---
title: "Empty States"
canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/DOCSGUIDE/696877067/Empty%20States"
format: markdown
---
This page provides details on writing microcopy for empty states.


## **What are Empty States?**

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**Empty States** are texts used to set expectations and build excitement while indicating that the empty space is intentional. Examples of empty states include shopping carts with nothing in them or inboxes with no emails or messages.


## **Rules**

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Show the users what could be in the empty state, and not what isn’t there. It is ok to start with a negative title, but provide a description for what could be placed in the empty state window. This prevents users from feeling that the company has little to offer.


**Don’t write like this:**

- There are no items in your basket.
- Your wishlist is empty.
- No previous actions were found.
- No messages

Such short, negative statements create the impression that the software offers little, and don’t prompt the user to continue with another action.


**Write like this:**

- Add models from Cosmos here and then click Generate.

<details>
<summary>Click here to see an example...</summary>

![TechGuide_EmptyStates_Cosmos.png](media://a3013da6-3e2b-4a25-b143-a1f6ce0b9d15)
</details>


## **Common Patterns for Empty States**

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The pattern usually is the following:

Title: {verb} the {noun}

Description: To do X, do Y

Button: {verb}


Or if no action is available:

Title: {area name} or omit

Description: If/when X happens, you’ll see Y


Other patterns are also possible.


## **Examples**

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A common example for an empty state is the welcome text in Chaos Cloud Rendering that appears when you have no render jobs in the Rendering tab of Chaos Cloud. ([https://cloud.chaos.com/](https://cloud.chaos.com/))


![TechGuide_EmptyStates_Cloud.png](media://991bf2c7-30af-40ad-a8db-34a111c698f1)


---


Other examples: