error copy
Error copy explains a failure in terms useful to the user.
Use this when Users receive raw exceptions or the same message for unrelated failures.
without the term
“Users see things like 'Error: undefined' or 'Request failed with status 500'. Can you show messages that actually tell them what happened and what to do?”
with the term · How do you ask a model for error copy?
Write error messages for validation, offline, and service failure here. Verify the next action works and sensitive diagnostics stay out of the UI.
What is error copy?
Error messages say what went wrong in the user's terms and what they can do next. Stack traces and internal details go to the logs, not the screen.
Why does error copy matter when vibe coding?
A generic message can make a recoverable problem look permanent.
How do you do error copy?
Map known failures to actionable messages and keep diagnostic detail in the appropriate logs.
What goes wrong with error copy?
Offering retry for an operation that will repeat a successful side effect.