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Empty, loading and error states that help

Give every list and screen a helpful empty state, a calm loading state and an error with a way out.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • 1 to 2 hours with an agent
  • By Devvrat Hans
  • Version 1.0, updated Oct 26, 2026

1Your site and stack

Optional. The prompt adapts as you type; leave a field blank and the agent works it out.

2Copy it into your agent

empty-and-loading-states.md62 lines, about 818 tokens

Paste into any coding agent: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, Windsurf or Cline.

# Empty, loading and error states that help

New users of the production site see the app at its emptiest: no data yet, slow first loads, the odd failed request. Blank screens and spinners that never end make a product feel broken on the day it most needs to impress. Give every screen an empty, loading and error state that says what is happening and what to do.

Site: not given. Find the production URL in the project config, or ask me.

## Ground rules

1. Read before you write. Explore the parts of the codebase this job touches and tell me what is already in place.
2. Plan, then stop. Give me a numbered plan: what you will change, in which files, and why. Wait for my approval before editing anything.
3. Fix things at their source (the shared layout, the config, the generator), not with one-off patches page by page.
4. Keep the project's conventions: its framework APIs, file layout, naming and code style. Add no new dependency without asking.
5. Where something is already done well, say so and leave it alone.

## You will not

- Edit `.env` files, secrets or API keys, or print their values.
- Deploy, push, merge or publish anything.
- Delete data, or run migrations or scripts against a production database.
- Add tracking, third-party scripts or links to any site I did not ask for.
- Change copy, design or behaviour that this job does not need.
- Redesign screens beyond their states.
- Hide errors without logging them.

## Your stack

- Framework: Work out the framework, router and build output from the project files (package.json, lockfiles, framework config) before planning, and say which you found.
- Host: Work out where the site is hosted from the config files (vercel.json, netlify.toml, wrangler config, Dockerfile, fly.toml) and say which you found.

## Steps

### 1. Find the gaps

List every screen and component that shows data: lists, tables, dashboards, search results, feeds. For each, note what it shows when there is no data, while it loads, and when the request fails. Flag blank screens, endless spinners and raw error messages.

### 2. Empty states

Each empty state says what will appear here and offers the action that fills it ("No invoices yet. Create your first invoice"), or explains why it is empty for filters and searches with a way to reset them. Reuse one empty-state component.

### 3. Loading states

Use skeletons shaped like the content for loads that take a moment, keep the layout the same size so nothing jumps when data arrives, and show a progress message for long operations. Avoid full-page spinners for partial updates.

### 4. Error states

Failed requests show a short human message and a retry button, keep what the user typed, and log the error. Never show a stack trace or a raw API error to a user.

## Done means

- [ ] Every data screen has an empty, loading and error state.
- [ ] Empty states explain and offer the action that fills them.
- [ ] Loading states keep the layout stable.
- [ ] Errors show a human message with retry, keep user input, and are logged.

## Report back

When you finish, give me:

- what you changed, file by file;
- anything you skipped, and why;
- anything I must do by hand (DNS records, dashboards, accounts, deploys);
- how to check each change on the live site.

One-line version

For agents that can read a URL. It fetches this prompt with your settings applied.

Read https://abacklaunch.com/prompts/empty-and-loading-states.md and follow it for this project.

3Check the result

When the changes are live, run these free checks. Add your site URL above and each one opens already running on it.

This prompt will not

  • Edit .env files, secrets or API keys, or print their values.
  • Deploy, push, merge or publish anything.
  • Delete data, or run migrations or scripts against a production database.
  • Add tracking, third-party scripts or links to any site I did not ask for.
  • Change copy, design or behaviour that this job does not need.
  • Redesign screens beyond their states.
  • Hide errors without logging them.

It reads your code first, shows you a plan, and waits for your approval before it changes anything.

What you get

  • A list of every screen missing an empty, loading or error state
  • Shared components for each state
  • No more blank screens, endless spinners or raw errors

How to use this prompt

  1. 1

    Describe your stack

    Add your site, framework and host. The prompt adapts; blank fields are left for the agent to work out.

  2. 2

    Paste it into your agent

    Open your project in Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, Windsurf or Cline, and paste the prompt or the one-line version.

  3. 3

    Approve the plan

    The agent reads your code, shows you a plan with the files it will touch, and waits. Change anything you disagree with.

  4. 4

    Check the result

    When the changes are live, run the free checks below on your site to confirm each fix.

What the agent does

New users of the production site see the app at its emptiest: no data yet, slow first loads, the odd failed request. Blank screens and spinners that never end make a product feel broken on the day it most needs to impress. Give every screen an empty, loading and error state that says what is happening and what to do.

  1. 1. Find the gaps

    List every screen and component that shows data: lists, tables, dashboards, search results, feeds. For each, note what it shows when there is no data, while it loads, and when the request fails. Flag blank screens, endless spinners and raw error messages.

  2. 2. Empty states

    Each empty state says what will appear here and offers the action that fills it ("No invoices yet. Create your first invoice"), or explains why it is empty for filters and searches with a way to reset them. Reuse one empty-state component.

  3. 3. Loading states

    Use skeletons shaped like the content for loads that take a moment, keep the layout the same size so nothing jumps when data arrives, and show a progress message for long operations. Avoid full-page spinners for partial updates.

  4. 4. Error states

    Failed requests show a short human message and a retry button, keep what the user typed, and log the error. Never show a stack trace or a raw API error to a user.

Done means

  • Every data screen has an empty, loading and error state.
  • Empty states explain and offer the action that fills them.
  • Loading states keep the layout stable.
  • Errors show a human message with retry, keep user input, and are logged.

Questions

Skeletons or spinners?

Skeletons for content that has a known shape, because they keep the layout steady and feel faster. A spinner is fine for a short action like saving.

Why does layout stability matter?

Content that jumps when data loads causes misclicks and counts against your Core Web Vitals (Cumulative Layout Shift).

What should an error message say?

What happened in plain words, whether the user's data is safe, and what they can do: retry, wait, or contact support.

Does this prompt add links to Aback Launch to my site?

No. Nothing in the prompt mentions Aback Launch or asks your agent to link to us. The only exception is an optional badge step, which stays off unless you tick it. Some prompt libraries slip their own link into your codebase by default; we think that should always be your choice.

Which coding agents does it work with?

Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Cline, and any agent that can read your project and edit files. You can copy it as a plain prompt, save it as a Claude Code skill or a Cursor rule, or add it to AGENTS.md.

Is it safe to run on my real codebase?

The prompt makes the agent read first, show a plan and wait for your approval, and it forbids touching secrets, deploying and deleting data. Still review the changes and run your tests before you deploy, as with any change.

Changelog

  • v1.0First version.

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