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Dialogs and buttons

Discover guidelines for writing dialogs and button labels to ensure clear and actionable instructions. This section helps you create effective prompts and calls to action that enhance user interaction.

Clear title and button options​

  • Concise and descriptive dialog title: Add user

  • Option buttons should describe what will happen and relate to the dialog title: Cancel, Add

  • Forms: When asking for user input using a dialog and there is no clear action verb in the title, provide Cancel and Save as buttons

  • One button only reflects one action

  • Users should be able to understand the choices based on the title and button text alone

  • Only use ‘OK’ as an option if you cannot find an appropriate verb

Title: Add user / Buttons: Cancel, Add
Title: Delete file / Buttons: Cancel, Delete
Title: Edit details / Buttons: Cancel, Save
Title: Add user / Buttons: Cancel, OK
Title: Are you sure / Buttons: Cancel, Delete
Title: Edit details / Buttons: Cancel, Edit

Primary and secondary actions​

  • Primary on the right, secondary left (Cancel, OK) not (OK, Cancel)

  • Primary actions can either be positive (Send, Save) or negative (Delete)

Cancel, Save
Save, Cancel