Error handling in Go is essential for developing reliable applications, particularly when building command-line interfaces (CLIs). The language employs a straightforward approach where functions, such as `os.Readfile()`, return a value and an error. Correctly checking this error helps prevent code execution from proceeding without handling potential problems, such as non-existent files. Go encourages local error handling by requiring developers to verify whether an error is nil and react appropriately, often by returning a non-zero exit code using the `exit` function from the `os` package. This non-zero exit informs the operating system of issues, facilitating script automation. While exit codes enhance system-level communication about errors, additional methods are necessary to effectively notify users, a topic explored in subsequent lessons.