How to Give Feedback When Proofreading Copy

Proofreading is more than just spotting typos – it’s a chance to help writers sharpen their message, tone and clarity. Whether you’re reviewing a colleague’s work or editing for a client, knowing how to give effective feedback is key. Constructive proofreading not only improves the copy but also supports stronger communication and better collaboration. 

Understand the purpose of the copy

Getting an understanding of what the purpose of the copy is will enable you to give relevant, fair and constructive feedback, regardless of the topic or subject. If, for example, the content is designed to be persuasive and there aren’t any elements of it that are deemed to be persuasive, then your feedback would include ways to make the piece more persuasive. But it’s important that you understand the purpose of the piece and the direction the content creator is coming from before giving feedback that could be useless or unnecessary.

Start with all of the positive elements of the piece

Content creators will be far more open to feedback if it’s somewhat balanced. While I understand that this can largely depend on the overall quality of the content written, it’s always a good idea to come up with some positive feedback before giving constructive criticism. Not only does it make the writer feel more validated in their work, but it also develops a sense of trust between yourself and them. It shows that you’re not just out there to criticise, but you’re there as support instead. 

Be objective & specific

Vague feedback doesn’t help anyone. It’s not constructive. Making vague comments like “this doesn’t work” or “this feels off” leaves the issue open. Where does the writer go from there? It makes their job harder. If you want to see a difference in the content they’re writing, you need to be specific and objective. Pinpoint what isn’t working and explain why that is. Focus on how the copy could be better to achieve its goal and offer some alternatives or suggestions where appropriate. 

Flag grammar & spelling mistakes, but promote clarity

Yes, catching typos and grammar mistakes is important, but don’t get bogged down in small stuff if the overall structure or messaging needs attention. Big-picture issues should take priority in your feedback. Use tools like Grammarly or SpellCheck, but don’t rely on them, because they aren’t always correct and they’re never provided with context. Trust your human instinct and training as a writer yourself.

Ask questions instead of dictating changes 

Instead of issuing commands, pose questions that encourage the writer to think critically about their choices. This invites collaboration rather than resistance. You can put your constructive criticisms of a piece into a question. For example, instead of saying “put a stat here”, pose the same suggestion as “would it strengthen your argument to include a stat or example here?”, and go from there.

Ensure comments & markups are clear

Make your feedback easy to follow. If you’re working on Google Docs, for example, use the comment features it offers to highlight specific text and leave notes that way. Avoid vague references like “the paragraph above” when you can directly point out and refer to the exact excerpt you’re talking about. Use consistent formatting if you’re working outside of tools with makeup features, such as brackets or bold text, to highlight the changes made, or the changes that should be made by the writer during the editing phase of the content creation process.

Don’t overdo it

You must respect the writer’s voice. It’s tempting to rewrite things your way, but the goal of proofreading is to support the writer’s voice, not replace it with your own. Suggest improvements without overshadowing their style, especially if it’s creative or a branded piece of content. You could ask yourself, for example, “is this change necessary for clarity or correctness, or is it just personal preference?”.

Summarise key suggestions

At the end of the feedback-giving process, offer a summary of changes to be made to add clarity to the situation for the writer. It’s seen almost as a to-do list. It helps the content creator to tick things off as they go along, ensuring they don’t miss anything. It also prevents them from becoming too overwhelmed if the suggestions made are considerable. 

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