diff --git a/lib/server/readCategories.js b/lib/server/readCategories.js
index 8b19614679..d72d238a5d 100644
--- a/lib/server/readCategories.js
+++ b/lib/server/readCategories.js
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ function readCategories(sidebar) {
       if (metadata.next) {
         if (!articles[metadata.next]) {
           throw new Error(
-            "Improper sidebars.json file. Make sure that documents with the ids specified in sidebars.json exist and that no ids are repeated."
+            metadata.version
+              ? `Improper sidebars file for version ${metadata.version}. Make sure that all documents with ids specified in this version's sidebar file exist and that no ids are repeated.`
+              : `Improper sidebars.json file. Make sure that documents with the ids specified in sidebars.json exist and that no ids are repeated.`
           );
         }
         previous[articles[metadata.next].id] = metadata.id;
diff --git a/lib/server/versionFallback.js b/lib/server/versionFallback.js
index b7f5f4e85f..fdc9fffd31 100644
--- a/lib/server/versionFallback.js
+++ b/lib/server/versionFallback.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ const ENABLE_TRANSLATION = fs.existsSync(CWD + "/languages.js");
 
 let versions;
 if (fs.existsSync(CWD + "/versions.json")) {
- versions = require(CWD + "/versions.json");
+  versions = require(CWD + "/versions.json");
 } else {
   versions = [];
 }
@@ -124,7 +124,9 @@ function docVersion(id, req_version) {
       return versions[i];
     }
   }
-  return null;
+  throw new Error(
+    `No document available to use for version ${req_version} of document with id ${id}. Verify that all version files are correct.`
+  );
 }
 
 // returns whether a given file has content that differ from the
@@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ function docData() {
 // return the version of the sidebar to use given a requested version
 function sidebarVersion(req_version) {
   // iterate through versions until a version less than or equal to the requested
-  // is found, then check if that verison has an available file to use
+  // is found, then check if that version has an available file to use
   let requestedFound = false;
   for (let i = 0; i < versions.length; i++) {
     if (versions[i] === req_version) {
@@ -243,7 +245,9 @@ function sidebarVersion(req_version) {
       return versions[i];
     }
   }
-  return null;
+  throw new Error(
+    `No sidebar file available to use for version ${req_version}. Verify that all version files are correct.`
+  );
 }
 
 // return whether or not the current sidebars.json file differs from the
diff --git a/lib/version.js b/lib/version.js
index 7aefd374ee..328262043e 100644
--- a/lib/version.js
+++ b/lib/version.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const glob = require("glob");
 const fs = require("fs-extra");
 const path = require("path");
 const mkdirp = require("mkdirp");
+const chalk = require("chalk");
 const readMetadata = require("./server/readMetadata.js");
 const versionFallback = require("./server/versionFallback.js");
 
@@ -36,14 +37,14 @@ program
 
 if (typeof version === "undefined") {
   console.error(
-    "No version number specified!\nPass the version you wish to create as an argument.\nEx: 1.0.0"
+    `${chalk.yellow("No version number specified!")}\nPass the version you wish to create as an argument.\nEx: 1.0.0`
   );
   process.exit(1);
 }
 
 if (versions.includes(version)) {
   console.error(
-    "This verison already exists!\nSpecify a new version to create that does not already exist."
+    `${chalk.yellow("This version already exists!")}\nSpecify a new version to create that does not already exist.`
   );
   process.exit(1);
 }
@@ -120,3 +121,5 @@ if (versionFallback.diffLatestSidebar()) {
 // update versions.json file
 versions.unshift(version);
 fs.writeFileSync(CWD + "/versions.json", JSON.stringify(versions, null, 2));
+
+console.log(`${chalk.green("Version " + version + " created!\n")}`);