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Components

Input message

Don't use: Deprecated Web
Provides helpful, in-context information about an input, either before or immediately after a Veteran interacts with an input (e.g. on a form input that auto-saves).
Contributors
Liz Lantz (VSA Authenticated Experience Team)

Examples

Informational

image

Success

image

Warning

image

Error

image

Mock-ups

Usage

When to use this variation

This message pattern is a mobile friendly, in-line way to communicate information about inputs. It was developed to entice users to take an action on an optional input, and has 4 states:

  • Success (green) communicates the successful update of information, via an API call
  • Warning (yellow) draws attention to an input, usually before an API call is made.
  • Error (red) communicates the failure of an update of information, via an API call
  • Information (blue) draws attention to an input, usually before an API call is made.

When to consider something else

If you need to tell the Veteran they’ve missed a required field on an application, or they’ve entered data in the wrong format, use the current error pattern instead.

How to use Input Messages

  • Keep message content short.
  • Use the feedback icons from the design system.
  • Use the success, warning, error states on forms that don’t require the user to click a button to submit the form.

Other input message styles

Error messages

  • When a user is filling out an online application, use the current error pattern when a user has
    • missed a required field
    • entered data incorrectly

Code usage

Radio inputs for notification settings

Accessibility considerations

  • Icon needs to have alternative text (use sr-only text or an aria-label) so screen readers have an equivalent understanding of the purpose/nature of the message.

  • When the message changes after a user interacts with an input, use aria-live="polite" to announce the change.

Research

  • This component was evaluated as part of a Feb 2023 usability study for VA.gov’s notification settings feature. The feature uses an auto-save functionality and relies on the input message pattern to communicate to users after they interact with an input.
  • Participants stated the feedback provided by this compontent made them feel confident that their changes had been saved.

    It’s notifying me that it’s been saved. I’m trusting that this is going to work and I don’t need to call. -P9

Component checklist

Web Platform

20%

2 of 10 complete

Maturity

Guidance

Web

Examples, usage, code usage, content considerations, and accessibility considerations are all complete.

Research

Web

VFS team conducted research on this component which is linked from this page.

Stability

Web

Component has been in production for more than 3 months with no significant issues found.

Adoption

Web

Multiple teams have adopted this component.

Accessibility

While this component has been previously tested against older criteria, it has not yet been audited with the updated testing criteria.

Code assets

Variations

Web

Storybook includes all variations (style, size, orientation, optional iconography, selection, error state, etc.)

Responsive

Web

Component depicted in all responsive breakpoints.

Interactive states

Web

Includes all interactive states that are applicable (hover, active, focus, keyboard focus, disabled).

Tokens

N/A Web

All design attributes (color, typography, layout, etc.) are available as tokens.

Internationalization

N/A Web

Describes i18n attributes.

Visual assets

Variations

Web

Figma library includes all variations (style, size, orientation, optional iconography, selection, error state, etc.)

Responsive

Web

Component designed to work in all responsive breakpoints.

Interactive states

Web

Includes all interactive states that are applicable (hover, active, focus, keyboard focus, disabled).

Tokens

N/A Web

All design attributes (color, typography, layout, etc.) are available as tokens.

Legend:

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
  • N/A Not applicable

Provide feedback

Share your feedback, report issues, or suggest improvements for the Input message component. Your input helps us make the design system better for everyone.

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Last updated: Oct 06, 2025