“Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no error codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.” — Jakob Nielsen
Below are six small, working demos. Each one deliberately breaks an error message in some way — too cryptic, too vague, too fast, or too silent about what to do next. Try each one, then click “Reveal what actually happened” to see the plain-language version the system had available all along.
When this form fails, the only thing you're told is an opaque error code. It's technically "information", but it tells a normal person nothing about what went wrong or what to do about it.
Type something this field doesn't like and click away — it turns red. That's the entire error message: no text, no tooltip, no hint about what format it actually wants.
Three completely different operations, three completely different real causes of failure — and every single one shows the identical unhelpful banner: “Something went wrong. Please try again.”
Submitting this five-field form fails because of one specific field. The error banner appears at the top, doesn't name the field, doesn't highlight it, and doesn't scroll you to it — you have to check all five yourself.
Click submit with bad input and an error does appear — for about eight-tenths of a second, before fading away completely. Blink and it's already gone.
The system correctly detects that your password doesn't meet its requirements — but it never tells you what those requirements actually are, before or after you fail.