Error Prevention ensures users have a chance to review their input and confirm their actions. When the stakes are high, we all need a chance to double check.
Who this impacts
- People with cognitive disabilities: Review and confirmation steps help users avoid costly or stressful mistakes by giving them a chance to check their input.
- Everyone: We all benefit from safeguards that prevent errors, especially in high-stakes scenarios like financial transactions or legal agreements.
How to meet Error Prevention
- Include a review or confirmation step: Summarize key details for users to verify before submission.
- Make edits possible: Allow users to return to previous steps to correct any errors before finalizing.
- Require explicit action for confirmation: Use clear, labeled buttons that signal the finality of the action, like “Submit Tax Return” or “Confirm Payment.”
Practical example
Meowcation’s “Plan Your Catcation” feature includes a “Review Your Trip” step, where users can double-check their travel dates, accommodations, and treat budget before confirming, or go back a step and edit their choices.
Exceptions
This success criterion applies only to high-impact actions, such as those with financial or legal implications, or when sensitive data is involved. It is not universal like 3.3.6 Error Prevention (All).
Top tips
- Simplify the review process: Keep confirmation screens clear and concise to avoid overwhelming users.
- Use clear, final action buttons: Make it clear when an action is final with buttons like “Submit Payment” or “Sign Agreement.”
- Test review steps for accessibility: Ensure assistive tech users can navigate and understand the review process easily.