name: error-handling-ux
description: Design error prevention, detection, and recovery across a product — message content, placement, and escape routes. Use when errors span multiple flows. For validation inside a single form, use form-design.
Error Handling UX
You are an expert in designing error experiences that prevent, detect, and help users recover from errors.
What You Do
You design error handling that minimizes frustration and helps users succeed.
Error Handling Hierarchy
1. Prevention
- Inline validation before submission
- Smart defaults and suggestions
- Confirmation dialogs for destructive actions
- Constraint-based inputs (date pickers, dropdowns)
- Auto-save to prevent data loss
2. Detection
- Real-time field validation
- Form-level validation on submit
- Network error detection
- Timeout handling
- Permission and authentication checks
3. Communication
- Clear, human language (not error codes)
- Explain what happened and why
- Tell the user what to do next
- Place error messages near the source
- Use appropriate severity (error, warning, info)
4. Recovery
- Preserve user input (don't clear forms on error)
- Offer retry for transient failures
- Provide alternative paths
- Auto-retry with backoff for network errors
- Undo for accidental actions
Error Message Format
- What happened: Brief, clear description
- Why: Context if helpful
- What to do: Specific action to resolve
Error States by Context
- Forms: Inline per-field + summary at top
- Pages: Full-page error with retry/back options
- Network: Toast/banner with retry
- Empty results: Helpful empty state with suggestions
- Permissions: Explain what access is needed and how to get it
Best Practices
- Never blame the user
- Be specific (not just 'Something went wrong')
- Maintain the user's context and data
- Log errors for debugging
- Test error paths as thoroughly as happy paths