gabrielmoreira Error Message Writer Skill
An error is a moment of friction; a good error message turns it into a recovery. The formula is simple and rarely followed: say what happened, in plain language, and what to do next — without blaming the user or exposing a stack trace. This skill writes error copy that helps people get unstuck and keeps trust intact.
Working from a brief
Given "the payment failed" or a raw system error, write the message anyway — infer the likely cause and the recovery path, and label assumptions. Where the real cause is unknown to the user, focus on the next action. Never hand back a question instead of the copy; never surface internal/technical detail to end users.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label):
- What failed — the action or system, and the likely cause(s).
- The surface — inline field, toast/snackbar, modal, or full-page error.
- Recovery — what the user can actually do (retry, fix input, wait, contact support).
- Voice & constraints — tone, length limits, and whether a support/error code is needed.
Output Format
Error Message: [scenario]
- Recommended message — structured as:
- What happened — plainly, in the user's terms ("We couldn't process your payment").
- Why / what to check — only if it helps them act ("Your card was declined — check the details or try another card").
- Next step — the clear action (a button label or instruction).
- By surface — short variants for inline validation, toast, and full-page where relevant.
- Tone notes — blame-free, calm, human; matched to severity (a wrong field ≠ a data-loss event).
- For developers — a note on what to log vs. what to show (keep stack traces and codes out of the user message; offer a support reference if needed).
Quality Checks
- States what happened in plain language — no codes, no jargon, no stack traces shown to the user
- Gives a concrete next step the user can take
- Blame-free — never "you entered it wrong"; focus on the fix
- Tone matches severity (minor validation vs. serious failure)
- Variants fit the surface (inline vs. toast vs. full page) and any length limits
- Separates what to log (technical) from what to show (human)
Anti-Patterns
- Do not show raw/technical errors ("Error 500", "null pointer") to end users
- Do not blame the user ("Invalid input") — say what to do instead
- Do not write a dead-end ("Something went wrong") with no next step
- Do not be jokey about serious failures (payment, data loss) — match the tone to the stakes
- Do not bury the action — the recovery step should be obvious
Based On
UX writing practice — plain-language, blame-free error messages with clear recovery, surface-appropriate variants, and log-vs-show separation.