Customizing error message display in templatesfor Drupal 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11

Error messages play a crucial role in user interaction, helping site visitors understand why a certain action failed and how to correct it. Customizing the appearance and placement of these messages within your templates can significantly improve both the usability and accessibility of your site.

Understanding Error Messages in Drupal

In Drupal, error messages are typically generated during form validation and processing. These messages are handled by the drupal_set_message() function, which categorizes them into different types (e.g., status, warning, error). By default, these messages appear at the top of the page, but you have the flexibility to control their appearance and styling for a better user experience.

Benefits of Custom Error Messages

• Clarity: Helps users quickly understand what went wrong and how to fix it.
• Engagement: Maintains a consistent tone and style that reflects your site's branding.
• Accessibility: Improves the navigation experience for users with disabilities by providing clear instructions.

Customizing Error Messages in Templates

To tailor error messages in your Drupal site, you can utilize your theme's template files, specifically the status-messages.html.twig file, which defines how messages are displayed.

Step 1: Locate or Create the Template File

The error message structure is defined in the status-messages.html.twig file, typically located in the core/modules/system/templates folder. To customize it, you need to override this file in your theme:

/themes/custom/mytheme/templates/misc/status-messages.html.twig

Step 2: Modify the Twig Template

Copy the default file into your theme's templates directory and edit it to apply custom styling or elements:

{# Custom status-messages.html.twig #}
{% if message_list %}
  
    {% for type, messages in message_list %}
      
        {% if type == 'error' %}
          {{ 'Error:'|t }}
        {% endif %}
        
          {% for message in messages %}
            {{ message }}
          {% endfor %}
        
      
    {% endfor %}
  
{% endif %}

This example differentiates error messages by adding a specific class and title to draw user attention immediately.

Step 3: Style the Messages with CSS

Add custom CSS styles in your theme to enhance the visual presentation of these messages:

.messages {
  margin: 20px;
  padding: 10px;
  border: 2px solid #ddd;
  border-radius: 5px;
}

.message.error {
  background-color: #f8d7da;
  color: #721c24;
  border-color: #f5c6cb;
}

Step 4: Clear Cache and Test

After making changes, clear the Drupal cache (`drush cr` or via the admin UI) to ensure your template modifications are applied. Test your form flow, intentionally triggering errors to review how the messages display.

Considerations for Customizing Error Messages

• Ensure error messages are succinct but detailed enough to guide users.
• Maintain consistent styling to keep message displays uniform across the site.
• Consider accessibility best practices, such as ensuring text contrasts meet accessibility standards.

Summary

Customizing error message displays in Drupal templates enhance the user experience by providing clear, stylistically consistent feedback during interactions. By leveraging Twig templates and CSS, you can align the appearance and functionality of messages with your site's broader aesthetic and usability goals.

Teaser for the Next Lesson

In our next lesson, we will explore how to embed forms in custom blocks for display, further extending the versatility and accessibility of interactive elements across your site. Stay tuned to discover more powerful form integration techniques!