Loading, empty, and failed states each need their own message

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An empty table can stand for several different situations, such as a request still in progress, a search with no matches, or a failed refresh. Showing the same 'No results' message for all of them leaves users unsure what happened and what to do next. The article recommends defining each product state before designing its visuals, so that each one communicates its specific meaning. Successful empty results can offer relevant actions like clearing filters, while failures can keep prior results and preserve user input. It also stresses clear data freshness labels, appropriate recovery actions, and accessible status announcements, with testing across each transition.

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