Messages consist of up to two sentences to communicate the system's current state and provide feedback on user actions. This pattern is commonly found in components like Inputs or Alerts.
General
Keep it as short as possible while still being descriptive enough. Also, remember there’s a 240-character limit per message.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Provider could not be saved due to a technical issue | We faced an unexpected issue while attempting to save the provider. There might be several reasons for this, such as server downtime or network errors |
| Check this option | Check this |
| Select at least one option | Select at least one |
| Products could not be imported because the CSV file is invalid | Something went wrong |
Don't use technical language.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Invoice could not be sent due to a technical issue | Error 298dx9283 prevented the invoice from being sent |
Reuse messages (or their structure) whenever possible.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Collection exported successfully | The collection was successfully exported. |
| Provider could not be saved due to a technical issue | A technical issue prevented the provider from being saved |
| Enter this information | This field is required |
| Check this option | This option needs to be checked |
| Select at least one option | At least one option needs to be selected |
Don't use personal pronouns.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Account created successfully | Your account was successfully created |
| Double-check the password | You entered the wrong password. |
Use an objective and neutral tone.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Invoice could not be sent due to a technical issue | Oops, something went wrong, and the invoice could not be sent |
| Products could not be imported because the CSV file is invalid | Please upload a valid CSV file |
| Account created successfully | Account successfully created! |
| Log in to your Admin | Hello. Log in to your Admin |
| Double-check the password | Unfortunately, the password is incorrect |
| Enter this information | Please enter this information |
Use common contractions.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Provider couldn't be saved due to a technical issue | Provider could not be saved because of a technical issue |
Use punctuation only when a larger message is extremely necessary.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| The store is being edited live. Changes will have immediate effect. | The store is being edited live and changes will have immediate effect. |
| File could not be processed because its size is larger than 10MB | Sorry, your file is too large. To avoid errors, try files under 10 MB. |
| Collection deleted successfully | Collection deleted successfully! |
| Double-check the password | The password is incorrect, please try again. |
| Upload an image up to 5 MB | This file is too large, please upload an image with 5MB at most. |
Use sentence case, but capitalize proper nouns.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Collection exported successfully | Collection Exported Successfully |
| Notifying Intelligent Search indexer | Notifying intelligent search indexer |
Specific
For the error texts in a form field, start with an imperative verb.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Complete this field | This field is required |
| Check this option | This option needs to be checked |
| Select at least one option | At least one option needs to be selected |
In modals that confirm actions, personal pronouns, and question marks can be used.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| This action can’t be undone. Are you sure you want to delete this product? | Do you want to delete this product? This can't be undone. |
For consistency, place the adverb “successfully” at the end of the phrase.
| Do ✅ | Don't ❌ |
|---|---|
| Order placed successfully | Your order was successfully placed |
| Collection exported successfully. | The collection was successfully exported |