ask you first, the steps to follow, the checks to pass and what to hand back, so the job is done the same careful way every time.

When should I use it?

Reach for it when you'd otherwise say something like “Edit this copy”, “Edit the wording of this email before I send it”, “Tighten this up”. Your agent reads the skill's description and picks it for requests like these, so you don't need to name it.

If a request is close but not quite right, the skill says so and points to the related skill that fits better, instead of forcing a poor answer.

What do I need to give it?

It works best with the copy to edit (pasted text, a file or a page URL); its goal: the reader and the one action it should drive; and brand voice notes or a sample the user likes, if any.

You don't have to prepare everything up front. The skill asks for missing pieces one at a time and says plainly when it's working from an assumption instead of your data.

What do I get back?

You get an edited version with the core message intact; a change log: each significant edit with the sweep it came from and why; and a health summary and the open items only the author can supply.

Every result comes from a written method with a quality bar, so numbers name their source, claims are checked and the output is ready to use or share rather than a rough draft.

Is it free?

Yes. The skill is open source under the MIT licence, so you can use it, change it and share it, including for client work.

Seeing, copying and downloading the whole file on cmo.so needs a free sign-in. Copying also upvotes and saves it, so you can find it again under Saved on the skills page.

Which AI agents can use it?

Claude Code installs it from the cmo.so marketplace. Any agent that reads SKILL.md folders, such as Codex or Cursor, can use it once the folder is in its skills directory.

You can also paste the copied skill into ChatGPT, Claude or any assistant at the start of a conversation and ask it to follow the skill.

How do I install it?

In Claude Code, run /plugin marketplace add AI-Marketing-OS-LTD/cmo-so-skills, then /plugin install cmo-so-content@cmo-so. That installs this skill together with the rest of the Content & copy group.

For other agents, sign in, press Copy or Download above and put the file in your agent's skills folder as SKILL.md inside a folder named after the skill.

Do I need a cmo.so account to use it?

No. The skill works on its own with whatever your agent can already see and do: your files, the pages you share and the data you paste in.

A free cmo.so account only matters if you also want Maggie to plan, write and publish your marketing every day.

Which skills work well with it?

It pairs well with Conversion copywriting; and Humanise AI writing. The agent can hand over from one to the next in the same conversation, for example research first, then the plan, then the writing.

Each of them has its own page with what it needs and what it returns, linked below.

Can I change it to fit my business?

Yes. It's a plain Markdown file, so you can edit the steps, add your own checks and examples, and keep your version in your own repo. The MIT licence allows it.

If your change would help others too, suggest it on the skills page or open a pull request on GitHub, and it may be folded into the library for everyone.

Where does the method come from?

It's written by cmo.so and adapts open work by others, credited on this page: alirezarezvani/claude-skills (MIT); chatwoot/chatwoot (MIT); and wondelai/skills (MIT).

Only permissively licensed work is adapted; copyleft repos are used for ideas only and repos without a licence aren't used at all.

Is my data sent to cmo.so when the agent uses it?

No. The skill only guides your own agent; your files, documents and data stay wherever your agent and its tools keep them.

cmo.so only sees what you connect to cmo.so. Your votes and saves on this page are stored against your cmo.so sign-in.

Ready when you are!

Rather have Maggie do it for you?

Enter your website. Maggie uses the same playbooks to plan, write and publish your marketing every day.

  • Free plan, no card needed
  • You decide what goes out
  • Cancel any time

Start with your website

Free to start. No card needed.

Welcome back.

Sign in to cmo.so.

or
At least 8 characters.
New to cmo.so? Have an account? Prefer a password?

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.