Guide
Lorem Ipsum alternatives, and when to use each.
Classic Lorem Ipsum is the right filler most of the time — but not all of the time. The right placeholder depends on what the mockup is trying to test.
The comparison
| Placeholder | Tests well | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Lorem Ipsum | Layout, spacing, typography, hierarchy — the default for a reason | Reads as “unfinished” to non-designers; can undersell a polished pitch |
| Themed ipsum (startup, coffee, hipster) | Voice and register — how the design feels with on-brand-sounding words | Sounds plausible, so it is easier to ship by accident; stakeholders may quote it back at you |
| Real draft copy | Content-first design, editorial layouts, anything where words carry the product | Feedback drifts to the writing; drafts harden into “final” copy nobody approved |
| Structured sample data | Apps, tables, dashboards — realistic names, dates, prices in the real format | Takes effort to build well; fake-looking data (John Doe × 40) tests nothing |
| Repeating one line (“text goes here”) | Almost nothing | Uniform word lengths hide every real layout problem: wrapping, overflow, ragged edges |
A simple rule of thumb
Ask what the review is for. If the meeting is about the design, remove meaning: classic Lorem Ipsum. If it is about tone — a brand voice, a menu, a pitch — match the register with themed ipsum and accept the small risk of it being quoted. If the content is the design, as in editorial and product UI, write real draft copy or realistic data and review that instead. The mistake is not choosing Lorem Ipsum; it is choosing filler that tests something other than what you are deciding.
Whichever you choose, keep the discipline the classics teach: mark it, seed it if your team shares drafts, and search for it before anything ships. Our generators live on the homepage, and the traditional passage is on the classic text page.