Alerts highlight important information, errors, or warnings that require user attention.

Purpose of Alerts
Understanding when and why to use alerts in your interface design.

System Feedback

Confirm actions and show status.

Error Communication

Inform about failures or issues.

Warnings & Context

Alert about potential problems or provide helpful tips.

Alert vs Alternatives

ComponentPrimary UseInteractionVisual WeightExample Context
AlertSystem feedback, errors, warningsMinimal/optionalMediumValidation, status, errors
Toast/SnackbarBrief notificationsAuto-dismiss, optional actionLowSave confirmation, info
BannerGlobal/section-wide infoPersistent, dismissibleHighSite maintenance, outages
Best for:
  • Important but non-blocking message
  • Temporary information
  • Context-specific feedback
Avoid when:
  • Message is not actionable or relevant
  • Information is not time-sensitive
  • Use banners for global/system-wide issues

Alert Usage Scenarios

Error Alerts: Network failures, validation errors, system issues
Warning Alerts: Data loss warnings, irreversible actions