Error messaging
Context
Error messages have been used since the beginning of the internet. Error messages are used to communicate to the user of the product if something went wrong, e.g. the connection timed out or an internal server error happened.
Problem
Often errors are perceived by users as technical and complex. Most of the error messages lack actionable, explanatory and specific information. Therefore, the user often does not know how to act and this could lead to demotivation.
Solution
At Whisbi we made the first step to more specific error messages within the Engage solution, so that camera operators, presenters, moderators and spectators better understand what to expect.
We combine the below use cases with standard HTTP Status codes for API responses to identify what error occurs.
Uses cases from API
- Retrieving your list of channels (get-channels)
- Starting a broadcast (create-session)
- Retrieving real-time session data (get-session)
- Keeping the session alive (keep-alive)
- Ending a broadcast (finish-session)
- Testing your bandwidth (bandwidth)
- Checking your streaming application (wowza-application)
Error codes
The error codes below are standard HTTP Status codes for API responses used in web and mobile applications.
| HTTP response | Definition |
| 400 | Bad request |
| 403 | Forbidden |
| 404 | Not found |
| 409 | Conflict |
| 500 | Internal server error |
| 502 | Bad Gateway |
Workflow
1. The user enters the Broadcast Android application
2. The user stumbles upon an error
3. The user receives an error, see the example below:
Note: Make a screenshot of this screen, so that you can attach it to the e-mail. This will help us better understand when and what happened.
4. If the error is blocking the service (e.g. not being able to end or start a broadcast), we give you the opportunity to directly email our Support team (support@whisbi.com). See the example below:
5. We pre-fill the e-mail address and the HTTP status code so that our Support team can better identify what error occurred to be able to take an action.
List of error messages in Broadcast Android app
| API call | Title | Description | CTA 1 | CTA 2 | System action |
| get-session | Unable to load your session data! | Please check your connection. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 400 | Dismiss | – | – |
| get-session | Unable to load your session data! | Please check your connection. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 403 | Dismiss | – | – |
| get-session | Unable to continue your broadcast! | We stopped your broadcast to prevent any further issues. Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 404 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | End Broadcast |
| get-session | Unable to continue your broadcast! | We stopped your broadcast to prevent any further issues. Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 409 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | End Broadcast |
| get-session | Unable to load your session data! | An internal server error occurred. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 500 | Dismiss | – | – |
| get-session | Unable to load your session data! | An internal server error occurred. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 502 | Dismiss | – | – |
| keep-alive | Oops.. Something went wrong | Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 400 | Dismiss | – | – |
| keep-alive | Oops.. Something went wrong | Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 403 | Dismiss | – | – |
| keep-alive | Unable to continue your broadcast! | We stopped your broadcast to prevent any further issues. Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 404 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | End Broadcast |
| keep-alive | Unable to continue your broadcast! | We stopped your broadcast to prevent any further issues. Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 409 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | End Broadcast |
| keep-alive | Oops.. Something went wrong | An internal server error occurred. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 500 | Dismiss | – | – |
| get-channels | Unable to load your channels! | Please close the app, sign in and try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 400 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| get-channels | Unable to load your channels! | Please close the app, sign in and try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 403 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| get-channels | Unable to load your channels! | Please close the app, sign in and try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 404 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| get-channels | Unable to load your channels! | Please close the app, sign in and try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 409 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| get-channels | Unable to load your channels! | Please close the app, sign in and try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 500 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| create-session | Unable to recover or start your broadcast session! | Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 400 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| create-session | Unable to recover or start your broadcast session! | Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 403 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| create-session | Unable to recover or start your broadcast session! | We are seeing technical issues in the service. Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). We’ll contact you after we receive your email. HTTP status code: 404 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| create-session | Unable to recover or start your broadcast session! | Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 409 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| create-session | Unable to recover or start your broadcast session! | Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 500 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | – |
| finish-session | Unable to end your session! | Please try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 400 | Dismiss | – | – |
| finish-session | Unable to end your session! | Please try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 403 | Dismiss | – | – |
| finish-session | Unable to end your session! | Please try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 404 | Dismiss | – | – |
| finish-session | Unable to end your session! | Please try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 409 | Dismiss | – | – |
| finish-session | Unable to end your session! | Please try again. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. HTTP status code: 500 | Dismiss | – | – |
| bandwidth | Unable to test your bandwidth! | Please check your connection. Reach out to Support (support@whisbi.com) if the error keeps on occurring. | Dismiss | – | – |
| wowza-application | Unable to start your stream! | Take a screenshot of this error and e-mail it to Support (support@whisbi.com). HTTP status code: 404 | Dismiss | Mail Whisbi | End Broadcast |