Article

Error-Message Guidelines

Tim Neusesser and Evan Sunwall (Nielsen Norman Group) · Nielsen Norman Group Free Beginner

Nielsen Norman Group is the closest thing to a standard reference in usability, and this piece is a clean, specific checklist for turning a scary or vague error into something a user can actually act on. It groups the patterns into visibility, communication, and efficiency, with concrete phrasing rules like describe exactly what went wrong, offer a fix, and never blame the user. It is a good starting point you can hold your own error copy up against, not abstract theory.

  • Say precisely what went wrong and what to do about it: a bare An error occurred leaves people stuck, so pair the problem with a next step.
  • Put the message right next to the field or element that caused it, in plain language, and never phrase it as the user's fault.
  • Preserve what the user already typed and anticipate common mistakes so they can correct one thing instead of starting over.
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The question it answers

  1. How do I write clear button and error messages so users know exactly what to do next?

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