Empty State
An empty state appears when a list or workspace has no content right now. It explains why and gives a useful next step.
Save a guide to keep the patterns your team uses most within reach.
A real example
A new project has no studies, and its owner can create one. The page says this clearly, explains the value, and offers Create study. No search results need help changing the query, not first-use welcome text.
Main parts
- 01empty reason
- 02contextual explanation
- 03valid next step
Use it when
Use this term after finding whether the reason is first use, deleted data, a filter, permission, or failure.
Do not use it when
Do not show a cheerful empty placeholder while data is loading or an error is being hidden.
Name used in code
zero-content reason → explanation + next action Before you ship
Before release, check the page structure, keyboard access, visible focus, contrast, and zoom. Also check loading, empty, error, success, cancel, and reduced-motion states.
Outcome: Use Empty State to solve this user need without losing the current context. User context: A new project has no studies, and its owner can create one. The page says this clearly, explains the value, and offers Create study. No search results need help changing the query, not first-use welcome text. Recommended pattern: Empty State. Why it fits: Use this term after finding whether the reason is first use, deleted data, a filter, permission, or failure. Do not use it when: Do not show a cheerful empty placeholder while data is loading or an error is being hidden. Product requirements: Define the default, loading, empty, error, success, and recovery states. Keep user input. Give clear feedback after every action. Accessibility and resilience: Use semantic HTML, full keyboard access, and visible focus. Make the layout work when zoomed and support reduced motion. Follow the project’s current rules. Do not add a new UI library unless the project already uses it. Acceptance criteria: The main task works with keyboard only and at 320px width. Focus and status changes are announced. Check loading, failure, retry, cancel, and reduced-motion paths. Evidence and limits (evidence boundary): It is official for that source. Other platforms or teams may use the term in another way. Unknowns to confirm: Product wording, data source, analytics events, supported devices and languages, and platform limits.
Check this request
Review the current use of Empty State. Definition: An empty state appears when a list or workspace has no content right now. It explains why and gives a useful next step. Release checks: Before release, check the page structure, keyboard access, visible focus, contrast, and zoom. Also check loading, empty, error, success, cancel, and reduced-motion states. Before changing code, report the evidence you found, gaps, severity, and the smallest safe fix.