Content · Beginner · 20 min
Rewrite unhelpful error messages
Turn eight technical or blaming error messages into clear, specific help.
Context
Error messages are part of the interface. Good ones say what happened, why, and how to fix it, in plain words, without blame.
Your prompt
Rewrite each message below for a general audience. Assume you can show the message next to the relevant field.
Instructions
- Rewrite: "Invalid input."
- Rewrite: "Error 500. Internal server error."
- Rewrite: "Password does not meet requirements."
- Rewrite: "You have entered an incorrect date."
- Rewrite: "Upload failed."
- Rewrite: "Session expired. Please login again."
- Rewrite: "Field required."
- Rewrite: "Your card was declined."
- For each, note what information you assumed you had available.
Expected deliverables
- A two-column table: original, rewritten
Completion checklist
4 items
Evaluation criteria
- Plain language and specific instructions.
- Consistent tone across messages.
Hints and an illustrative solution
Show hints
- A useful pattern: what happened, then how to fix it. "Enter a date in the past, like 27 3 1990."
- For server errors, reassure people about their data if you can.
Show one possible solution
This is one reasonable answer, not the only one. Compare reasoning, not pixels.
Examples: "Field required." becomes "Enter your postcode". "Upload failed." becomes "The file couldn't upload because it is larger than 10 MB. Choose a smaller file or compress it." "Session expired. Please login again." becomes "For your security, you were signed out after 30 minutes. Sign in again; your basket has been saved." "Your card was declined." becomes "Your bank declined the payment. Check the card details or try another card. You have not been charged."