Why lorem ipsum ruins a homepage design

Key takeaways

Lorem ipsum on a homepage design hides the most important problem: whether the message works. Placeholder text always fits, so layouts look finished until the real copy arrives and breaks them. Design with real or rough draft words. Rough words give designers, clients and reviewers something honest to react to, which keeps the rework down.

• Dummy text always fits, and real copy rarely does.
• Reviewers cannot judge a page with no meaning.
• Rough real words beat polished Latin.
• Never let placeholder text reach a live page.

Why does lorem ipsum cause problems in homepage design?

Lorem ipsum makes a layout look complete when the thinking is not. Its neat line lengths hide the fact that real headlines wrap differently, real proof may not exist and sections may have no point. Teams then approve the appearance of a page, not the message it has to deliver.

• How to create a high-converting homepage for an SME
• Content-first web design: write the words before the layout
• Write a first homepage draft in one sitting

What goes wrong when the real copy arrives?

Headlines run to two lines and push the button down. Short service names leave gaps in a three-column layout. Proof sections look empty. Each problem reopens the design at the most expensive time. A short section that seemed to work beautifully in Latin may not survive contact with your actual content.

• Fix the words or the design? Where homepage problems sit

What should you use instead?

Use your rough draft, even if the words will change. If the copy truly does not exist, write realistic stand-ins: an actual headline of the expected length and likely sentence in each section. Mark them as draft, so nobody mistakes them for approved text. Honest rough content is enough for design.

• Homepage wireframe: plan the page before the design
• A homepage copy template you can fill in

How does placeholder text reach live sites?

It slips through when pages are built before content is ready, or when a template's demo text is overlooked in a section nobody checked. Search your site for 'lorem', 'ipsum' and 'sample' before launch, then check Google with a site search. It damages trust immediately when buyers see it.

• Placeholder text left on a live website: find and fix it
• Website launch checklist: before, during and after

When is dummy text acceptable?

It is acceptable when testing a type scale or component in isolation, where the meaning is irrelevant. Designers may use it for this kind of system work. It is not acceptable in anything a stakeholder is asked to approve, or for any page whose success depends on what it says.

• A design system for a small business website

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern worth recognising: a design is signed off in Latin, the copy arrives two months later and three of the seven sections no longer fit. Asking for rough drafts before design starts would have cost a few hours, instead of a further round of paid revisions.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Homepage placeholder text checklist

• Draft rough copy before design.
• Mark stand-in text as draft.
• Use a realistic headline length.
• Refuse to approve Latin layouts.
• Search for 'lorem' before launch.
• Check template demo pages too.

• A homepage photo shot list for a half-day shoot
• Hand a homepage design to a developer

Next step

Search your website for 'lorem ipsum' and your template's sample phrases right now. It takes a minute, and the result may surprise you.