Decision Frameworks

When to use which delivery, tone, and recovery pattern—backed by 83 instances.

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Framework 1: Form Validation Errors
Framework 2: File/Upload Errors
Framework 3: Network/Connection Errors
Framework 4: 404/Not Found Errors
Framework 5: Permission Denied Errors
Framework 6: System/Generic Errors
Quick Reference Checklist

Introduction

Error states require three decisions: How to deliver the message (delivery mechanism), how to frame it (tone), and how to help the user recover (recovery action). These 6 frameworks provide context-specific guidance based on what 10 enterprise systems actually do.

Framework

Error State Guidelines: When to Use Each Pattern | Northbase

Element	Recommendation
Delivery	Inline—at the field, not page level
Position	Below field (8 of 10) or above field (2 of 10)
Timing	On blur or on submit (never while typing)
Tone	Terse (40%) or Instructional (30%)
Recovery	None—user fixes in place

Pattern	Frequency	Examples
"[Field] is required"	35%	"Name is required", "Summary is required"
"Invalid [field]"	25%	"Invalid email", "Invalid formula"
"Please [instruction]"	20%	"Please enter your name", "Please provide a valid email"
"[Field] must be [rule]"	15%	"Name must be at least 4 characters long"
Specific constraint	5%	"Handles can only contain letters or numbers"

Context	Delivery	Example Systems
Drag-drop area	Inline (35%)	GitHub, Airtable
Upload modal	Modal (40%)	Slack, Asana, Airtable
Background upload	Toast (25%)	Linear, Figma, Retool

Element	Recommendation
Headline	"[Action] failed" or "Can't [action]" (3-4 words)
Body	State exact limit + file name
Tone	Instructional (35%) or Neutral (30%)
Recovery	"Try again" or suggest alternative

Delivery	Frequency	When to Use
Toast	45%	Temporary failures, background requests
Banner	30%	Persistent connection issues
In-context	25%	Specific feature unavailable

Element	Recommendation
Headline	"No connection" or "Problem loading data" (2-3 words)
Body	Reassure + set expectation
Tone	Reassuring (40%) or Neutral (30%)
Recovery	Auto-reconnect (preferred) or "Retry" button

Delivery	Frequency	Style
Full page (illustrated)	50%	Figma, GitHub, Retool, Asana
Full page (minimal)	20%	Notion, Airtable
In-context	30%	Linear, Stripe

Element	Recommendation
Headline	Conversational or personality-driven
Body	Explain possible causes + guide next steps
Tone	Conversational (40%) or Explanatory (30%)
Recovery	Multiple options: Go home, Search, Contact support

1. Form Validation	Inline (90%)	Terse/Instructional	None (fix in place)	Show at field, not page
2. File/Upload	Modal (40%) or Inline (35%)	Instructional	Retry or alternative	Show exact limits
3. Network/Connection	Toast (45%) or Banner (30%)	Reassuring	Auto-reconnect or Retry	Don't block the UI
4. 404/Not Found	Full page (70%)	Conversational	Go home, Search	Personality moment
5. Permission Denied	Full page (40%) or In-context (30%)	Explanatory	Request access	Enable collaboration
6. System/Generic	Toast (50%)	Technical/Neutral	Retry, Refresh	Include error ID for devs

Decision Frameworks

Have questions about Error States?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Decision Frameworks

Have questions about Error States?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Framework 1: Form Validation Errors

Framework 2: File/Upload Errors

Framework 3: Network/Connection Errors

Framework 4: 404/Not Found Errors