diff --git a/docs/src/test-snapshots-js.md b/docs/src/test-snapshots-js.md
index 34f2f28d05..8c48a6641d 100644
--- a/docs/src/test-snapshots-js.md
+++ b/docs/src/test-snapshots-js.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ test('example test', async ({ page }) => {
 
 When you run above for the first time, test runner will say:
 ```
-Error: example.spec.ts-snapshots/example-test-1-chromium-darwin.png is missing in snapshots, writing actual.
+Error: A snapshot doesn't exist at example.spec.ts-snapshots/example-test-1-chromium-darwin.png, writing actual.
 ```
 
 That's because there was no golden file yet. This method took a bunch of screenshots until two consecutive
diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/toMatchSnapshot.ts b/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/toMatchSnapshot.ts
index e07764ae66..ba4b21952a 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/toMatchSnapshot.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/toMatchSnapshot.ts
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class SnapshotHelper<T extends ImageComparatorOptions> {
 
   handleMissingNegated() {
     const isWriteMissingMode = this.updateSnapshots === 'all' || this.updateSnapshots === 'missing';
-    const message = `${this.snapshotPath} is missing in snapshots${isWriteMissingMode ? ', matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.' : '.'}`;
+    const message = `A snapshot doesn't exist at ${this.snapshotPath}${isWriteMissingMode ? ', matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.' : '.'}`;
     return {
       // NOTE: 'isNot' matcher implies inversed value.
       pass: true,
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class SnapshotHelper<T extends ImageComparatorOptions> {
       writeFileSync(this.snapshotPath, actual);
       writeFileSync(this.actualPath, actual);
     }
-    const message = `${this.snapshotPath} is missing in snapshots${isWriteMissingMode ? ', writing actual.' : '.'}`;
+    const message = `A snapshot doesn't exist at ${this.snapshotPath}${isWriteMissingMode ? ', writing actual.' : '.'}`;
     if (this.updateSnapshots === 'all') {
       /* eslint-disable no-console */
       console.log(message);
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ export async function toHaveScreenshot(
 
   // Fast path: there's no screenshot and we don't intend to update it.
   if (helper.updateSnapshots === 'none' && !hasSnapshot)
-    return { pass: false, message: () => `${helper.snapshotPath} is missing in snapshots.` };
+    return { pass: false, message: () => `A snapshot doesn't exist at ${helper.snapshotPath}.` };
 
   if (!hasSnapshot) {
     // Regenerate a new screenshot by waiting until two screenshots are the same.
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/golden.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/golden.spec.ts
index afd61657ac..8cb05152f2 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/golden.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/golden.spec.ts
@@ -216,11 +216,11 @@ test('should write missing expectations locally twice and continue', async ({ ru
   expect(result.failed).toBe(1);
 
   const snapshot1OutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/snapshot.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: ${snapshot1OutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshot1OutputPath}, writing actual`);
   expect(fs.readFileSync(snapshot1OutputPath, 'utf-8')).toBe('Hello world');
 
   const snapshot2OutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/snapshot2.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: ${snapshot2OutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshot2OutputPath}, writing actual`);
   expect(fs.readFileSync(snapshot2OutputPath, 'utf-8')).toBe('Hello world2');
 
   expect(result.output).toContain('Here we are!');
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ test('should not write missing expectations for negated matcher', async ({ runIn
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/snapshot.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
   expect(fs.existsSync(snapshotOutputPath)).toBe(false);
 });
 
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ test('should silently write missing expectations locally with the update-snapsho
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/snapshot.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(data.toString()).toBe(ACTUAL_SNAPSHOT);
 });
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ test('should silently write missing expectations locally with the update-snapsho
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/snapshot.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
   expect(fs.existsSync(snapshotOutputPath)).toBe(false);
 });
 
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ test('should write missing expectations with sanitized snapshot name', async ({
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/-snapshot-.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(data.toString()).toBe('Hello world');
 });
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ test('should update snapshot with array of path segments', async ({ runInlineTes
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/test/path/snapshot.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(data.toString()).toBe('Hello world');
 });
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ test('should fail with missing expectations and retries', async ({ runInlineTest
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   expect(result.failed).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/snapshot.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(data.toString()).toBe('Hello world');
 });
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ test('should update expectations with retries', async ({ runInlineTest }, testIn
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
   expect(result.passed).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('a.spec.js-snapshots/snapshot.txt');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(data.toString()).toBe('Hello world');
 });
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/snapshot-path-template.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/snapshot-path-template.spec.ts
index 97d44220d1..d8860b1614 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/snapshot-path-template.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/snapshot-path-template.spec.ts
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ test('arg should receive default arg', async ({ runInlineTest }, testInfo) => {
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
   expect(result.passed).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__/is-a-test-1.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   expect(fs.existsSync(snapshotOutputPath)).toBe(true);
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/to-have-screenshot.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/to-have-screenshot.spec.ts
index 3536df2531..0436b49b1c 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/to-have-screenshot.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/to-have-screenshot.spec.ts
@@ -557,11 +557,11 @@ test('should write missing expectations locally twice and continue', async ({ ru
   expect(result.failed).toBe(1);
 
   const snapshot1OutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__', 'a.spec.js', 'snapshot.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: ${snapshot1OutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshot1OutputPath}, writing actual`);
   expect(comparePNGs(fs.readFileSync(snapshot1OutputPath), whiteImage)).toBe(null);
 
   const snapshot2OutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__', 'a.spec.js', 'snapshot2.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: ${snapshot2OutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`Error: A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshot2OutputPath}, writing actual`);
   expect(comparePNGs(fs.readFileSync(snapshot2OutputPath), whiteImage)).toBe(null);
 
   expect(result.output).toContain('Here we are!');
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ test('shouldn\'t write missing expectations locally for negated matcher', async
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__/a.spec.js/snapshot.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
   expect(fs.existsSync(snapshotOutputPath)).toBe(false);
 });
 
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ test('should silently write missing expectations locally with the update-snapsho
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__/a.spec.js/snapshot.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(comparePNGs(data, whiteImage)).toBe(null);
 });
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ test('should not write missing expectations locally with the update-snapshots fl
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__/a.spec.js/snapshot.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, matchers using ".not" won\'t write them automatically.`);
   expect(fs.existsSync(snapshotOutputPath)).toBe(false);
 });
 
@@ -996,7 +996,7 @@ test('should fail with missing expectations and retries', async ({ runInlineTest
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   expect(result.failed).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__/a.spec.js/snapshot.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(comparePNGs(data, whiteImage)).toBe(null);
 });
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ test('should update expectations with retries', async ({ runInlineTest }, testIn
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
   expect(result.passed).toBe(1);
   const snapshotOutputPath = testInfo.outputPath('__screenshots__/a.spec.js/snapshot.png');
-  expect(result.output).toContain(`${snapshotOutputPath} is missing in snapshots, writing actual`);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`A snapshot doesn't exist at ${snapshotOutputPath}, writing actual`);
   const data = fs.readFileSync(snapshotOutputPath);
   expect(comparePNGs(data, whiteImage)).toBe(null);
 });