Confirmation and Error Messages

Public forms can show specific messages after a successful submission, when something goes wrong, or when a form is inactive.

These messages are part of the user journey and should be written deliberately.

Confirmation Messages

A confirmation message tells the user that their submission was received.

It can also explain what happens next, when they should expect a response, or whether they should keep a reference number.

Error Messages

An error message should help the user understand that something went wrong and what they can do next.

It should avoid technical wording where possible.

Inactive Form Messages

An inactive form message appears when a form is not currently accepting submissions.

It can explain whether the form is closed, not yet open, or temporarily unavailable.