The Seven Sweeps

Trying to fix everything in one pass doesn't work. You'll catch clarity issues while missing proof problems, restructure paragraphs while ignoring voice shifts, and produce shallow fixes across every dimension instead of a deep fix on any one. The seven-sweep method runs seven separate passes, each looking for one specific problem. Each pass is fast. Together they catch what a single pass would miss.

The order matters. Each sweep builds on what the previous one fixed.

Sweep 1: Clarity

The reader should never have to re-read a sentence to understand it. Look for nested clauses, ambiguous pronouns, undefined jargon, and missing context.

Flag [VAGUE] for ambiguous claims. Flag [JARGON] for unexplained terms.

A sentence that requires two readings is a sentence that most readers will skip entirely. Clarity comes first because every other sweep assumes the copy is at least understandable. You can't evaluate whether a sentence earns its space if you can't tell what it says.

Sweep 2: Voice and tone

The copy should read as one person. Catch shifts in formality, mismatched register, and tone collisions between sections. Identify the dominant voice and standardise everything to it.

A hero section that sounds like a confident founder followed by a features section that sounds like a corporate committee is a voice failure. The reader registers the shift even if they can't name it. It feels like the page was written by different people, because it was.

Sweep 3: So what

Read each sentence and ask "so what?" aloud. If you can't answer in one sentence, the copy hasn't earned its space.

Flag [DEAD-WEIGHT] for sentences that add nothing new. Flag [FEATURE-NOT-BENEFIT] for sentences that describe the product instead of the user's outcome.

This is the sweep that produces the most cuts. Most copy contains 30 to 50 percent dead weight: hedge phrases, restatements, filler openers, and sentences that repeat the headline in different words. After this sweep, the copy should be noticeably shorter and every remaining sentence should answer "so what?" with a concrete response.

Sweep 4: Prove it

For every claim, ask: how would I verify this? Adjectives without proof go in this sweep.

Flag [TELL-NOT-SHOW] for unearned adjectives. Flag [NO-PROOF] for claims with no number, scenario, or reference.

This is the sweep most commonly skipped and the one that produces the biggest improvements. "Powerful analytics" without proof is a claim. "See which features drive retention in under 30 seconds" with a screenshot is proof. Every sentence that makes a claim must either prove it or be rewritten to show it.

Sweep 5: Specificity

Generic copy is invisible copy. "Teams use our product to be more productive" could describe any product on earth. Which teams? How productive? Replace every generic with the specific.

Flag [GENERIC] for vague claims.

After this sweep, every noun should be specific enough that the reader can picture it. "Teams" becomes "5-person engineering teams at Series A startups." "More productive" becomes "ship twice a week instead of twice a month." The specifics are what make copy feel real.

Sweep 6: Emotion

Does the copy land emotionally? Does the hero make the reader feel something: recognition, hope, or urgency? Or is it information without temperature?

Flag [FLAT] for sentences that have no emotional weight where they should.

Not every sentence needs emotional charge. Spec sheets and documentation can be neutral. But a hero section, a CTA, and a testimonial callout all need to make the reader feel something. This sweep checks whether the emotional beats land where they're supposed to.

Sweep 7: Zero risk

What would make a hesitant reader walk away? Friction phrases, unclear commitments, and missing reassurance. This is the sweep where you add the qualifiers: "free," "no card," "cancel anytime."

Flag [FRICTION] for phrases that increase reader hesitation.

The reader who made it this far is almost convinced. The zero-risk sweep removes the last barriers. If the CTA says "Sign up" without explaining what "signing up" commits them to, the cautious reader bounces. "Start free, cancel anytime, no card required" answers every question they're too lazy to email about.

Why the order matters

The temptation is to fix issues as you spot them. Kill clarity problems while checking for proof, restructure paragraphs while tightening voice. Don't. Each sweep is a single lens. Mixing lenses produces shallow fixes.

The order is designed so each sweep builds on the previous one:

1. Clarity makes the copy understandable.
2. Voice makes it consistent.
3. So what removes the dead weight.
4. Prove it backs up the claims.
5. Specificity replaces the generic with the concrete.
6. Emotion adds temperature.
7. Zero risk removes the last barriers.

Complete all the flagging in a sweep before doing any rewriting. After all seven sweeps, resolve every open flag before publishing.

The quick-pass version

For a fast, time-pressured pass, do three sweeps: Clarity, So what, and Prove it. These three catch most of the damage. Make sure the reader can understand it, make sure the reader cares, and make sure the reader believes it. The other four are polish.