How to write a call to action: button text that says what happens next
A call to action should tell people exactly what happens when they press it: "Book a 30-minute call", "See this week's menu", "Get a quote by email". Choose one primary action per page, give it the strongest visual weight, and make every secondary link clearly secondary. If the button text would make sense on any website, it's too vague.
The rule: name the outcome
People hesitate before they click when they're unsure what will happen next. Will this take payment? Open a form? Start a call? A button that names the result removes the doubt. The same principle sits in accessibility guidance: WCAG's link purpose criterion asks that people can tell what a link does from its text or its immediate context, which matters most to screen-reader users moving from link to link without the surrounding page.
A quick test: read the button with nothing around it. "Submit", "Learn more" and "Click here" tell you nothing. "Send my enquiry", "Read the full menu" and "Download the price list (PDF)" tell you everything.
Examples by goal
| Goal | Vague | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | Book now | Choose a time |
| Consultation | Contact us | Book a free 20-minute call |
| Quote | Get started | Get a quote within a day |
| Newsletter | Subscribe | Send me the monthly guide |
| Shop | Shop now | See this season's plants |
| Purchase | Buy | Buy the guide and download it |
| Directions | Find us | Get directions to the shop |
"Book now" isn't wrong; on a page that's plainly about booking, it may be enough. The specific version earns its extra words when the next step involves something people worry about, such as time, cost or commitment.
One primary action per page
Every page should have one action you most want people to take, and it should look different from everything else: the filled button in the site's action colour. Secondary actions ("See prices", "Read reviews") can be outlined buttons or text links. When three buttons share the same weight, none of them leads.
- Pick the page's primary action from what visitors came to do there.
- Write the button text as the outcome, in the visitor's words, ideally two to five words.
- Place it where the decision happens: after the price, after the service description, at the end of the reviews, as well as near the top.
- Add a short reassurance line beneath it where useful: "No payment until we confirm", "Takes about a minute".
- Make the next screen match the promise. If the button says "Choose a time", the next thing they see should be times.
Buttons or links
- Button
- For the main action, and for anything that submits a form. It should look pressable: filled, with enough contrast and padding to hit easily on a phone.
- Link
- For moving to more information. Inline text links should read as part of the sentence, with descriptive text instead of "here".
Calls to action on an Anticode site
Every Anticode design system uses one action colour, chosen from red, orange, gold, green, teal, blue, pink or black, and reserves it for actions, which keeps the primary button visibly primary. You can change the action colour in the visual editor and edit button text in place. Buttons connected to features do what their wording should promise: with a payment link connected, pricing and buy buttons open your checkout; a booking button leads to the booking calendar.
Because the build drafts button text from your request, saying what the main action is ("the main button should book a consultation") produces better first versions. Check that every button still says what happens next after any change. The call to action design guide covers the visual side, and button design covers states and sizes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Clever wording: "Let's make magic" makes people guess what it does.
- Pressure tactics: fake countdowns and "only 2 left" when it isn't true damage trust and may break consumer rules.
- Identical buttons that do different things: two "Get started" buttons, one opening a form and one a pricing page.
- A button for every section: by the fifth, people stop seeing them.
Questions people ask
How many calls to action should a page have?
One primary action, repeated where it makes sense, plus a few clearly secondary links. Several equal buttons compete with each other.
Is "Get started" a good call to action?
Rarely. It doesn't say what starts. Replace it with the actual first step, such as "Create your plan" or "Book a call".
Should a call to action use first person, like "Send me the guide"?
It can read well, especially for sign-ups. Either voice works if it names the outcome; keep the choice consistent across the site.