Structure
Answer three questions:- What happened — describe the problem plainly.
- Why — give context, if context helps.
- What to do next — a clear action.
Tone
- Calm — errors are normal; do not alarm.
- Helpful — focus on the fix, not the cause.
- Honest — if you do not know why, say so.
- Brief — two sentences where possible.
Do not blame the reader
Do not use jargon
Patterns by type
Validation
Show inline, beside the field that needs attention, usingFormMessage for consistent
styling.