WHAT THE DESIGN GUIDANCE SAYS

One question
at a time.

Every box on a form is a small ask.

UK government designers publish what they have learned about forms, and the W3C sets out what makes them accessible. Both keep coming back to the same habits: know why you ask, label clearly and ask one thing per page.

ASK LESS and ask it clearly

Check your form

A person seen from behind at a kitchen table filling in a simple online form on a laptop, with a mug and notebook beside them — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Know why you ask
Label above the box
One thing per page
Forms that people finish

THE SHORT ANSWER

Ask fewer, clearer
questions.

Good forms are mostly about what you leave out.
The rest is clear labels and short hints.

BEFORE YOU START

Know why you ask

The GOV.UK Service Manual says to know why you are asking every question before you start, and notes that closed questions are easier to answer than open ones.

Check your form

LAYOUT

One thing per page

The GOV.UK Design System says asking just one question per page helps users understand what you are asking them to do.

How to do it

ON PHONES

The right keypad

For whole numbers, GOV.UK suggests setting the input mode to numeric so phones show a number keypad, and avoiding number inputs that change as you scroll.

See the numbers

A QUICK FORM CHECK

What are you about
to add to the form?

Pick a common form habit to see what the guidance says about it. The bar shows how strongly the guidance warns against it.

Form check

Choose a habitA visible label above each boxSeveral questions on one pageA paragraph of help textAsterisks on required fieldsPlaceholder text instead of a label

A visible label above each boxGood practice

GOV.UK says all text inputs must have labels, usually visible and placed above the input, short and in sentence case with no colon.

Several questions on one pageSplit them up

The Design System recommends one question per page. The W3C also suggests dividing long forms into a series of smaller logical steps.

A paragraph of help textKeep it short

The Service Manual says users are unlikely to read anything longer than 3 lines. The Design System keeps each hint to a single short sentence.

Asterisks on required fieldsMark optional instead

The Design System says never to mark mandatory fields with asterisks. Add "(optional)" to the label of any field people can skip.

Placeholder text instead of a labelAvoid

Placeholder text disappears when people start typing, is not announced by all screen readers and often fails contrast checks, so GOV.UK says not to use it as a label.

Sources: GOV.UK Design System (question pages, text input), GOV.UK Service Manual (designing good questions) and W3C WAI forms tutorial.

Based on the GOV.UK Design System, the GOV.UK Service Manual and the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative forms tutorial.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Short help,
for everyone.

One figure on how much people will read,
one on who a form has to work for.

3 lines

Most help text people are likely to read

The GOV.UK Service Manual says users are unlikely to read anything longer than 3 lines of help text, so keep it brief and focused on what to do.

HELP TEXT · GOV.UK SERVICE MANUAL

1 in 5

People in the UK with a long-term impairment

The Service Manual says 1 in 5 people in the UK have a long-term impairment affecting their ability to do everyday activities, and that a service must be accessible to everyone who needs it.

ACCESSIBILITY · GOV.UK SERVICE MANUAL

The GOV.UK Design System reports that Carer's Allowance removed a 12-step progress indicator with no effect on completion rates or times.

FOUR FORM HABITS

Clear boxes,
fewer dead ends.

These work for a club sign-up sheet as well as a government service. None needs special software, just a little restraint.

Cut every question you cannot justify
Write down why you need each answer. If you cannot say, leave the question out.
Label every box
Use the HTML label element, as the W3C advises, and group related choices with a fieldset and legend.
Allow "I do not know"
The Service Manual says to let people answer "I'm not sure" or "I do not know" where that is a valid answer.
Say what went wrong
The W3C advises telling people about errors and how to correct them, and confirming when they have finished.

Hands holding a smartphone showing a simple form with one input box and a large on-screen number keypad — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

A blank paper form on a clipboard with a pen resting across it, on a light wooden desk — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

WHO IT HELPS

Accessible forms
are easier for all.

The W3C says labels let speech-input users activate controls by voice, larger clickable labels help people with limited dexterity, and clear layout and feedback help people with cognitive disabilities.

The GOV.UK Service Manual adds that accessibility also helps people who are not disabled, for example in noisy places, on poor connections or on older equipment.

Questions

Questions people ask

Should I put several questions on one page?

The GOV.UK Design System recommends one question per page because it helps users understand what you are asking. The W3C suggests splitting long forms into a series of logical steps.

Is it OK to mark required fields with an asterisk?

GOV.UK guidance says never to mark mandatory fields with asterisks. Instead, add "(optional)" to the labels of fields people can skip.

Can I use placeholder text instead of a label?

No. GOV.UK says placeholder text disappears when people start typing, is not announced by all screen readers and often has poor contrast. Use a visible label above the box.

How long should hint text be?

The Design System says to keep each hint to a single short sentence. The Service Manual says users are unlikely to read help text longer than 3 lines.

Should the button say Next or Continue?

The GOV.UK Design System says to label the button "Continue" rather than "Next", align it to the left and include a Back link at the top of question pages.

One question
at a time.