Date adopted:
August 6, 2018
Last update:
October 26, 2020
Why use this pattern?
This is a message that tells someone a service is unavailable. Sometimes this is on purpose or if something is unexpectedly wrong with the service.
They are also known as a 500, 503 or an internal server error message.
Log all errors and fix them as quickly as possible.
Only leave the message up for a short time. If a problem cannot be fixed quickly, close the service.
How it works
Your message should have:
- "There is a problem with this service" as a sentence.
- "Try again later" as another sentence.
- Information about what has happened to the user's answers if they are in the middle of a transaction.
- Contact information, if it exists.
- A link to another service, if they can use it to do what they came to do.
Language
Avoid the use of:
- breadcrumbs;
- jargon like 500 or bad request; and
- "We are experiencing technical difficulties."
Example
Sorry, there is a problem with this service. Try again later.
Email government-email @gov.yk.ca or phone 000-000-0000 if you need to speak to someone.