# agent_ui: Replace raw error messages with user-friendly copy in the agent panel \(\#53099\) · gitcafe/zed

[View on GitCafe](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zed/commit/4e0022cbc0596678837ce10d66f67404a592e68c)

Repository: [gitcafe/zed](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zed)

Visibility: public

Requested revision: 4e0022cbc0596678837ce10d66f67404a592e68c

Requested commit: 4e0022cbc0596678837ce10d66f67404a592e68c

Commit: 4e0022cbc0596678837ce10d66f67404a592e68c

Tree: 4ac5e76e0ae6395429bf92731bdfe254b78e6d99

Author: Katie Geer

Committer: GitHub

## Message

```
agent_ui: Replace raw error messages with user-friendly copy in the agent panel (#53099)

Replaces raw provider error strings in the agent panel with specific,
user-friendly error callouts. Each error now has a clear title,
actionable copy, and appropriate buttons instead of the generic "An
Error Happened" fallback.

Error variants added:

Variant | Title | Body | Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| `RateLimitExceeded` | Rate Limit Reached | {Provider}'s rate limit was
reached. Zed will retry automatically. You can also wait a moment and
try again. | Provider rate limit exhausted after retries |
| `ServerOverloaded` | Provider Unavailable | {Provider}'s servers are
temporarily unavailable. Zed will retry automatically. If the problem
persists, check the provider's status page. | Provider server overloaded
or internal server error |
| `PromptTooLarge` | Context Too Large | This conversation is too long
for the model's context window. Start a new thread or remove some
attached files to continue. | Conversation exceeds model's context
window |
| `NoApiKey` | API Key Missing | No API key is configured for
{Provider}. Add your key via the Agent Panel settings to continue. | No
API key configured for a direct provider |
| `StreamError` | Connection Interrupted | The connection to
{Provider}'s API was interrupted. Zed will retry automatically. If the
problem persists, check your network connection. | Stream dropped or I/O
error during generation |
| `InvalidApiKey` | Invalid API Key | The API key for {Provider} is
invalid or has expired. Update your key via the Agent Panel settings to
continue. | API key present but invalid or expired |
| `PermissionDenied` | Permission Denied | {Provider}'s API rejected the
request due to insufficient permissions. Check that your API key has
access to this model. | API key lacks access to the requested model |
| `RequestFailed` | Request Failed | The request could not be completed
after multiple attempts. Try again in a moment. | Upstream provider
unreachable after retries |
| `MaxOutputTokens` | Output Limit Reached | The model stopped because
it reached its maximum output length. You can ask it to continue where
it left off. | Model hit its maximum output token budget |
| `NoModelSelected` | No Model Selected | Select a model from the model
picker below to get started. | No model configured when a message is
sent |
| `ApiError` | API Error | {Provider}'s API returned an unexpected
error. If the problem persists, try switching models or restarting Zed.
## Approach

- Added typed errors (`NoModelConfiguredError`, `MaxOutputTokensError`)
where previously raw strings were used, so they can be reliably downcast
- Extended `From<anyhow::Error> for ThreadError` to downcast
`LanguageModelCompletionError` variants before falling through to the
generic `Other` case
- Each variant has a dedicated `render_*` function with appropriate
buttons (retry icon, New Thread, or none)
- Telemetry events updated with specific `kind` labels for each new
variant

Release Notes:

- Improved error messages in the agent panel to show specific,
actionable copy instead of raw provider error strings

Self-Review Checklist:

- [ x] I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability
- [n/a] Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments
- [ x] The content is consistent with the [UI/UX
checklist](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#uiux-checklist)
- [n/a ] Tests cover the new/changed behavior
- [x] Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable


Release Notes:

Improved error messages in the agent panel to show specific, actionable
copy instead of raw provider error strings
```

## Parents

- [b15969086e30765465dab6f76c327baa4940e9a3](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zed/commit/b15969086e30765465dab6f76c327baa4940e9a3?format=markdown)

[Source at this commit](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zed/tree/4e0022cbc0596678837ce10d66f67404a592e68c?format=markdown)