Magento2 have used little bit different type of exception handling for creating thrown exception and check the exception type. Before thrown the exception and check you have to check Magento in build excpetion type **Here the list exception type from [Magento/Framework/Exception][1]** AbstractAggregateException.php AlreadyExistsException.php AuthenticationException.php AuthorizationException.php ConfigurationMismatchException.php CouldNotDeleteException.php CouldNotSaveException.php CronException.php EmailNotConfirmedException.php FileSystemException.php InputException.php IntegrationException.php InvalidEmailOrPasswordException.php LocalizedException.php MailException.php NoSuchEntityException.php NotFoundException.php PaymentException.php RemoteServiceUnavailableException.php RuntimeException.php SecurityViolationException.php SerializationException.php SessionException.php StateException.php TemporaryStateExceptionInterface.php ValidatorException.php This exceptions type are used at Magento2. How Magento define the exception. **Define Error type** Suppose, you want show throw exception of already to exist then Then you throw error like if (Condition) { throw new \Magento\Framework\Exception\AlreadyExistsException( __('This record already exits') ); } **catch error** So, on your try and catch section catch (\Magento\Framework\Exception\AlreadyExistsException $e) { $this->messageManager->addError($message); } **For your case you can use below catch handling logic** catch (\Magento\Framework\Exception\AlreadyExistsException $e) { $message = $this->__('There is already an account with this emails address. If you are sure that it is your email address, <a href="%s">click here</a> to get the password and access your account.', $url); $this->_getSession()->addError($message); }catch(\Magento\Framework\Exception\LocalizedException $e){ $message = $e->getMessage(); $this->_getSession()->addError($message); }catch (\Exception $e) { $message = $e->getMessage(); $this->_getSession()->addError($message); } [1]: https://github.com/magento/magento2/tree/2.2-develop/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/Exception