Make instructions easier with AI, but keep the button names recognizable.

Name the audience, preserve the actual labels and split the actions. Then check that the intended reader can follow the result.

Ask for common words and one action per step, while preserving exact interface labels and necessary conditions. W3C WAI recommends clear vocabulary and separated instructions in its supplemental cognitive accessibility guidance. A rewrite alone does not establish accessibility.

Start with the task and the labels

Our fictional task is saving an open document as a PDF. The interface label is “Save as PDF”. Ask AI to keep that label unchanged instead of replacing it with a friendlier phrase that the reader cannot find.

1. Open the document

For this example, begin with the document you want to save. In a real guide, include any prerequisite the reader needs rather than assuming it is obvious.

2. Choose “Save as PDF”

Use the same label as the hypothetical interface. Tell the reader what to select and, if the actual product asks for it, where to save the file.

3. Check the saved file

Open the saved PDF and check that it contains the expected document. This is our added verification step, not a claim that every product uses the same workflow.

Check meaning as well as simplicity

Compare the rewrite with the real task: who acts, what they choose, which conditions apply and what counts as finished. Ask an intended reader to try the actual procedure. A shorter sentence or lower reading score cannot replace that check.

Published October 14, 2026. Task and interface labels are fictional; we checked label consistency only. No AI rewrite tool, product workflow or reader accessibility study was tested.

Sources: W3C WAI · Clear words · W3C WAI · Separate instructions.