Concepts
Error
- Prefer using the following terms in error messages
Unable to
Incorrect / Not valid
Stop
Failed to
Invalid
Abort, kill, terminate
- Be precise
Write out the reason that cause the problem. Avoid writing “there was a problem”. - Don’t blame the user
Write in the passive form when the user is the subject and might feel blamed for the error. - Write conversational
Don’t write only keywords but write out full sentences. - Write “please”, and use the pronoun “we” if the error was caused by the system
Success
- Don’t write “successfully” for normal system behavior
- Write “successfully” for complex and important actions performed by the user