§Definition Content Optimisation

Readability

How easily a reader can understand written content, shaped by sentence length, structure, vocabulary, and formatting.

ID
SS-DF-085
Confidence
Established · 82
Evidence
Established
Updated
2026-07-08

Definition

How easily a reader can understand written content, shaped by sentence length, structure, vocabulary, and formatting.

Readability is the measure of how effortlessly content can be read and understood, influenced by clear sentences, plain vocabulary, logical structure, and scannable formatting such as short paragraphs, lists, and subheadings. Highly readable content keeps users engaged, improves comprehension, and makes passages easier for AI systems to extract and cite accurately. Rather than chasing a specific readability score, the aim is to match the complexity to the audience while keeping the writing clear and direct.

Recommended next steps

    See the wider capability Existing Asset Optimisation Capability