Website Style Guide

Error Message and Form Validation Text - Writing for the Web

There will be several common types of error message.

404 Page Not Found

This type of message will appear if the user has typed (or followed a link to) a url that does not exist. Sage.com has a good example - http://www.uk.sage.com/generic/error/404.asp.

Database error message

This type of message will appear when there has been a database error on an Active Server Page (ASP).

Login trouble-shooter

This type of message will appear when a user has attempted to access a secure area of sage.com but has been denied access. Our Reseller community has a good example - http://www.sagesoft.co.uk/reseller/aut_login_cb.asp (leave both fields blank and attempt to access three times).

Form validation

This type of message will appear when a user has filled out a form field that does not meet the required format or other validation criteria.

These and all other error messages should follow the guidelines below.

When writing error messages:

Do:

• Be polite.
• Be precise - try to tell the user exactly what has gone wrong.
• Be constructive - offer advice on how to solve the problem.
• Make error messages clearly visible.
• Educate the user - so that they don't make the same error again.
• Preserve as much of the users work as possible - i.e. don't reset form fields.

Don't:

• Use technical jargon or references in error messages.
• Blame the user - that is, don't tell the user that "you have entered incorrect data".
• Use colour to identify an error - for example, don't colour a form field in red if that field has been filled in incorrectly - the user may be colour blind and won't see the change or they may simply not notice it.

There are additional guidelines available on Jakob Nielsen's Use It website:

Error Message Guidelines
Improving the Dreaded 404 Error Message