Notion - Error States
We analyzed 12 examples of how Notion handles error states across their product, spanning 6 different approaches: inline validation, toast notification, modal dialog, in-context error, full-page error, banner notification.
Full-Page Errors
Notion — Public/shared page link
Full-page 404 error shown when navigating to a Notion page that does not exist or has been deleted, displayed to a logged-out or unauthenticated visitor
Notion — Restricted page
Full-page access-denied screen shown when a logged-in user navigates to a page they do not have permission to view, with an option to request access
Modal Dialogs
Notion — CSV import modal > Setup CSV columns
CSV import modal at the column-mapping step showing a preview-unavailable state because no column has been assigned the Title property type
Notion — CSV import modal > Upload CSV
CSV import modal at the file-upload step showing an inline validation error because the selected CSV file exceeds the 5 MiB size limit
Notion — Settings > Account > Set a password modal
Set a password modal within Account settings showing an inline validation error when the password confirmation field does not match the new password
Notion — Database view > Import operation
Modal dialog shown over a database view after a file import operation has failed, requiring the user to acknowledge with an OK button
Toast Notifications
Notion — Form preview > Files & media upload
Toast notification appearing at the bottom of the screen after attempting to upload an unsupported file type via a Notion form's Files & media field
Inline Validation
Notion — Form preview > Email field
Notion form preview showing inline field-level validation on the Email field after entering an invalid email address, with a red border around the field
Notion — Form preview > Required text field
Notion form preview showing inline field-level validation on a required text field that was left empty when the user attempted to submit
Banner Notifications
Notion — Database page > Side peek
Persistent banner at the top of a database page view warning that an uploaded file exceeds the Free plan's 5 MB storage limit, with an upsell CTA
In-Context Errors
Notion — Form builder > Content area
Form builder content area showing an offline state message when the user has lost network connectivity, preventing editing of the form
Notion — Database page > Side peek > Image block
In-context broken image placeholder within a database page side-peek view, showing that an embedded image from file.notion.so could not be loaded