Empty States
What users see when there's nothing to show — eight variations covering no data, no results, no messages, errors, maintenance, and coming soon.
No Data
First-time use — invite the user to create
No projects yet
Get started by creating your first project. We'll walk you through the setup.
No Search Results
Filters returned nothing
No matching results
Try adjusting your search or filters to find what you're looking for.
No Messages
Inbox with zero conversations
Your inbox is empty
When teammates message you, conversations will appear here.
No Notifications
All caught up
You're all caught up
No new notifications. We'll let you know when something happens.
Error State
Something went wrong — offer recovery
Failed to load data
We couldn't fetch your dashboard. Check your connection and try again.
Maintenance
Temporarily unavailable
Under maintenance
We're performing scheduled upgrades. Nimbus Pro will be back by 14:00 UTC.
Coming Soon
Feature not shipped yet
AI insights — coming soon
We're putting the finishing touches on automated trend detection. Subscribe to be notified at launch.
404 Not Found
Page or resource missing
Page not found
The page you're looking for doesn't exist or may have been moved.
All Done
Empty because everything's finished
Inbox zero achieved
You've handled every task. Take a breath — you're all caught up.
Anatomy & Tips
Anatomy of an empty state
Icon
A 56px rounded square with a tone-tinted background. Sets the mood — playful, neutral, or alarming.
Title + description
Be specific about why it's empty and what to do next. Avoid generic "No items" copy.
Primary CTA
One clear action — "Create", "Retry", "Notify me". Skip the CTA if there's truly nothing to do.
Secondary action
A ghost button — "Learn more", "Search tips", "Contact support". Optional.