Alert

A message that stays on the page with the content it is about.

In Accessible first

See it live

Start Storybook to see it live: npm run storybook

Live from StorybookOpen Alert in StorybookSee it in dark

When to use it

In Accessible first: Errors and important notes that stay on the page.

• Use it when: People need to read a standing notice or how to recover, on this page, tied to what they are doing.
• Not when: A short confirmation that can go away by itself, or one notice for the whole site.

Instead:

• Toast: Short, non-blocking, goes away.
• Dialog: Needs an answer before going on.
• Site banner: One full-width notice for the whole site.

Variants

What each variant is for in any design system, then what Accessible first decided and why. Each sample is the live story with that variant set.

defaultvariantUsed in Accessible first

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What it is for

A notice that stays on the page: information or a heads-up.

✓A note people should read but need not fix.

✕Something failed and must be fixed.

In Accessible first

Important notes that stay on the page while people answer.

Because

Which outcome matters most?Completion without errors · outcomes.q1What must the interface protect?Low effort to understand · human.q1

destructivevariantUsed in Accessible first

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What it is for

Something failed or will be lost, and people must act to recover.

✓An error, with what went wrong and how to fix it.

✕A plain note dressed as danger for emphasis.

In Accessible first

Errors, with what went wrong, where, and exactly how to fix it, next to the field.

Because

How many signals carry each meaning?Three: color, icon and word · accessibility.countWhat is a costly mistake?A task that fails · outcomes.q2How does it sound?Plain and direct · voice.values

How Accessible first uses it

An error message

Use color.status.danger, an icon and a sentence next to the field

Not Color alone

People must know what went wrong and where.

Why it works this way

Alert looks the way it does because of 5 answers about this product. Each card is one answer, in three steps: the answer, what it decided for Alert, and what would move if it changed.

Which outcome matters most?outcomes.q1

1The answer

Completion without errors

Completion without errors is the measure.

2So Alert

• ✓uses default: Important notes that stay on the page while people answer.

It also shapes Badge: success

3If it changed

1

Alert decision would reopen

and 2 answers that follow from it: Links and actions, Form steps and errors.

What must the interface protect?human.q1

1The answer

Low effort to understand

Low effort to understand each step.

2So Alert

• ✓uses default: Important notes that stay on the page while people answer.

It also shapes Empty: default

3If it changed

2

Alert decisions would reopen

and 15 answers that follow from it: Calm and clear, Quiet, Core: heading, body, label, and 12 more.

How many signals carry each meaning?accessibility.count

1The answer

Three: color, icon and word

Never color alone.

2So Alert

• ✓uses destructive: Errors, with what went wrong, where, and exactly how to fix it, next to the field.

It also shapes Badge: neutral Badge: success Badge: warning Badge: danger Item: muted

3If it changed

1

Alert decision would reopen

and 1 answer that follow from it: Status and messages.

What is a costly mistake?outcomes.q2

1The answer

A task that fails

A failed form can cost someone a benefit.

2So Alert

• ✓uses destructive: Errors, with what went wrong, where, and exactly how to fix it, next to the field.

It also shapes Button: secondary Button: danger Badge: warning Badge: danger

3If it changed

1

Alert decision would reopen

No other answer follows from it.

How does it sound?voice.values

1The answer

Plain and direct

Every sentence is easy to read on the first try.

2So Alert

• ✓uses destructive: Errors, with what went wrong, where, and exactly how to fix it, next to the field.

It also shapes Empty: icon

3If it changed

1

Alert decision would reopen

No other answer follows from it.

Words

• Use common words. Explain any term you must use.
• One idea per sentence. Put the action first.
• Never blame the person.
• Use: Continue, Change, Start, You. Avoid: Invalid, Utilise, Submit, Error code.

The labels components use, from the voice tokens:

• content.action.commit: Continue
• content.action.cancel: Go back
• content.action.destroy: Delete
• content.action.retry: Try again
• content.action.empty-action: Start a new application

See Voice and tone for the whole voice.

Accessibility and keyboard

Test before you ship:

• An error that appears after an action is announced (role alert); a standing note is not. undefined
• The tone also shows as an icon and words, never color alone. undefined

Use it in code

npx open-ds add alert

The component reads only component keys and semantic tokens, so it follows the brand and mode on <html>.

Tokens it reads

Alert reads 15 tokens of its own, each an alias of a semantic token. Each row is one part: its own token, the semantic it aliases, and the value it ends at. Change a semantic and every component that reads it follows; override one of Alert's tokens to change Alert alone.

Changes with theme

Accessible first decides what changes when you switch theme. Here a switch changes colors only, so the marked rows differ between light and dark; everything else holds steady.

Part	Its token and the semantic it aliases	Value
Alert
Gap y	component.alert.gap-ycomponent-spacing-map.hairlinevar(--alert-gap-y)	space.2:0.125rem
Corner	component.alert.radiusradius.containervar(--alert-radius)	radius.8:0.5rem
Padding, left and right	component.alert.padding-xspace.inset.containervar(--alert-padding-x)	space.24:1.5rem
Padding, top and bottom	component.alert.padding-ycomponent-spacing-map.x3var(--alert-padding-y)	space.20:1.25rem
Text size	component.alert.font-sizetype.body.font-sizevar(--alert-font-size)	font.size.19:1.1875rem
Gap x	component.alert.gap-xcomponent-spacing-map.x3var(--alert-gap-x)	space.20:1.25rem
Icon size	component.alert.icon-sizesize.iconvar(--alert-icon-size)	size.20:1.25rem
Default
Fill Changes with theme	component.alert.default.backgroundcolor.surface.defaultvar(--alert-default-background)	Lightgray.light.0:#FFFFFFDarkgray.dark.50:#141414
Text Changes with theme	component.alert.default.labelcolor.text.primaryvar(--alert-default-label)	Lightgray.light.900:#141414Darkgray.dark.900:#F7F7F7
Destructive
Fill Changes with theme	component.alert.destructive.backgroundcolor.surface.defaultvar(--alert-destructive-background)	Lightgray.light.0:#FFFFFFDarkgray.dark.50:#141414
Text Changes with theme	component.alert.destructive.labelcolor.status.dangervar(--alert-destructive-label)	Lightred.light.600:#C42B2BDarkred.dark.600:#F28B8B
Title
Weight	component.alert.title.font-weighttype.label.font-weightvar(--alert-title-font-weight)	font.weight.700:700
Description
Gap	component.alert.description.gapspace.gap.tightvar(--alert-description-gap)	space.12:0.75rem
Text size	component.alert.description.font-sizetype.body.font-sizevar(--alert-description-font-size)	font.size.19:1.1875rem
Text Changes with theme	component.alert.description.labelcolor.text.mutedvar(--alert-description-label)	Lightgray.light.500:#595959Darkgray.dark.500:#949494
From the system
Edge Changes with theme	color.border.default straight from the system, through --border	Lightgray.light.200 · #D6D6D6Darkgray.dark.100 · #222222