diff --git a/src/applications/auth/application/PhabricatorAuthApplication.php b/src/applications/auth/application/PhabricatorAuthApplication.php
--- a/src/applications/auth/application/PhabricatorAuthApplication.php
+++ b/src/applications/auth/application/PhabricatorAuthApplication.php
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
             'PhabricatorAuthMessageListController',
           $this->getEditRoutePattern('edit/') =>
             'PhabricatorAuthMessageEditController',
-          '(?P<id>[1-9]\d*)/' =>
+          '(?P<id>[^/]+)/' =>
             'PhabricatorAuthMessageViewController',
         ),
 
diff --git a/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageListController.php b/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageListController.php
--- a/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageListController.php
+++ b/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageListController.php
@@ -19,11 +19,14 @@
     $list = new PHUIObjectItemListView();
     foreach ($types as $type) {
       $message = idx($messages, $type->getMessageTypeKey());
+
       if ($message) {
         $href = $message->getURI();
         $name = $message->getMessageTypeDisplayName();
       } else {
-        $href = '/auth/message/edit/?messageKey='.$type->getMessageTypeKey();
+        $href = urisprintf(
+          '/auth/message/%s/',
+          $type->getMessageTypeKey());
         $name = $type->getDisplayName();
       }
 
diff --git a/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageViewController.php b/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageViewController.php
--- a/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageViewController.php
+++ b/src/applications/auth/controller/message/PhabricatorAuthMessageViewController.php
@@ -9,26 +9,61 @@
     $this->requireApplicationCapability(
       AuthManageProvidersCapability::CAPABILITY);
 
-    $message = id(new PhabricatorAuthMessageQuery())
-      ->setViewer($viewer)
-      ->withIDs(array($request->getURIData('id')))
-      ->executeOne();
-    if (!$message) {
-      return new Aphront404Response();
+    // The "id" in the URI may either be an actual storage record ID (if a
+    // message has already been created) or a message type key (for a message
+    // type which does not have a record yet).
+
+    // This flow allows messages which have not been set yet to have a detail
+    // page (so users can get detailed information about the message and see
+    // any default value).
+
+    $id = $request->getURIData('id');
+    if (ctype_digit($id)) {
+      $message = id(new PhabricatorAuthMessageQuery())
+        ->setViewer($viewer)
+        ->withIDs(array($id))
+        ->executeOne();
+      if (!$message) {
+        return new Aphront404Response();
+      }
+    } else {
+      $types = PhabricatorAuthMessageType::getAllMessageTypes();
+      if (!isset($types[$id])) {
+        return new Aphront404Response();
+      }
+
+      // If this message type already has a storage record, redirect to the
+      // canonical page for the record.
+      $message = id(new PhabricatorAuthMessageQuery())
+        ->setViewer($viewer)
+        ->withMessageKeys(array($id))
+        ->executeOne();
+      if ($message) {
+        $message_uri = $message->getURI();
+        return id(new AphrontRedirectResponse())->setURI($message_uri);
+      }
+
+      // Otherwise, create an empty placeholder message object with the
+      // appropriate message type.
+      $message = PhabricatorAuthMessage::initializeNewMessage($types[$id]);
     }
 
     $crumbs = $this->buildApplicationCrumbs()
-      ->addTextCrumb($message->getObjectName())
+      ->addTextCrumb($message->getMessageType()->getDisplayName())
       ->setBorder(true);
 
     $header = $this->buildHeaderView($message);
     $properties = $this->buildPropertiesView($message);
     $curtain = $this->buildCurtain($message);
 
-    $timeline = $this->buildTransactionTimeline(
-      $message,
-      new PhabricatorAuthMessageTransactionQuery());
-    $timeline->setShouldTerminate(true);
+    if ($message->getID()) {
+      $timeline = $this->buildTransactionTimeline(
+        $message,
+        new PhabricatorAuthMessageTransactionQuery());
+      $timeline->setShouldTerminate(true);
+    } else {
+      $timeline = null;
+    }
 
     $view = id(new PHUITwoColumnView())
       ->setHeader($header)
@@ -69,12 +104,14 @@
       pht('Description'),
       $message->getMessageType()->getShortDescription());
 
-    $view->addSectionHeader(
-      pht('Message Preview'),
-      PHUIPropertyListView::ICON_SUMMARY);
+    if (strlen($message->getMessageText())) {
+      $view->addSectionHeader(
+        pht('Message Preview'),
+        PHUIPropertyListView::ICON_SUMMARY);
 
-    $view->addTextContent(
-      new PHUIRemarkupView($viewer, $message->getMessageText()));
+      $view->addTextContent(
+        new PHUIRemarkupView($viewer, $message->getMessageText()));
+    }
 
     return $view;
   }
@@ -88,13 +125,27 @@
       $message,
       PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_EDIT);
 
+    if ($id) {
+      $edit_uri = urisprintf('message/edit/%s/', $id);
+      $edit_name = pht('Edit Message');
+    } else {
+      $edit_uri = urisprintf('message/edit/');
+      $params = array(
+        'messageKey' => $message->getMessageKey(),
+      );
+      $edit_uri = new PhutilURI($edit_uri, $params);
+
+      $edit_name = pht('Customize Message');
+    }
+    $edit_uri = $this->getApplicationURI($edit_uri);
+
     $curtain = $this->newCurtainView($message);
 
     $curtain->addAction(
       id(new PhabricatorActionView())
-        ->setName(pht('Edit Message'))
+        ->setName($edit_name)
         ->setIcon('fa-pencil')
-        ->setHref($this->getApplicationURI("message/edit/{$id}/"))
+        ->setHref($edit_uri)
         ->setDisabled(!$can_edit)
         ->setWorkflow(!$can_edit));