diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7d11eb4..10ba0cd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 
 - **Smoother loading experience.** Pages now show a subtle preview of the layout while data loads instead of a blank screen or spinner. This applies everywhere — dashboards, settings, uptime, funnels, notifications, billing, and detail modals.
 - **No more loading flicker.** Fast-loading pages no longer flash a loading state for a split second before showing content.
+- **Clearer error messages.** When something goes wrong, the error message now tells you what failed (e.g. "Failed to load uptime monitors") instead of a generic "Failed to load data".
 
 ## [0.10.0-alpha] - 2026-02-21
 
diff --git a/app/page.tsx b/app/page.tsx
index 15cc2ae..ab4817e 100644
--- a/app/page.tsx
+++ b/app/page.tsx
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ export default function HomePage() {
       const data = await listSites()
       setSites(Array.isArray(data) ? data : [])
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load sites: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load your sites')
       setSites([])
     } finally {
       setSitesLoading(false)
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ export default function HomePage() {
       toast.success('Site deleted successfully')
       loadSites()
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to delete site: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to delete site')
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/app/share/[id]/page.tsx b/app/share/[id]/page.tsx
index 7a1b04f..d645fe7 100644
--- a/app/share/[id]/page.tsx
+++ b/app/share/[id]/page.tsx
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ export default function PublicDashboardPage() {
       } else if (error.status === 404 || error.response?.status === 404) {
         toast.error('Site not found')
       } else if (!silent) {
-        toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load dashboard: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+        toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load public dashboard')
       }
     } finally {
       if (!silent) setLoading(false)
diff --git a/app/sites/[id]/funnels/[funnelId]/page.tsx b/app/sites/[id]/funnels/[funnelId]/page.tsx
index 7bcd8ea..4b7c0bc 100644
--- a/app/sites/[id]/funnels/[funnelId]/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/[id]/funnels/[funnelId]/page.tsx
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export default function FunnelReportPage() {
       if (status === 404) setLoadError('not_found')
       else if (status === 403) setLoadError('forbidden')
       else setLoadError('error')
-      if (status !== 404 && status !== 403) toast.error('Failed to load funnel data')
+      if (status !== 404 && status !== 403) toast.error('Failed to load funnel details')
     } finally {
       setLoading(false)
     }
diff --git a/app/sites/[id]/funnels/new/page.tsx b/app/sites/[id]/funnels/new/page.tsx
index 187ad5a..50da204 100644
--- a/app/sites/[id]/funnels/new/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/[id]/funnels/new/page.tsx
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export default function CreateFunnelPage() {
       toast.success('Funnel created')
       router.push(`/sites/${siteId}/funnels`)
     } catch (error) {
-      toast.error('Failed to create funnel')
+      toast.error('Failed to create funnel. Please try again.')
     } finally {
       setSaving(false)
     }
diff --git a/app/sites/[id]/funnels/page.tsx b/app/sites/[id]/funnels/page.tsx
index e1ab641..a7b5726 100644
--- a/app/sites/[id]/funnels/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/[id]/funnels/page.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export default function FunnelsPage() {
       const data = await listFunnels(siteId)
       setFunnels(data)
     } catch (error) {
-      toast.error('Failed to load funnels')
+      toast.error('Failed to load your funnels')
     } finally {
       setLoading(false)
     }
diff --git a/app/sites/[id]/page.tsx b/app/sites/[id]/page.tsx
index 274b7ec..7010baa 100644
--- a/app/sites/[id]/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/[id]/page.tsx
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ export default function SiteDashboardPage() {
       setLastUpdatedAt(Date.now())
     } catch (error: unknown) {
       if (!silent) {
-        toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load data: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+        toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load dashboard analytics')
       }
     } finally {
       if (!silent) setLoading(false)
diff --git a/app/sites/[id]/realtime/page.tsx b/app/sites/[id]/realtime/page.tsx
index a8ed5ca..632045b 100644
--- a/app/sites/[id]/realtime/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/[id]/realtime/page.tsx
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export default function RealtimePage() {
           handleSelectVisitor(visitorsData[0])
         }
       } catch (error: unknown) {
-        toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load data')
+        toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load realtime visitors')
       } finally {
         setLoading(false)
       }
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export default function RealtimePage() {
       const events = await getSessionDetails(siteId, visitor.session_id)
       setSessionEvents(events || [])
     } catch (error: unknown) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load session details')
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load session events')
     } finally {
       setLoadingEvents(false)
     }
diff --git a/app/sites/[id]/settings/page.tsx b/app/sites/[id]/settings/page.tsx
index 5b10014..9c90e27 100644
--- a/app/sites/[id]/settings/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/[id]/settings/page.tsx
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export default function SiteSettingsPage() {
         setIsPasswordEnabled(false)
       }
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load site: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load site settings')
     } finally {
       setLoading(false)
     }
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ export default function SiteSettingsPage() {
       toast.success('Site updated successfully')
       loadSite()
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to update site: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to save site settings')
     } finally {
       setSaving(false)
     }
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ export default function SiteSettingsPage() {
       await resetSiteData(siteId)
       toast.success('All site data has been reset')
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to reset data: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to reset site data')
     }
   }
 
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ export default function SiteSettingsPage() {
       toast.success('Site deleted successfully')
       router.push('/')
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to delete site: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to delete site')
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/app/sites/[id]/uptime/page.tsx b/app/sites/[id]/uptime/page.tsx
index d746d93..2ead55b 100644
--- a/app/sites/[id]/uptime/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/[id]/uptime/page.tsx
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ export default function UptimePage() {
       setSite(siteData)
       setUptimeData(statusData)
     } catch (error: unknown) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load uptime data')
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to load uptime monitors')
     } finally {
       setLoading(false)
     }
diff --git a/app/sites/new/page.tsx b/app/sites/new/page.tsx
index cdcd4d1..0dd1829 100644
--- a/app/sites/new/page.tsx
+++ b/app/sites/new/page.tsx
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export default function NewSitePage() {
         sessionStorage.setItem(LAST_CREATED_SITE_KEY, JSON.stringify({ id: site.id }))
       }
     } catch (error: unknown) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to create site: ' + ((error as Error)?.message || 'Unknown error'))
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || 'Failed to create site. Please try again.')
     } finally {
       setLoading(false)
     }
diff --git a/app/welcome/page.tsx b/app/welcome/page.tsx
index 295b374..f7a6bac 100644
--- a/app/welcome/page.tsx
+++ b/app/welcome/page.tsx
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ function WelcomeContent() {
         setStep(3)
       }
     } catch (err) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(err) || 'Failed to switch organization')
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(err) || 'Failed to switch workspace')
     } finally {
       setSwitchingOrgId(null)
     }
diff --git a/components/PricingSection.tsx b/components/PricingSection.tsx
index 41e346f..81eb656 100644
--- a/components/PricingSection.tsx
+++ b/components/PricingSection.tsx
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ export default function PricingSection() {
 
     } catch (error: any) {
       console.error('Checkout error:', error)
-      toast.error('Failed to start checkout. Please try again.')
+      toast.error('Failed to start checkout — please try again')
     } finally {
       setLoadingPlan(null)
     }
diff --git a/components/settings/OrganizationSettings.tsx b/components/settings/OrganizationSettings.tsx
index bef72b3..28bd657 100644
--- a/components/settings/OrganizationSettings.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/OrganizationSettings.tsx
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ export default function OrganizationSettings() {
       setAuditTotal(typeof total === 'number' ? total : 0)
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Failed to load audit log', error)
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error as Error) || 'Failed to load audit log')
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error as Error) || 'Failed to load audit log entries')
     } finally {
       setIsLoadingAudit(false)
     }
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ export default function OrganizationSettings() {
       const { url } = await createPortalSession()
       window.location.href = url
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || error.message || 'Failed to redirect to billing portal')
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || error.message || 'Failed to open billing portal')
       setIsRedirectingToPortal(false)
     }
   }
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ export default function OrganizationSettings() {
         else throw new Error('No checkout URL')
       }
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || error.message || 'Something went wrong.')
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || error.message || 'Failed to update member role')
     } finally {
       setIsChangingPlan(false)
     }
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ export default function OrganizationSettings() {
       setIsEditing(false)
       loadMembers() 
     } catch (error: any) {
-      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || error.message || 'Failed to update organization')
+      toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(error) || error.message || 'Failed to save organization settings')
     } finally {
       setIsSaving(false)
     }
@@ -1145,7 +1145,7 @@ export default function OrganizationSettings() {
                                     toast.success('Notification settings updated')
                                   })
                                   .catch((err) => {
-                                    toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(err) || 'Failed to update settings')
+                                    toast.error(getAuthErrorMessage(err) || 'Failed to save notification preferences')
                                     setNotificationSettings(prev)
                                   })
                                   .finally(() => setIsSavingNotificationSettings(false))
diff --git a/docs/DESIGN_SYSTEM.md b/docs/DESIGN_SYSTEM.md
index b6cfa30..91f7bd2 100644
--- a/docs/DESIGN_SYSTEM.md
+++ b/docs/DESIGN_SYSTEM.md
@@ -405,8 +405,8 @@ toast.success('Site created successfully')
 
 **Error Toast:**
 ```tsx
-toast.error('Failed to load data')
-// Red toast with X icon
+toast.error('Failed to load uptime monitors')
+// Red toast with X icon — always mention what failed
 ```
 
 **Error Display:**