diff --git a/samples/js/photos/src/main.js b/samples/js/photos/src/main.js
index 2a62bc818f..7a5405130f 100644
--- a/samples/js/photos/src/main.js
+++ b/samples/js/photos/src/main.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ async function getRenderElement(nav: Nav): Promise<React.Element<any>> {
 
   const indexStr = params.get('index');
   if (!indexStr) {
-    return <div>Must provide an ?index= param.</div>;
+    return <div>Must provide the {notice('?index=')} parameter.</div>;
   }
 
   let index = indexMap.get(indexStr);
@@ -46,12 +46,21 @@ async function getRenderElement(nav: Nav): Promise<React.Element<any>> {
     try {
       indexSpec = PathSpec.parse(indexStr);
     } catch (e) {
-      return <div>{indexStr} is not a valid path. {e.message}.</div>;
+      return <div>{notice(indexStr)} is not a valid path: {notice(e.message)}.</div>;
     }
 
     const [, indexValue] = await indexSpec.value();
     if (!(indexValue instanceof Struct)) {
-      return <div>{indexStr} is not a valid index.</div>;
+      return <div>{notice(indexStr)} not found.</div>;
+    }
+
+    if (!indexValue.byDate || !indexValue.byFace || !indexValue.byTag ||
+        !indexValue.facesByCount || !indexValue.tagsByCount) {
+      if (indexStr.endsWith('.value')) {
+        return <span>{notice(indexStr)} is not a photo index.</span>;
+      }
+      return <span>{notice(indexStr)} doesn't look like a photo index, did you leave out&nbsp;
+                   {notice('.value')}? <a href={location.href + '.value'}>Try me</a>.</span>;
     }
 
     // $FlowIssue: can't check instanceof PhotoIndex because it's only a type.
@@ -77,4 +86,10 @@ async function getRenderElement(nav: Nav): Promise<React.Element<any>> {
   />;
 }
 
+function notice(text: string) {
+  return <span style={{
+    backgroundColor: 'rgb(238, 206, 206)',
+  }}>{text}</span>;
+}
+
 main();
diff --git a/samples/js/photos/src/nav.js b/samples/js/photos/src/nav.js
index 33e13da2e4..be6c38f4d3 100644
--- a/samples/js/photos/src/nav.js
+++ b/samples/js/photos/src/nav.js
@@ -71,6 +71,6 @@ export default class Nav {
     }
 
     e.preventDefault();
-    this.push(anchor.pathname);
+    this.push(anchor.pathname + anchor.search);
   }
 }
diff --git a/samples/js/photos/styles.css b/samples/js/photos/styles.css
index 2a1474c86f..645b43bff6 100644
--- a/samples/js/photos/styles.css
+++ b/samples/js/photos/styles.css
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ body {
   overflow-y: scroll;
 }
 
-b {
-  font-weight: 600;
-}
-
 @keyframes fadeIn {
   0% {
     opacity: 0;