By Mehdi HassanWhat should a CTA button say instead of 'Get Started'?
A CTA button should say what happens next and what the visitor gets, in as few words as possible. "Get Started" fails because it doesn't say what starts: a trial, a form, a sales call or a payment. The visitor has to guess, and guessing feels like risk.
The examples below are grouped by offer, so you can go straight to the type of button you're writing. They're starting points, not guaranteed winners: the best label depends on your headline, your audience and what's behind the click. For placement, design and hierarchy, see our full call to action guide.
- Conversion rate for 'Watch a Demo' in a widely cited Optimizely CTA test
- 1.59%
- Conversion rate for 'Get Started' in the same test
- 0.91%
That test is the one hard data point most CTA advice rests on. Its lesson is that a specific, lower-commitment ask beat a vague one, which is the principle behind every example in this list.
What is good CTA button text for a free trial?
Good CTA button text for a free trial names the trial and removes the fear of being charged or locked in. Put the length of the trial or "free" in the label, and the card or commitment detail in the line underneath.
- Start your free trial
- Try it free for 14 days
- Start free, upgrade later
- Create your free account
- Try it with your team
- Start building for free
- Open your workspace
- Start my free trial
- Try it on your own data
- Set up in 2 minutes
Labels like "Open your workspace" and "Start building" work for products where the trial is the product. They describe the first thing the visitor will see. Use them only if signup really lands the user inside the product, not on an onboarding survey.
What should a demo CTA button say?
A demo CTA button should make the demo sound short, useful and low pressure, because "Request a demo" signals a sales process. Practitioners consistently rate "Request a demo" and "Submit" among the weakest labels. Show what the visitor will see and how long it takes.
- See it on your data
- Watch the 3-minute demo
- Book a 20-minute walkthrough
- See a live demo
- Get a personalised tour
- Show me how it works
- Talk to a product expert
- See pricing for your team
- Book a call with an engineer
- Watch a demo
Offer two levels when you can: a recorded demo for visitors who aren't ready to talk, and a booked walkthrough for those who are. "Book a call with an engineer" suits developer audiences who distrust sales calls, as long as an engineer really joins.
Which call to action phrases work for a waitlist?
Waitlist call to action phrases work when they make joining feel like getting access early rather than signing up for marketing email. Say what the visitor reserves and, under the button, how often you'll email them.
- Save my spot
- Join the waitlist
- Get early access
- Request an invite
- Reserve my username
- Be first in line
- Join the beta
- Notify me at launch
What CTA copy works for downloads and lead magnets?
CTA copy for downloads works best when it names the asset and promises instant delivery. "Download" alone is fine, but "Get the pricing template" tells the visitor exactly what they're trading their email for.
- Get the checklist
- Send me the template
- Download the report
- Get the free guide
- Email me the PDF
- Get the swipe file
- Copy the spreadsheet
- Get instant access
The download page has to sell the asset before the button can work, which is why our guide to lead magnet landing pages covers previews, contents lists and form length.
What button copy works for pricing and purchase?
Button copy for pricing and purchase should confirm the choice the visitor just made and reduce the fear of paying. Name the plan, and use the line under the button for refund, cancellation or billing details.
- Choose Starter
- Start with Pro
- See all plans
- Compare plans
- Continue to checkout
- Get Pro for my team
- Buy now, cancel anytime
- Talk to us about Enterprise
What CTA should a services or agency site use?
A services site CTA should make the first conversation feel useful in itself, not like the start of a pitch. Name the length of the call and what the visitor walks away with.
- Book a free 30-minute call
- Get a fixed quote
- Tell us about your project
- See if we're a fit
- Get a second opinion
- Check availability
- Get a project estimate
- Send us your brief
"Check availability" works well for studios and consultants with limited capacity, because it frames the call as scarce and practical. If the buttons are fine but the page around them isn't, our guide to homepage-only redesigns explains when fixing one page is enough.
What CTA works for newsletters and communities?
A newsletter or community CTA should say what the reader gets and how often, because "Subscribe" alone sounds like more email. Name the content or the group, and put the frequency under the button.
- Get the weekly teardown
- Send me new issues
- Join 1 email a month
- Join the community
- Get the founder notes
- Read along every Friday
- Join the Slack group
- Follow the build
Replace the number in "Join 1 email a month" with your real frequency, and only promise a cadence you actually keep. If you aren't sure how to explain what readers get, our guide to explaining a complex product applies to newsletters too: say the outcome, then the format.
Which get started alternatives fit which situation?
The right get started alternative depends on what the visitor is committing to. Use this table to pick a direction before choosing exact words from the lists above.
Offer behind the button | Better than 'Get Started' | Why it works | Line under the button |
|---|---|---|---|
Self-serve trial | Start your free trial | Names the offer and the price | No credit card required |
Sales-led demo | See it on your data | Promises relevance, not a pitch | 30 minutes, no slides |
Recorded demo | Watch the 3-minute demo | Low commitment, time stated | No signup needed |
Waitlist | Save my spot | Feels like reserving, not subscribing | One email at launch |
Lead magnet | Get the checklist | Names the asset | Instant download |
Paid plan | Start with Pro | Confirms the choice | Cancel anytime |
Services | Book a free 30-minute call | States length and cost | You'll talk to the person doing the work |
How to write your own label when none of these fit
Write the sentence a visitor would say if they clicked: "I want to ___." Fill the blank with the most specific outcome you can honestly promise, then cut it to two to five words. "I want to see how this would work for my accounting team" becomes "See it for your team".
Then read it next to the headline. The label should feel like the natural answer to the headline's promise. If the headline promises faster month-end closes and the button says "Sign up", the link between them is broken. Finally, check that the next screen matches the label exactly.
When you've picked a label, look at the rest of the page. If you have several buttons asking for different things, our guide to how many CTAs a page should have helps set the hierarchy, and our guide to conversion microcopy covers the reassurance line under each button. For page-level patterns, our SaaS homepage examples show how strong sites set up their CTAs.
