Atlassian Design System Error Messages
Documents error-message content strategy including direct language, clear next steps, specific calls to action, and matching message treatment to the user's journey.
What this source can teach
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Pattern Decisions This Source Supports
| Pattern | Supported decision | Required contract | Claim note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Error state | Choose error state when expected content or task progress is blocked by system, network, permission, validation, save, sync, or computation failure. | The error remains visible until resolved, intentionally dismissed, replaced by recovered content, or escalated. | Atlassian documents direct error copy, specific action labels, and matching error treatment to journey context. |
| Toast-only critical error | Flag this anti-pattern when a failure blocks progress, affects money or data, changes account or security state, or requires a repair action after the message appears. | The critical error remains visible until it is resolved, intentionally dismissed from a safe persistent surface, replaced by a recovered state, or escalated. | Atlassian documents direct error messages with clear actions and treatment matched to the user's journey rather than a single notification style for every failure. |
Comparisons supported by this source
- Dead-end empty state vs empty state vs no-results recovery vs error state
Atlassian error guidance supports direct copy and specific recovery actions for failed states.
- Empty state vs no-results recovery vs error state
Atlassian documents direct error messages with specific calls to action and message treatment matched to journey context.
- Infinite spinner vs loading skeleton vs error state
Atlassian documents recovery-oriented error messages when the user journey cannot proceed as expected.
- Loading skeleton vs empty state vs error state
Atlassian documents recovery-oriented error messages when the expected journey fails.
- Toast-only critical error vs error state
Atlassian documents error copy that gives clear next actions and matches message treatment to the user journey.
Evidence Role
This source is treated as pattern-library evidence. Its value comes from the specific claims and setting described above.
Publisher: Atlassian Design System. Last checked: .