Without clear error messages, you’re left guessing—did you miss a field? Type something wrong?
Error Identification ensures that any mistakes users make are clearly identified and explained, so they know exactly what to fix without the guesswork.
Who this impacts
- People with cognitive impairments: Clear error messages help users identify and resolve mistakes without unnecessary confusion or frustration.
- Screen reader users: Descriptive error messages allow users to locate and resolve issues efficiently.
- Everyone: all users benefit from clear, actionable error feedback, especially on complex forms or high-stakes tasks.
How to meet Error Identification
- Provide clear, specific error messages: Highlight the error and explain exactly what needs to be fixed, like “please enter a valid business email address in the format email@domain.com.”
- Link errors to form fields: Use code to connect error messages to specific fields, as well as clear visual indicators (like red outlines).
- Test error handling with assistive tech: Check forms to confirm error messages are announced clearly and guide users to the problem areas.
Practical example
Catbook’s account setup page displays, ‘Passwords must be at least eight characters long with an uppercase letter, a number, and special character,’ in red text below the password field when the user tries to submit the form with a password of “Pawsword.”
Top tips
- Be specific in error messages: Tell users exactly what’s wrong and how to fix it, avoiding vague terms like “Invalid input.”
- Highlight errors visually and programmatically: Combine visual cues like borders or icons with programmatic labels for screen readers.
- Test forms thoroughly: Check that errors are visible and understandable for everyone, including those using screen readers.