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Messages

Messages component contains important information to alert users to take a certain actions.

Do's

  • keep the message brief and clear
  • use consistent messages for the same information/success/warning/error throughout your site

Don'ts

  • overuse messages - users may ignore them and they can get in the way of a user completing their task
  • write messages that are neutral. For example, instead of The postal code you entered is invalid, the message should say Please enter a valid postal code

When to use

  • when the information is essential to convey to the users in order to go to the next step
  • success message: the user has performed an action which was successfully completed
  • warning message: the user needs to know about the potential dangers of completing their task (for example: "you are about replace/erase your data")
  • error message: the user tried to perform an action that failed because of a problem (for example: a file could not be uploaded because it wasn't the correct type of file)

When not to use

  • don't use to show non critical information