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Content style guide

Error messages

Error messages tell the user that something has gone wrong. These messages should be clear, direct, and have an actionable call to action (CTA) for the user.

Error messages mainly appear in interactive experiences such as tools, forms, and applications. This category of messaging has visual design and formatting that affects copy and thus you must:

Messages dictionary

The messages dictionary holds the title, content, component, and state for each scenario of message on the site. The messages dictionary is broken up into 4 types of messages:

System

Alerts the user of important system-related issues or status. It’s initiated by the system and it’s not a result of the user’s actions.

Engagement

Nudges the user to enter or update data in the system. It can be initiated by either the system or another user.

Access

Appears when the user tries to access an item that’s not available to them. It may be because the record has been deleted, the user doesn’t have access, etc.

Feedback

The application’s response when the user is interacting with it. The majority of create, read, update, delete (CRUD) actions will result in feedback messaging.

Categories adapted from Salesforce Lightning Design System

Last updated: Mar 21, 2025