diff --git a/web/react/components/edit_channel_modal.jsx b/web/react/components/edit_channel_modal.jsx
index 6f3826f75d..5b3c74e823 100644
--- a/web/react/components/edit_channel_modal.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/edit_channel_modal.jsx
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export default class EditChannelModal extends React.Component {
                 className='modal-title'
                 ref='title'
             >
-                Edit Header
+            {'Edit Header'}
             </h4>
         );
         if (this.state.title) {
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export default class EditChannelModal extends React.Component {
                     className='modal-title'
                     ref='title'
                 >
-                    Edit Header for <span className='name'>{this.state.title}</span>
+                    {'Edit Header for '}<span className='name'>{this.state.title}</span>
                 </h4>
             );
         }
@@ -105,11 +105,12 @@ export default class EditChannelModal extends React.Component {
                                 data-dismiss='modal'
                                 aria-label='Close'
                             >
-                                <span aria-hidden='true'>&times;</span>
+                                <span aria-hidden='true'>{'×'}</span>
                             </button>
                             {editTitle}
                         </div>
                         <div className='modal-body'>
+                            <p>{'Edit the text appearing next to the channel name in the channel header.'}</p>
                             <textarea
                                 className='form-control no-resize'
                                 rows='6'
@@ -125,14 +126,14 @@ export default class EditChannelModal extends React.Component {
                                 className='btn btn-default'
                                 data-dismiss='modal'
                             >
-                                Cancel
+                                {'Cancel'}
                             </button>
                             <button
                                 type='button'
                                 className='btn btn-primary'
                                 onClick={this.handleEdit}
                             >
-                                Save
+                                {'Save'}
                             </button>
                         </div>
                     </div>
diff --git a/web/react/components/edit_channel_purpose_modal.jsx b/web/react/components/edit_channel_purpose_modal.jsx
index d8102642e8..4d162cfe70 100644
--- a/web/react/components/edit_channel_purpose_modal.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/edit_channel_purpose_modal.jsx
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ export default class EditChannelPurposeModal extends React.Component {
             title = <span>{'Edit Purpose for '}<span className='name'>{this.props.channel.display_name}</span></span>;
         }
 
+        let channelTerm = 'Channel';
+        if (this.props.channel.channelType === 'P') {
+            channelTerm = 'Group';
+        }
+
         return (
             <Modal
                 className='modal-edit-channel-purpose'
@@ -81,6 +86,7 @@ export default class EditChannelPurposeModal extends React.Component {
                     </Modal.Title>
                 </Modal.Header>
                 <Modal.Body>
+                    <p>{`Describe how this ${channelTerm} should be used.`}</p>
                     <textarea
                         ref='purpose'
                         className='form-control no-resize'