Good Error Messages

Error situations are critical for usability for two reasons:

1. they represent situations where the user is in trouble and may not be unable to achieve the desired goal and
2. they present opportunities for helping the user understand the system better since the user is usually motivated to pay some attention to the contents of error messages, and since the computer will often have some knowledge of what the problem is.

Error messages should basically follow four simple rules, they should be:

1. phrased in clear language and avoid obscure codes (i.e. Speak the Users Language);
2. precise rather than vague or general;
3. constructive thereby helping the user solve the problem; and
4. polite and not intimidate the user or put the blame explicitly on the user.

To supplement good error messages, systems should also provide good error recovery (i.e. Clearly Marked Exits).

Instead of putting all potentially useful bits of information in all messages, it is possible to use shorter messages that will be faster to read (i.e. Shortcuts) as long as the user is given easy access to a more elaborate message.  The most common way is to implement multilevel messages.  They have only two levels and supplement the short initial message with a button that can be clicked for more information.

Error messages should normally not reflect mysterious internal states of the computer that are completely incomprehensible to the regular user even though the information may help specialized support staff locate and fix the problem.

Choose Another Heuristic

Return to Home Page