Form Labels and Help Text
Say what the field wants, why it is needed, and what format is acceptable, before the reader gets it wrong.
Definition
Form copy covers the label, the help text, the format hint and the reason a field exists. It is the difference between a form people complete once and a form people fight.
Expert heuristic. A review criterion developed by practitioners. Useful and widely taught, but evaluated by judgement rather than measurement.
On this page
The same field, three ways
| Weak | Better | Best | Why the last one wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Full name | Full name, as it appears on your ID | Removes the ambiguity that causes the correction request later. |
| Phone | Mobile number | Mobile number, for delivery updates only | Answers the unspoken question, which is why you want it. |
| Password | Password (8+ characters) | Password, at least 8 characters with one number | States every rule up front instead of revealing them on failure. |
| Date | Start date | Start date, DD/MM/YYYY | Names the format where ambiguity is genuine rather than assumed. |
| Company | Company (optional) | Company, if you are buying for a business | Explains when to fill it rather than only that it can be skipped. |
Where the words go
Do
- Keep a visible label above the field, always.
- Put format and constraint text under the label as persistent help, not inside the field.
- Mark optional fields rather than required ones when most are required, and the reverse when most are optional.
- Say what happens to sensitive data at the field that asks for it, not in a privacy page nobody opens.
Do not
- Do not use the placeholder as the label. It disappears exactly when it is needed, fails contrast in most implementations, and is unreliable for assistive technology.
- Do not hide the password rules until the password is rejected.
- Do not write help text that restates the label: 'Email' with 'Enter your email'.
- Do not use asterisks without a legend.
Words that cause support tickets
- Internal jargon: entity, record, instance, workspace slug.
- Legal phrasing in an everyday field, which reads as a warning.
- Labels that differ from the words used in the confirmation email for the same thing.
- Ambiguous dates: 'Date' on a form with both a start and an expiry.
In practice
Explaining a suspicious request
A checkout asking for a date of birth without explanation reads as data collection. The same field labelled 'Date of birth, required to verify age for alcohol delivery' is completed without complaint, because the reason is where the question is.
Continue from here
Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.
Depends on
Get these right first, or this one will not hold.
- Labels and InstructionsAccessibility
A visible label is both a writing decision and a WCAG requirement.
Related concept
Connected closely enough to change how you apply this.
- Text InputComponent
- AuthenticationPattern
- Input ValidationPattern
- Payments and CheckoutPattern
- Error MessagesUX writing
- MicrocopyUX writing
- Tooltips and Inline HelpUX writing