4 things I do to every AI draft before a client sees it
Four things I do to every AI draft before a client sees it. The whole routine takes about ten minutes now, and it exists because I got caught out by all four at least once.
1. I check for invisible characters.
AI tools leave formatting characters in the text that have no width on screen. Zero width spaces, soft hyphens, directional marks. You cannot spot them, and turning on formatting marks in a word processor does not reveal them either. That is the trap. They break site builders, make your word count come back wrong, and cause imports to fail for no obvious reason.
2. I check how hard the text is to read.
Readability runs on a scale from zero to one hundred, higher meaning easier. Web writing wants sixty or above, roughly an eighth to ninth grade reading level. AI drafts routinely come back well under that, because the model reaches for long sentences and formal vocabulary by default.
3. I fix the rhythm.
When every sentence lands at the same length, readers pick up on it even if they cannot explain why. Split the long ones, merge the short ones, and read a paragraph aloud to hear whether your breathing falls into a pattern.
4. I leave it overnight.
This is the only step that costs nothing and it catches more than the rest put together. What you wrote this morning and what you read tomorrow are not the same thing.
Three of those four I do on one site. The fourth just needs you to be patient enough to walk away for a day, and nobody can do that part for you.
In working with AI-generated drafts, I've learned that attention to detail is crucial for delivering high-quality content that resonates with clients. One of the most subtle but impactful issues is the presence of invisible characters such as zero width spaces, soft hyphens, and directional marks. These hidden symbols can cause unexpected formatting errors on websites and disrupt word counts, leading to confusing discrepancies. Tools like Humantone.io help identify these hidden symbols efficiently. Another key step is assessing readability. AI models often default to complex sentence structures filled with formal vocabulary, which reduces the accessibility of the content. Using readability scoring tools to aim for a score above 60 ensures the text is clear enough for a broad web audience, typically aligning with an eighth to ninth-grade reading level. Simplifying language does not mean dumbing down but rather making your message more engaging and easier to follow. The rhythm of the text plays a surprisingly important role in reader engagement. AI drafts often have uniform sentence lengths, creating a monotonous flow that readers unconsciously notice. Breaking up longer sentences, combining very short ones, and reading your text aloud can help create a natural cadence. This practice keeps the content dynamic and maintains the reader’s interest. Finally, the most underrated step is to leave the draft overnight before making the final edits. This pause allows you to return with fresh eyes and a clearer perspective, often leading to catching mistakes or awkward phrasing missed during initial revisions. Although this requires patience and cannot be rushed, it consistently improves the quality of the final draft. These four steps—checking invisible characters, improving readability, adjusting rhythm, and taking time away—form a reliable routine that transforms raw AI drafts into polished, client-ready content. By integrating these practices into your workflow, you not only reduce technical and stylistic errors but also ensure the tone feels genuinely human, bridging the gap between AI assistance and authentic communication.
