element-hq / element-hq/element-web
Better error message when the server doesn't support URL previews
- Dominant language
- TypeScript
- Stars
- 13.5k
- Forks
- 2.8k
- PR merge metrics
- PR metrics pending
Description
### Your use case
#### What would you like to do?
When a homeserver doesn't support URL previews (`GET /_matrix/client/v1/media/preview_url` returns 404), Element should help the user understand this.
#### Why would you like to do it?
Currently you get an unhelpfully generic error message:
which would make me think that either my client or server is broken.
#### How would you like to achieve it?
Ideally Element could detect support for the /preview\_url endpoint and disable the settings switch for URL previews accordingly.
### Have you considered any alternatives?
Just show a clearer error message in the composer case the /preview\_url endpoint returns 404.
### Additional context
_No response_
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by locating the URL preview request for GET /_matrix/client/v1/media/preview_url and the settings switch or composer error handling that uses it. Confirm the 404 behavior, then make the unsupported-server state clear through the settings or composer path; done means users no longer see a generic error when URL previews are unavailable.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- typescript
- Domain
- api, frontend
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 42/100