For Web pages that cause legal commitments or financial transactions for the user to occur, that modify or delete user-controllable data in data storage systems, or that submit user test responses, at least one of the following is true:
- Reversible: Submissions are reversible.
- Checked: Data entered by the user is checked for input errors and the user is provided an opportunity to correct them.
- Confirmed: A mechanism is available for reviewing, confirming, and correcting information before finalizing the submission.
Reduce the risk of input errors for critical data.
Helps users avoid costly mistakes.
In practice:[Unhandled node type: linebreak]On a simple, 1-page form this is easy because the user can review the form before submitting it. On a form that spans multiple Web pages, however, data is collected from the user in multiple steps before the transaction is committed. The user may not recall all of the data that was entered in previous steps before the step which commits the transaction.
One approach is to cache the results of each step and allow the user to navigate back and forth at will to review all data entered. Another approach is to provide a summary of all data collected in all steps for the user to review before the final commitment of the transaction.
Before the final step that commits the transaction to occur, instructions are provided to prompt the user to review the data entered and confirm. Once the user confirms, the transaction is completed.