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If the error involves values that the user can enter or modify (for example,
text, settings, command-line parameters), then the error message should
identify the offending value(s).
Not recommended
Funds can only be transferred to an account in the same country.
Recommended
You can only transfer funds to an account within the same country.
Sender account's country (UK) does not match the recipient account's
country (Canada).
Not recommended
Invalid postal code.
Recommended
The postal code for the US must consist of either five or nine digits.
The specified postal code (4872953) contained seven digits.
If the invalid input is a very long value that spans many lines,
consider doing one of the following:
Disclose the bad input progressively; that is, provide one or more clickable
ellipses to enable users to control how much additional error information
they want to see.
Truncate the bad input, keeping only its essential parts.
Multiple choice exercise
Which of the following error messages is best?
The specified bid ($5) is below the minimum bid ($8).
This answer surfaces the invalid input and provides enough
information for the bidder to compare their bid with the
minimum bid.
The specified bid is too low.
This error message doesn't surface the invalid input.
The specified bid ($5) is too low.
Although this error message does surface the invalid input,
the error message doesn't provide enough information for the
user to fix the problem.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-03-31 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eError messages should clearly identify the specific user input causing the error, going beyond generic statements.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eWhen invalid input is lengthy, consider progressive disclosure or truncation to manage information overload.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIdeal error messages present the incorrect value alongside the expected format or constraint for immediate user understanding and correction.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eHighlighting both the incorrect input and the required criteria empowers users to effectively resolve the issue.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["Error messages should identify invalid user-entered values, such as text, settings, or parameters. For example, messages should state the specific mismatch between sender and recipient countries or the incorrect number of digits in a postal code. For long inputs, use progressive disclosure or truncation. The best error messages include the specific invalid input and provide enough information, such as the minimum requirement, for the user to fix the error, like a bid being below the minimum.\n"],null,["\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nIf the error involves values that the user can enter or modify (for example,\ntext, settings, command-line parameters), then the error message should\nidentify the offending value(s).\n\nNot recommended\n\u003e Funds can only be transferred to an account in the same country.\n\nRecommended\n\u003e You can only transfer funds to an account within the same country. Sender account's country (UK) does not match the recipient account's country (Canada).\n\n*** ** * ** ***\n\nNot recommended\n\u003e Invalid postal code.\n\nRecommended\n\u003e The postal code for the US must consist of either five or nine digits. The specified postal code (4872953) contained seven digits.\n\nIf the invalid input is a very long value that spans many lines,\nconsider doing one of the following:\n\n- Disclose the bad input progressively; that is, provide one or more clickable ellipses to enable users to control how much additional error information they want to see.\n- Truncate the bad input, keeping only its essential parts.\n\nMultiple choice exercise \nWhich of the following error messages is best? \nThe specified bid ($5) is below the minimum bid ($8). \nThis answer surfaces the invalid input and provides enough information for the bidder to compare their bid with the minimum bid. \nThe specified bid is too low. \nThis error message doesn't surface the invalid input. \nThe specified bid ($5) is too low. \nAlthough this error message does surface the invalid input, the error message doesn't provide enough information for the user to fix the problem. \nThe specified bid is below the minimum bid ($8). \nThis answer doesn't surface the invalid input.\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n**Next unit:** [Specify requirements and constraints](/tech-writing/error-messages/specify-requirements)"]]
