Actionable language

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For calls to action (CTAs), try to be as specific as possible. This helps the user know exactly what to expect and what they can do when they interact with the CTA. Use this guide to find the most appropriate verb for an experience that includes CTAs.

CTAs are most often used in buttons and anchors.

To make a selection

Select

Use Select when the user must make a decision among multiple options.

To give a person ownership

Assign

Use Assign when referring to ownership and responsibility.

To turn on and off

Activate (Active)

Use Activate when the user is making something active so it operates on its own. Things like triggers, automations, and deletion schedules that the user creates. Follow it with a noun to clarify what is being activated. For example, “Activate trigger”. When something is activated, its status is Active.

Deactivate (Inactive)

Use Deactivate when the user is making something inactive and therefore, stops it from operating on its own. Things like triggers, automations, and deletion schedules that the user creates. Follow it with a noun to clarify what is being deactivated. For example, “Deactivate trigger”. When something is deactivated, its status is Inactive.

Turn on (On)

Use Turn on when the user is making a feature or function available. Follow it with a noun to clarify what is being turned on. For example, “Turn on messaging for your account”. When something is turned on, its status is On. More often than not, you don’t need to say “turn on” at the front of every phrase, especially if it’s implied like checking a checkbox. See if you can say what you mean without it.

Turn off (Off)

Use Turn off when the user is making a feature or function unavailable. This is to reverse their original decision to turn it on. Follow it with a noun to clarify what is being turned off. For example, “Turn off Agent Workspace”. When something is turned off, its status is Off.

To move back and forth

Back

Use Back to take the user to the previous step in a multi-step process. Pair this with Next. In the event that a user will lose changes, warn them ahead of time that they will lose any changes that have been made.

Previous

Use Previous instead of Back for pagination in tables.

Next

Use Next to take the user to the next step in a multi-step process. Pair this with Back.

To postpone action

Skip

Use Skip to allow the user to postpone an action or decision. It’s a way for the user to avoid interruption and proceed with their current task.

To receive confirmation

Done

Use Done to confirm the completion of a multi-step process.

OK

The best CTAs make it clear what will happen when a user interacts with it. OK doesn’t do a great job of that but sometimes that’s all we need to say. In general, use Done or a more specific CTA to end an experience. For mobile experiences, it’s okay to use OK but write it as OK to be concise and align with most mobile patterns.

To make changes

Create

Use Create when the user is about to make a brand new thing in the product.

Add

Use Add when the user can layer on additional things to something that has already been created. For example, before adding conditions to a trigger, the user must Create the trigger.

Edit

Use Edit when the user can modify an existing item such as data. The user can only change that particular item and can’t perform other actions like Add or Delete.

Manage

Use Manage when the user can control a large area or thing such as a subscription or a team. Unlike Edit, the user can complete a variety of other actions such as Add and Delete. The scope of the changes for Manage is also larger compared to Edit.

Update

Use Update in billing and app changes. In other areas of the product, use Save or Edit.

To remove

Clear

Use Clear to remove a selection.

Delete

Use Delete when the user is about to get rid of something permanently. When a user deletes a layout, it’s gone forever and the user can’t get it back. The opposite of Delete is Create when the user makes something new.

Remove

Use Remove when the user is getting rid of something but has the option to add it back later. For example, when a user removes an app from their workspace, it can still be found in their list of apps. The opposite of Remove is Add when the user wants to bring it back.

Archive

Use Archive to unpublish content like a help center article.

To commit

Save

Use Save when the user makes changes and wants to commit them.

To make public

Share

Use Share when the user wants to make things visible internally. For example, a user can share a dashboard with their team members.

Publish

Use Publish when the user wants to make things visible externally. For example, a user publishes an article to the help center. To hide the article from public view, the user can Unpublish it.

To cancel

Cancel

Use Cancel when the user makes edits but wants to discard them. It dismisses the page the user was editing and returns the user to the entry point they came from.

Leave without saving

Leave without saving is similar to Cancel, with one key difference: it reverts all values on the page to the last saved state without reloading the page.

Undo

Revert back to the previous state.

To learn

Learn about

Use Learn about to include a link to the Zendesk help center. Have the link be a few words about what the user will learn. For example, “Learn about user profiles”. Avoid the standalone Learn more and help center article titles that can’t be localized.