Writing Problem Messages

Discover ways to write error messages that are helpful and not frustrating to users
Writing Problem Messages Lesson

User interfaces can run into issues from time to time. Links might break, credentials may be rejected, or pages could become unresponsive — the possibilities are endless. The good news is that most errors can be prevented, or at least their impact minimized, saving your product and brand image from serious damage. Think of error messages as superheroes — they can come to the rescue when things go wrong. If written well, they can ease frustration and keep users calm.

According to the Nielsen Norman Group, effective error messages should be clear, concise, polite, precise, constructive, and human.[1]

What is an error message?

From the moment a user lands on your product to the last step where they subscribe, enroll, or check out, there are a whole lot of things that can go unexpectedly. For instance, links might be broken, users may fill in the wrong details or upload the wrong formats, or pages might be unresponsive. In any such scenario where things do not go as planned, it is vital to keep users informed of what is going on. Error messages perform the role of keeping your users in the loop on what went wrong in a polite, helpful, and solution-oriented way.

Prevent errors before they happen

Sure, error messages can be of great help in guiding users to the next step after an error occurs, but what if these errors never occurred in the first place? As they say, prevention is certainly better than cure. Thinking from your users’ shoes is an integral part of UX writing because it helps you anticipate and prevent all that can go wrong even before it does.

Before moving on to writing good error message copy, the focus should be on writing helpful microcopy in the form of hints, labels, and tooltips that prevent these errors from occurring. For instance, if you know that users are prone to mistyping the expiry dates on their cards, offering a clear MM/YY placeholder text can help clear up any confusion.

Pro Tip! What error messages are most triggered on your site or app? Finding out can help you amend the microcopy in this area to make it clear and less likely to elicit user errors.

Tell users what went wrong Bad Practice
Tell users what went wrong Best Practice

Error messages communicate that something has gone wrong to users. Helpful error messages go one step further and let them know what has gone wrong and how to fix it. Imagine that a user has entered the wrong password to their account. In the absence of a helpful error message, they are likely to develop resentment from having to figure out why they are unable to log in. Letting them know that their password is incorrect or that the input field is case-sensitive can allow them to rectify the situation easily and get past the error.

Pro Tip! While writing an error message, ask yourself, "What information would I most urgently need as a user to rectify this situation?"

Write clear and concise error messages Bad Practice
Write clear and concise error messages Best Practice

Error messages are not a place to demonstrate your literary skills. Often, users are already on edge when they encounter an error. An error message that is lengthy, confusing, or unhelpful is likely to push them to the point of never wanting to come back to your product.

A clear and concise error message is one that:

  • Uses as few words as possible while making sure that the meaning of the message is intact
  • Is easy to understand at a glance
  • Does not use technical jargon or high-level language
  • Tells the user what to do next

Keeping it short and explicit achieves the dual objective of grabbing your users’ attention while adopting a tone that is not domineering or high-handed.

Any form that waits until after a user clicks on the Submit button to point out any errors is likely to be abandoned by them. What can you do as a UX writer to prevent this? You can offer inline validation on every input field of your form so that users know immediately when they make a mistake and what they should do to correct it. Inline validation adheres to the Nielsen Norman Group’s guideline of offering constructive advice in error messages and is likely to improve your form completion rates.[2]

Keep these general guidelines in mind when opting for inline validation:

  • Make sure that the validation result is displayed next to the input field.
  • Make sure that it appears immediately once an input field is filled.
  • Use the right colors: green for success and red for failure.
  • Use clear, concise, and conversational language.[3]

Pro Tip! You do not have to use inline validation for every question and input field — just select the ones that users most commonly mistype, get wrong, or struggle with, such as e-mail addresses, passwords, or usernames.

Create helpful 404 pages Bad Practice
Create helpful 404 pages Best Practice

According to the principles of gamification, users always want to feel like they’re making progress.[4] A 404 error page impedes that sense of progress, especially since more often than not, 404 pages give them little to no information and send them back to where they came from.

You can make 404 error pages useful by:

  • Designing a customized error page for your product that is in line with the rest of your pages and elements in terms of design, color, brand voice, and tone.
  • Using a simple, apologetic tone to explain that the page could not be found and why. You can do this by going through your log files to find the most commonly mistyped URLs and offering them as a hyperlinked list below the apologetic error message. Or, you could perform a spell check and show any relevant pages that do exist.
  • Providing a search box so that users can find what they were looking for in the first place without having to get the exact URL right.[5]
Don’t make users feel bad Bad Practice
Don’t make users feel bad Best Practice

The internet is expansive and there are likely a thousand products out there that your user could choose instead of yours. So what sets you apart? Ideally, the user experience that your product provides should be the distinguishing factor. If all the other copy on your product is friendly and polite, but your error messages are rude and grating on the user, they’re most likely to look for other products that are, well, nicer.

Taking a condescending or dogmatic tone in your error messages is a surefire way to lose users left and right. Instead, try to politely explain what went wrong and what they can do to fix it without making them feel stupid. This way, even if they’ve made a mistake, they’re less likely to feel bad about it. They’ll stick around because you’ve given them a solution in a warm and friendly way.

Use human language Bad Practice
Use human language Best Practice

An error message, like all other copy on your product, is a conversation between you and your users, even if it is conveyed automatically. It is you that is speaking to your users through these messages, not a robot — and your language should reflect the same. Using words like "unauthorized," "restricted," or a baffling string of numbers and characters without providing any context makes you appear detached and robotic.

Using human language, on the other hand, allows you to connect with your users and makes them feel secure and supported throughout their journey.

Pro Tip! A good way to check if your error message sounds human is by reading it out loud and checking if it sounds natural and conversational.

Avoid ALL CAPS

USING ALL CAPS IS THE VIRTUAL EQUIVALENT OF SCREAMING AT PEOPLE! It isn’t just rude and aggressive, but it also makes reading difficult for your users. By using all caps, you’re reducing the shape contrast of your text, making it less likely that users take note of and read the information that you’re trying to highlight. For this reason, using all caps can negatively impact accessibility for users with visual impairments or reading difficulties, like dyslexia. Research also shows that reading speed is reduced by 13-20 percent when the text is in all caps.[6]

Using all caps is only acceptable when reading is minimal and not too lengthy, such as in the case of logos and headlines.

Use humor mindfully Bad Practice
Use humor mindfully Best Practice

Humor is a tricky tool to use in UX writing. You may think you’re being humorous to lighten the mood but may end up getting on users’ nerves if you don’t do it right and accidentally cross a line.

The line between being funny and offensive is thin, but it can be identified by simply treating your users with respect. Do not mock them or call them out on their mistakes unnecessarily. Also be sure not to offend any racial, religious, or cultural sentiments. And if you’re not sure if a joke will land with your audience, it’s best to not use it at all.

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