Easy to use · Forms
People can't tell which form boxes they can skip
If people don't know what they can leave blank, they fill in everything or give up.
- Applies to
- every page
- Typical severity
- low
- Effect on conversions
- low
- Effort to fix
- Quick to fix
What to look for
A form where required and optional fields look identical, with no asterisks or "(optional)" labels.
What good looks like
Required or optional fields are marked consistently.
How to fix it
Add '(optional)' to the boxes people can skip, or mark required ones with an asterisk and explain what it means.
Based on
- Form design research
- Public-sector design and content standards
Related checks
Your wordsYour forms don't explain what they need or whyA short hint stops people getting stuck, and saying why you need their details helps them trust you.Easy to useYour form asks for more than it needsEvery extra question puts some people off finishing. Fewer finished forms means fewer enquiries.Easy to usePeople forget what each form box is forThe grey hint text vanishes as people type, so they lose track and can't check their answers. Some give up.
Does your site pass this check?
AgoraScan checks this and the rest of the checklist on your pages, with screenshots of anything it finds. The first scan is free.