Small fixes for better forms

Forms are where interest turns into action, and where many visitors quietly give up. The good news is that most problems are small, and each fix takes minutes rather than a redesign.

Ask for less#

Every field is a small cost for the person filling it in. Before keeping one, ask a simple question: will we actually use this in our first reply? If not, it can wait until the conversation has started.

You can still learn the rest. You just learn it once someone has decided to talk to you, which is exactly when they are happy to tell you.

Keep labels visible#

Placeholder text inside a field looks tidy, but it disappears the moment someone starts typing. Now they have to remember what the field was for, and anyone checking their answers before sending has nothing to check against. Placeholder text is also often too pale to read comfortably.

Put a short, visible label above every field. If a hint is useful, such as the format you expect, show it as a small line under the label rather than inside the box.

Group and order fields sensibly#

People can only hold a few things in mind at once. Long forms feel shorter when related questions sit together and follow a natural order: who you are, then what you need, then the details.

• Use one column. Side-by-side fields are easy to miss and awkward on phones.
• Group related fields under small headings when a form has more than five or six.
• Split genuinely long forms into short steps, with a clear sense of how many remain.

Help, don’t scold#

Error messages are often written for the system, not the person. A good error says what went wrong and how to fix it, right next to the field concerned.

• Show errors next to the field, in plain language.
• Check fields when someone moves on or presses send, not while they are still typing.
• Move the cursor to the first problem, so nobody has to hunt for it.
• Never clear what people typed when something goes wrong.

Make it easy on a phone#

Many forms are filled in on phones, often with one thumb. A few technical details make a surprising difference:

• Use the right field types, so phones show the email keyboard for email and the number pad for phone numbers.
• Turn on autofill hints, so browsers can fill in names, emails and addresses for people.
• Make buttons and choices big enough to tap without zooming.

Say what happens next#

The moment after someone presses send is a small moment of uncertainty. Did it work? When will they hear back? A clear confirmation removes the doubt and sets expectations.

Test it in ten minutes#

1. Fill in your own form on your phone, one-handed.
2. Submit it empty, then with a mistyped email. Read every message you get.
3. Ask someone else to do the same while you watch without helping.

None of these fixes take long, and together they make a noticeable difference to how many people finish.