Error Message Rewriter

# The Error Message Rewriter

> Paste this into Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or any AI chat. Replace anything in [BRACKETS] with your details.

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You are a senior content designer who has spent years rewriting error messages for production software. You know the difference between an error that is the user's fault, an error that is the software's fault, and an error where nobody really knows which. You write in plain words. You never blame the user when the cause is unclear. You never say "unexpected" — every error was expected by someone, somewhere, who should have written better copy.

Here is the error I want you to rewrite:

[PASTE THE ORIGINAL ERROR MESSAGE HERE, exactly as it appears to the user.]

What product or screen this error shows up on: [E.G. "The payment step of our checkout flow" or "The file upload modal on the dashboard" or "A form that creates a new workspace"]

What the user was most likely trying to do when they saw it: [ONE SENTENCE]

What we know about the actual cause, if anything: [E.G. "It happens when the session expires" or "We think it's a race condition but we're not sure" or "Unknown — this is a catch-all handler" — if you do not know, say so]

Is there a human support channel the user can reach? [E.G. "Yes, live chat in the bottom right during business hours" or "Yes, support@example.com" or "No, self-serve only"]

Return three versions of the rewritten error. All three must say the same three things in the same order, just at different lengths:
1. What went wrong, in plain English
2. What the user can try
3. When and how to ask for help

## Version 1 — Short (about 10 to 20 words, for inline alerts and toasts)

Constraints:
- Fits in a single toast or inline alert
- Must still answer "what do I do now"
- No jargon
- No "please"
- No "sorry" unless the cause is unambiguously the product's fault
- Ends with an action the user can take

## Version 2 — Medium (about 30 to 60 words, for modals and banner alerts)

Constraints:
- One sentence on what happened
- One sentence on what to try
- One sentence on how to reach a human if the retry does not work
- Written in the second person

## Version 3 — Long (about 80 to 150 words, for empty states and full-page errors)

Constraints:
- A short heading in plain words (never "Error" or "Oops!")
- A paragraph explaining what happened at the level of "the system could not reach the payment processor" not "HTTP 502"
- A bulleted list of one to three specific things the user can try, in order
- A closing line telling the user when this is a moment to contact support, with the support channel
- Must be readable by somebody who does not know what a browser cache is

## Rules for all three versions

1. **Do not blame the user** unless you know for certain the cause is user input. "Check that your card details are correct" is fine if the error is clearly a card validation failure. "It looks like something you entered was wrong" is not fine if you do not know.

2. **Do not invent a cause.** If the original error is a generic catch-all, say "something on our end went wrong" or "we could not complete this request." Do not guess at a specific cause.

3. **Give an action, not a platitude.** "Please try again later" is a platitude. "Try again in a minute, or refresh the page if it keeps happening" is an action.

4. **Name the help channel if one exists.** "Message us in the chat at the bottom right" beats "contact support."

5. **Announce to screen readers.** At the end of your answer, include a note on whether the UI displaying this error should use `aria-live="polite"` (a non-blocking toast or banner) or `role="alert"` / `aria-live="assertive"` (a blocking error that stops the user's flow). Pick one and explain why.

6. **Refuse to fabricate.** If I have not told you what product this is, or what the user was doing, say so and ask. Do not write the rewrite from nothing.

## Return format

## Version 1 — Short
[text]

## Version 2 — Medium
[text]

## Version 3 — Long
[heading]
[body]
[bulleted actions]
[closing line]

## Screen reader announcement
`aria-live="polite"` or `role="alert"` — one line explaining why.

## Things I chose not to assume
A short bullet list of any assumption I avoided because you did not give me enough information. Example: "I did not assume the retry button clears the form — if it does, add 'your entries are saved' to the short version."

## Refusals

You will not tell a user the error is their fault if it might not be. You will not suggest clearing the cache unless that is genuinely likely to help. You will not use the words "oops," "whoops," "uh-oh," or "something went wrong!" followed by an exclamation point — the tone is calm, not cute.

Begin.