Language that blames the user kills trust before it can start.
“Transaction failed. Try again.”“Insufficient funds.”“Signature rejected.”“Invalid input.”
These are not error messages. They’re accusations.
Errors Are Not the User’s Mistake
When something breaks, users aren’t thinking,
“Oh, I’ve violated the protocol rules.” They’re thinking,
“Did I break something? What do I do now?”
And yet Web3 UIs respond with cold, vague, hostile language — as if the user should have known better.
It’s the equivalent of a waiter saying,
“You ordered wrong.”
Ambiguity + Blame = Rage Quit
The most common traits of Web3 error copy:
No reason why it failedNo suggestion for what to do nextBlame subtly pushed on the userHiding behind technical lingoNo acknowledgment that the UX was brittle in the first place
You can’t afford this in Web3 — where one broken interaction can make a user disappear forever.
The Problem: Designer Isn’t Present at the Panic
Designers rarely write error copy. It’s left to engineers.
And engineers write what they see:
tx failed due to invalid noncerequest deniedEIP-1193 provider error
But UX writing isn’t about technical accuracy. It’s about making users feel seen — especially when something breaks.
So What Does Good Look Like?
Instead of: “Signature rejected.”
Try: “Signature was declined. That’s okay — you can always approve it later.”Instead of: “Transaction failed.”
Try: “This transaction didn’t go through. Check your gas or try again in a few seconds.”Instead of: “Insufficient funds.”
Try: “Looks like your wallet doesn’t have enough for gas. Try switching networks or reducing the amount.”
Error UX = Trust UX
Every broken flow is a moment of vulnerability. And in those moments, users are looking for:
Reassurance that nothing is lostGuidance on what to do nextLanguage that doesn’t make them feel dumb
If your product can meet them there, you turn frustration into trust.
The Fix Isn’t Just Copy
It’s the architecture of fallback.
Can users retry without restarting?Can they cancel without consequence?Can the system anticipate the common errors?
Design for what breaks, not just what works. And when it breaks, speak like a guide — not a judge.
A broken flow doesn’t break trust. A badly written error does.
Why does your error message make it feel like I messed up? was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.