Error Message Rewriter skill for Claude and Codex

Error Message Rewriter as an AI skill. It asks for Current messages, Product and audience, Brand voice and 3 more, then does the rest. Free to install in…

Install it once and Claude or Codex runs it for you. When your request matches, your AI loads the skill, asks for anything it is missing, and works through the template itself. Prefer to fill it in by hand? See the full prompt template.

Download the skill (.zip) · View SKILL.md

When it is used

Use when error messages in an app, form or API are vague, blaming or technical and need rewriting so users know what to do next. Do not use for writing marketing copy or handling the underlying errors in code. Related topics: design, writing.

What it will ask you for

• Current messages (longer free text)
• Product and audience (longer free text)
• Brand voice (choose one: Friendly, Neutral, Formal, Playful)
• Error context (longer free text)
• Where it appears (choose one: Form field, Toast, Full page, Email, API response)
• Maximum length (number from 20 to 200)

How it works

1. For each message, extract what happened, why and the action the person can take, noting where the context is too thin.
2. Rewrite in that order using plain words, no blame and the requested voice.
3. Fit each message to its surface and length limit, with a title and body only where the surface allows.
4. Check that no message hides the next step, leads with a code or jokes about a serious failure.
5. Return a table of old text, new text and reason, and list messages that need more context.

What you get

A table with columns for location, old message, new message and reason, followed by a list of messages that lack enough context to fix.

What it watches out for

• Softening a message so much that it no longer says what failed, which leaves the user guessing.
• Using a playful tone on payment or data loss errors, where it reads as not caring.
• Promising a fix that the product cannot deliver, such as 'try again' for a permanent failure.

How to install

Claude.ai and the Claude desktop app

1. Download the skill .zip.
2. Open Settings, then Capabilities, and find Skills.
3. Choose Upload skill and select the .zip.
4. Ask Claude for help with the task. It loads the skill when your request matches.

Claude Code

1. Download the skill .zip.
2. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ (or .claude/skills/ inside a project).
3. Start a new session. Claude Code loads the skill when your request matches.

Codex

1. Download the skill .zip.
2. Unzip it into ~/.agents/skills/ (or .agents/skills/ inside a project).
3. Codex picks it up on its own. Type $ and the skill name to use it, or just ask for the task.

Cursor

1. Download the Cursor rule (.mdc).
2. Save it in .cursor/rules/ inside your project.
3. Cursor's agent applies the rule when your request matches its description.

AGENTS.md (Codex, Cursor, and other coding agents)

1. Copy the AGENTS.md section.
2. Paste it into AGENTS.md at the root of your repository, creating the file if needed.
3. Coding agents that read AGENTS.md follow it when your request fits.