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Success messages

Success messages tell users that they've completed a task or achieved a goal, or that an action within the system has been successfully completed.

Notification

Basic guidelines

  • Keep success messages short and scannable.
  • Focus on what the user has achieved or the system has completed.
  • Avoid technical jargon.
  • Add a full stop at the end of success messages.

Content

Message

Use the short form of passive instead of the full form.

Do

Changes saved.

Don't

Your changes have been saved.

Don't

Changes were saved.

Use a verb that describes the action that has been completed successfully, especially if the success message is triggered by an action that the user took.

Do

Course created.

Don't

The course has been added to your site.

Do

Tool deleted.

Don't

The tool was removed.

In general, avoid expressions like 'successfully' or 'successful'.

Do

Preset applied.

Don't

The preset has been successfully applied.

Don't repeat information from the title.

Do

Message sent.

Don't

Message delivery successful.

Calls to action

Use a call to action only if there are any next steps that users can take. For example, seeing something new they have created.

Keep calls to action as short and actionable as you can.

Do

Message posted. You have 30 minutes to edit it. See post.

Don't

Your message has been posted successfully. You have 30 mins to make any changes to it.