A dashboard with six empty charts can make a new customer wonder whether the product is broken. The team may see a clean starting point; the customer sees a page that offers no clue about where to begin. An effective empty state answers that uncertainty before asking for another click.
First identify why the page has no data. A new account, a filter with no matches, an unavailable connection, and a loading failure need different explanations. Calling all of them “Nothing here yet” removes information the user needs.
Connect the action to the result
For a fictional appointment tool, “Create your first appointment” is more useful than “Get started” if that action will populate the schedule. A short explanation can say what information is required and whether the appointment will be sent to anyone. The customer should not have to guess the consequence of the button.
If there are several legitimate starting routes, give them clear names rather than placing equal emphasis on a long list. A user importing existing records has a different task from someone entering a single record manually.
Do not disguise absence with invented activity
Example data can help demonstrate a screen, but label it plainly and make it easy to remove. A fabricated revenue figure or customer count that looks real can mislead someone who returns later and forgets how it appeared.
For a filtered empty result, preserve the filter context and offer a way to change it. For a failed connection, explain the problem and provide an appropriate retry or support route. Neither situation is solved by onboarding text written for a brand-new account.
Test the screen with someone who has not built the product. Ask what they think happened and what they expect the main action to do. If their answer differs from the actual behaviour, improve the wording or flow before adding decorative graphics. The empty space has a job: help the user make one informed move.