How to Design Accessible Error Messages for All Users.

I was thinking about how frustrating it is when you’re trying to do something online, like fill out a form, and then BAM! You get hit with this totally unhelpful “Error!” message. My blood pressure immediately jumps, you know? But then I started thinking about people with disabilities, and how that kind of message isn’t just annoying for them, it can be a complete roadblock. It’s not just bad design; it’s like saying, “Sorry, you can’t use this.” That’s just not right when we’re talking about essential services, information, or even just having fun online.

So, I really wanted to dig into how we can create error messages that actually help everyone. This isn’t just about making sure things work for some people; it’s about building a digital world where everyone feels empowered to understand what went wrong, fix it if they can, and keep going. This isn’t just about checking off boxes on a list; it’s about putting ourselves in other people’s shoes online and making sure no one gets left behind.

The Core Idea: Why Accessible Errors Are So Important

Before we even get into the nitty-gritty of how to do this, let’s talk about why it matters so much. For me, it comes down to three big things:

1. Everyone Deserves a Seat at the Table: We all should be able to use digital stuff equally. Accessible error messages really help bridge the gap for people who are blind or have low vision (think screen reader users), people who might process information differently (cognitive disabilities), or even someone with a shaky hand (motor impairments). And it’s not just permanent disabilities, either. If you’re trying to use your phone outside in super bright sunlight, you might have a temporary disability that makes it hard to see. Accessible messages help everyone.
2. Giving People the Power to Fix It: The whole point isn’t just to say, “Oops, something broke.” It’s to give people the tools and information they need to fix the problem themselves. That gives them control and means they don’t have to call someone for help every five minutes.
3. Making Things Better for Everyone: When an error message is well-designed, it takes a moment that could be really frustrating and turns it into a clear conversation. That builds trust, keeps people from just giving up on your site, and honestly, makes your brand look better.

Think of an accessible error message not as a quick fix, but as a crucial way to communicate and stop people from hitting a dead end online.

Plan A: Where Do We Put These Messages? Location, Location, Location!

Where and how an error message pops up is super important for how accessible it is. If you can’t find it or it’s presented badly, it’s basically useless.

1.1. Right Next to the Problem: The Best Way to Do It

The absolute best place for an error message is literally right next to the box or button that has the problem. This is a game-changer for:

• People Who Can See: Your eyes naturally go to where you just typed or clicked, or where something went wrong. No searching around!
• Screen Reader Users: When their screen reader reads the problematic field, it should immediately tell them what’s wrong. It just flows.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: You try to send in a form. Suddenly, a huge red banner shows up at the very top of the page that just says: “Errors found.” You’re left wondering, “Where?”
• Better Way:
  • Email Address: user@example (with a small error icon next to it)
  • This email address is invalid. Please enter a valid format (e.g., mail@domain.com).
• How to Make This Happen: Use something called aria-describedby on the input field. This links it directly to the error message for screen readers. Visually, just put the error text right below or to the side of the field, maybe in red text or with a clear icon.

1.2. A Quick List at the Top (When Lots Go Wrong): A Helpful Summary

Even though single, in-context errors are best, if you have a form with tons of fields and lots of errors, a summary at the top can be super helpful. It gives you an immediate overview so you can figure out your game plan.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: You send in a form. Errors pop up here and there, but you have to scroll all over the place to find every single one.
• Better Way:
  • We found 3 issues with your submission:
    • Incorrect email format. [Link to Email field]
    • Password must be at least 8 characters. [Link to Password field]
    • Required field: Phone number. [Link to Phone Number field]
• How to Make This Happen:
  • List each error, and make it a link. When clicked, that link should take you directly to the field where the error is. For screen readers, this link will move their focus right to that spot.
  • Make sure the summary itself is announced loudly, maybe using something called an aria-live region, so screen readers know about it right away.

1.3. Keeping It Consistent: Predictability Saves the Day

We users pick up on patterns without even realizing it. If your error messages jump around or look different every time, it makes things harder to process.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: Sometimes the errors are red, sometimes they’re orange. Sometimes they’re below the field, sometimes above. It’s a mess!
• Better Way: All errors are red, bold, and always show up below their fields. Simple.
• How to Make This Happen: Create one clear, specific style for all your error messages. Pick a distinct color (red is common, but check if it works for people with color blindness!), maybe make the text a little bolder, and use the same icon everywhere.

Plan B: What to Say and How to Say It – Clear and to the Point

The words we use in error messages are hugely important. They need to be accurate, tell you what to do, and not make you feel dumb.

2.1. Talk Like a Person: Ditch the Tech Talk

No one understands “SQL Error 404” or “Validation Failed on Field ID: X12.” We need clear, simple language.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: “Authentication failed due to invalid credentials data stream.” My eyes just glazed over.
• Better Way: “The username or password you entered is incorrect. Please try again.” Now that I get!
• How to Make This Happen: Have someone who isn’t a tech expert, maybe a writer or someone new to your product, read your error messages. Get rid of all the technical jargon. Think about it from the user’s side.

2.2. Be Super Specific: Point Out the Problem Exactly

A vague error message is useless. Tell people exactly what went wrong.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: “Invalid entry.” Invalid what?
• Better Way: “Your password must be at least 8 characters long and include an uppercase letter, a number, and a special character.” Now I know exactly what to do.
• How to Make This Happen: For every single rule, write a specific error message. Don’t lump a bunch of different problems into one general message if you can separate them.

2.3. Give Solutions or Next Steps: Guide Them!

This is probably the most important part of an accessible error message: actually telling people how to fix things. Don’t just say there’s a problem; help them solve it.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: “Date of birth is invalid.” Okay, so what do I do about it?
• Better Way: “Date of birth is invalid. Please enter your date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY format.” Ah, now I know!
• How to Make This Happen: For every possible error, brainstorm at least one clear, simple suggestion for fixing it. If it’s a complicated fix, maybe link to a help article or give them a way to contact you.

2.4. Be Kind and Don’t Blame: Empathy in Every Word

Errors happen to everyone. Frame your messages with understanding, not accusation. Don’t use language that makes people feel like it’s their fault.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: “You made an error. Your ID is wrong.” Ouch, that feels like a slap.
• Better Way: “The ID you entered does not match our records. Please check your ID and try again.” Much nicer.
• How to Make This Happen: Use phrases like “we found,” “please,” “it seems,” instead of “you failed,” “incorrect,” “your mistake.” We’re trying to work together here, not have a confrontation.

2.5. Keep It Short and Sweet: Don’t Overwhelm

Even though detailed, error messages still need to be quick to read, especially for people who might have trouble processing a lot of information or who are using a screen reader.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: “We apologize but due to an unforeseen issue with the server’s validation protocols, we were unable to process your request at this time. Kindly review all previously entered information to ascertain if any discrepancies are present which might have contributed to this systemic failure. Should the problem persist, please contact technical support during business hours.” This is a paragraph, not an error message!
• Better Way: “We’re experiencing a technical issue. Please try submitting your form again. If the problem continues, contact support.” Much better!
• How to Make This Happen: Every single word should have a purpose. Cut out anything extra. If a message is too long, break it up or link to more detailed info.

Plan C: Seeing and Hearing Errors – Making Them Noticeable

Accessibility isn’t just about the words. What you see and hear can also help everyone understand.

3.1. Clear Visual Cues (More Than Just Color): Backup Signals

Red is a common color for errors, but it’s not enough on its own, especially for people who are colorblind.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: Only red text tells you it’s an error.
• Better Way: Red text, an error icon (like an exclamation point in a triangle), AND bold text. That’s three ways to tell!
• How to Make This Happen:
  • Icons: Use icons that most people recognize as an error. For screen readers, if the icon is just there for looks, make sure it’s ignored so it doesn’t clutter their audio.
  • Text Styling: Make the text bold, a little bigger, or use a different font to grab attention.
  • Borders/Backgrounds: Maybe put a subtle red border around the problematic field itself or make the error message box have a light red background.

3.2. Guiding the User’s Focus: Where Do They Look Next?

Where the user’s attention goes after an error appears is super important for accessibility.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: You click submit, an error happens, but your mouse cursor or screen reader focus isn’t moved anywhere specific. You’re lost.
• Better Way: You click submit, an error happens, and your focus automatically jumps to the very first field with a problem, and the screen reader immediately tells you what’s wrong with it.
• How to Make This Happen: If a form submission fails, automatically move the user’s focus to the very first input field that has an error. For screen readers, use aria-live="assertive" on the error summary so they hear about the errors right away. For individual field errors, make sure the error message is linked to the problematic field using aria-describedby or visible using aria-live regions.

3.3. Sound (Use Carefully!): An Extra Hint

For some people, a quiet sound can be a handy signal that something has happened, especially an error.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: No sound at all when an error pops up.
• Better Way: A quick, gentle “ding” or “thud” sound plays when an error message appears.
• How to Make This Happen: If you add sound, make it subtle, unique, and most importantly, optional. It shouldn’t be annoying or too loud, and it absolutely shouldn’t play over and over. This is just a helpful extra, not the main way you tell someone about an error.

Plan D: The Hidden Stuff – What Goes On Behind the Scenes (Code-Level)

A lot of making error messages accessible relies on the invisible parts of the website – the way the code is written and special instructions for screen readers.

4.1. Use Standard HTML for Forms: The Basic Building Blocks

Always use the standard HTML elements for your form controls, because they come with accessibility built right in.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: Using generic div boxes and then trying to make them act like input fields with code. It ends up being a lot of work and often isn’t accessible.
• Better Way: Using input type="text", textarea, select, etc. These are made for forms.
• How to Make This Happen: Always link your <label> tags (like “Email address:”) directly to their input fields using the for and id attributes. This is key for screen readers: <label for="email">Email address</label><input type="email" id="email">.

4.2. ARIA Attributes for Linking Errors: The Direct Connection

ARIA attributes are like special labels for screen readers that explicitly link an error message to the specific field it belongs to.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: The error message is just next to the field visually, but the computer doesn’t know they’re connected.
• Better Way:
  html
<label for="username">Username:</label>
<input type="text" id="username" aria-invalid="true" aria-describedby="username-error">
<div id="username-error" role="alert" style="color: red;">
Username must be at least 5 characters long.
</div>
• How to Make This Happen:
  • aria-invalid="true": Put this on the input field itself when it has an error. Screen readers will say things like “invalid” or “error” for that field. Take it off when the error is fixed.
  • aria-describedby="ID_OF_ERROR_MESSAGE": This is super important. It tells the screen reader, “When you’re on this input field, also read the content of this error message.”
  • role="alert": Put this on the error message box itself, especially for errors that pop up suddenly. This makes screen readers announce it immediately and loudly, like an “alert!” For less urgent errors that just stick around, role="status" is better.

4.3. Live Regions for Instant Errors: Get Notified Now!

When error messages appear dynamically (like after you type something or hit submit without refreshing the page), screen readers might not notice them right away. Live regions fix this.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: You’re typing, an error message appears, but if you’re using a screen reader, you don’t know because nothing changed your focus or told you there was a new message.
• Better Way: You type an email address that’s wrong, an error message appears, and your screen reader immediately announces it.
• How to Make This Happen: Wrap your error message box in a div with aria-live="polite". When the content inside this div changes, assistive technologies will announce the new content without interrupting what the user is currently doing. For really critical errors (like the form failing to send), aria-live="assertive" can be used, but use it sparingly because it will interrupt whatever the screen reader is saying.

4.4. Showing Errors Again on Submit: Stopping Frustration

If a form has multiple errors, and you try to submit it again, it’s really important to clearly show that errors still exist.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: You click submit, nothing seems to happen, but the errors are still there. You just keep clicking, annoyed.
• Better Way: You click submit, a message says: “Please correct the 3 errors below to proceed,” and your focus automatically moves to the first error.
• How to Make This Happen: When a form fails to submit, clearly show how many errors there are (e.g., “3 errors found”) in your summary. Make sure you update which fields have aria-invalid="true" as they get fixed, and dynamically update the error count in the summary.

Plan E: Testing and Making Things Better – It’s a Never-Ending Job!

Making your site accessible isn’t a one-and-done thing; it’s something you keep working on. Real-world testing is absolutely essential.

5.1. Test with Screen Readers and Other Tools: Don’t Just Look!

Just visually checking your site means you’re going to miss a ton of accessibility issues.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: “It looks fine on my screen. Good enough!”
• Better Way: “I tested this with NVDA (a screen reader), and the errors are correctly announced and I can interact with them.” That’s the kind of detail we need.
• How to Make This Happen:
  • Screen Readers: Test with the popular ones: JAWS (Windows), NVDA (Windows, free!), VoiceOver (Mac/iPhone), and TalkBack (Android). Pay close attention to what they say and in what order.
  • Keyboard Only: Can you use the TAB key to move through all the fields, error messages, and links in the error summary? Can you press Enter on the links?
  • Zoom: How do your errors look when you zoom in on the page to 200% or 400%? Can you still read everything, and does the layout stay intact?

5.2. Ask People with Disabilities to Test: They’re the Experts

No matter how much you know about accessibility, you can’t beat getting direct feedback from the people who actually use your technology.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: Just reading general accessibility guidelines and thinking you’ve got it.
• Better Way: Actually sitting down with people who use screen readers, or who have cognitive or motor impairments, and watching them try to use your site.
• How to Make This Happen: Bring in diverse people for your usability tests. Ask them to do tasks that you know will trigger errors. Watch what confuses them, ask them what they think, and then use that feedback to make improvements. They are the true experts on their own experience.

5.3. Regular Checks: Don’t Let Things Break

Digital products are always changing. New features and code updates can accidentally break accessibility.

Let’s Look at Examples:

• Bad Way: Building it one time, saying it’s accessible, and then forgetting about it.
• Better Way: Setting up automated accessibility checks that run every time you update your code, and doing regular manual checks too.
• How to Make This Happen:
  • Automated Tools: Use tools like Axe-core or Lighthouse in your development process. They won’t catch everything, but they’re a good start.
  • Manual Audits: Schedule regular, detailed accessibility audits that are done by trained professionals or your own team.
  • Accessibility Advocates: Pick people on your team to be “accessibility champions” who make sure these standards are met throughout the whole development process.

The Win-Win: It Helps Everyone!

While I’ve focused on making error messages accessible for people with disabilities, honestly, everything I’ve talked about here helps everyone. Clear, simple, easy-to-find, and actionable error messages make things less frustrating for everyone. They make your workflows smoother, reduce the number of support calls you get, and just make the whole user experience better for everyone.

Making error messages accessible isn’t a chore; it’s an opportunity. It’s a chance to show that you care about inclusivity, to empower your users, and to build truly strong and user-friendly digital products. By using these strategies, you’re not just meeting a requirement; you’re building a culture of digital responsibility, making sure that every single user can easily navigate and interact with what you create. The digital world should be open to everyone, and accessible error messages are a fundamental step towards making that a reality.