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#1369 Workflow/CLI output uses red text for non-error/informational lines, contradicting standard error-color convention
Opened by shelson · 7/23/2026
Description
Swamp CLI output (workflow runs and elsewhere) uses red-colored text for lines that aren't errors. Red is a near-universal terminal convention for "something failed" — using it for normal/informational output breaks that expectation and makes it hard to visually distinguish real errors from routine status text.
The problem is most noticeable when output is scrolling by quickly (e.g. a workflow with many steps): a flash of red reads as "something broke," so the user has to stop and re-read to confirm whether it was actually an error or just normal output styled red. This adds friction and undermines trust in the coloring as a signal.
Steps to Reproduce
- Run any workflow, e.g.
swamp workflow run <name> - Observe that some non-error/status lines render in red alongside (or instead of) a neutral/non-red color
- Compare against lines that represent actual failures — the color doesn't reliably distinguish the two cases
Expected Behavior
Reserve red exclusively for actual errors/failures. Use a neutral color (default terminal foreground, gray, or similar) for informational/status output, and reserve yellow/red for warnings/errors respectively, consistent with common CLI conventions (e.g. git, npm, cargo).
Environment
- Interface: swamp CLI, workflow run output (and possibly other commands)
Closed
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