---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-call-to-action.md
title: "Tell readers what to do with the information"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; original synthesis in our own words"
license_family: usgov
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide, US government work, public domain; GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive, Do your research, US government work, public domain."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "Editorial checklist only; not tested with readers. Sources fetched and evidence checked."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "write-comm"
tags: [plain-language, call-to-action, write-comm, top-tasks]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide"
    publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    url: https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "Do your research"
    publisher: GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/audience/do-your-research.md
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Tell readers what to do with the information

**Answer:** Include one or more calls to action for the primary audience: tell them what you want them to do with the information you've given them.

## What counts as a call to action (CDC Clear Communication Index)

- A specific behavior.
- A prompt to find more information.
- A request to pass information to someone else.
- A broad call for change.

Even if the purpose is only to inform, think about why the audience needs this information, and turn that insight into a call to action. Both the main message and the call to action should use the active voice.

## Tie it to the reader's task

The Federal Plain Language Guidelines note that people come to government websites and services with a specific task in mind; if the content doesn't help them finish that task, they get frustrated and may leave.

## See also

- [plain-one-main-message](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-one-main-message/)
- [plain-explain-why-and-how](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-explain-why-and-how/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: CCI asks for one or more calls to action.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Does the material include one or more calls to action for the primary audience?"

- id: C2
  claim: Tell the audience what to do with the information.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Tell the primary audience what you want them to do with the information"

- id: C3
  claim: Even informational material needs a reason-based call to action.
  source: S1
  evidence: "think about why they need this information"

- id: C4
  claim: People arrive with a specific task.
  source: S2
  evidence: "People come to government websites and services with a specific task in mind."

## Sources

- [S1] CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] Do your research. GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/audience/do-your-research.md . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: US federal government works (GSA, GPO, SEC, CDC), public domain in the United States; third-party quotations inside those works were not used. Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).