diff --git a/backend/index.js b/backend/index.js
index ca313a3..9a54914 100644
--- a/backend/index.js
+++ b/backend/index.js
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ app.use(passport.session());
 
 app.get("*", function (req, res, next) {
     if (!serverStartupComplete)
-        return res.send("Server is starting...");
+        return res.send("Server is starting... Please try again soon.");
     else return next();
 });
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ passport.use('local-login', new LocalStrategy({
     email = mysql.escape(email);
     connection.query(`SELECT * from user WHERE email = ${email} AND deactivated = 0`, function (err, rows) {
         if (err) {
-            return res.status(static.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).send();
+            return res.status(static.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).send("error querying the database - Please contact sys admin");
         }
         if (!rows.length) {
             return done(null, false);
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ passport.deserializeUser(function (id, done) {
 });
 
 app.post("/API/user/login", passport.authenticate('local-login'), function (req, res) {
-    res.status(status.OK).send();
+    res.status(status.OK).send("login success");
 });
 
 app.put("/API/user/create", function (req, res) {
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ app.put("/API/user/create", function (req, res) {
         password = mysql.escape(bcrypt.hashSync(password, saltRounds));
         connection.query(`INSERT INTO user (deactivated, email, password) values (1, ${email}, ${password})`, function (err, rows) {
             if (err)
-                return res.send(status.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).send();
+                return res.send(status.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).send("the user seems to exist already - if you think this is an error contact the sys admin");
             return res.status(status.OK).send();
         });
     } else {
-        res.status(status.BAD_REQUEST).send();
+        res.status(status.BAD_REQUEST).send("invalid data supplied");
     }
 });
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ app.all("*", function (req, res, next) {
         return next();
     }
     else {
-        res.status(status.UNAUTHORIZED).send();
+        res.status(status.UNAUTHORIZED).send("please log in before using this site");
     }
 });
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ app.get('/API/day', function (req, res) {
             });
         }
         else
-            res.status(status.BAD_REQUEST).send("invalid data provided");
+            res.status(status.BAD_REQUEST).send("invalid data range provided");
 
     }
     else