User-friendly locations of error messages in web forms: Put them on the right side of the erroneous input field
There are many ways of placing error messages in web forms. A study of web conventions shows that the most common approach is to display error messages embedded in the form at the top of the entire form. Six frequent locations (right, left, above and below the erroneous input field, as well as on the top and at the bottom of the form) were tested in an online study with n = 303 participants. Results of efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction show that the locations near the erroneous input field lead to a significantly better performance than the error messages on the top and at the bottom of the form: in addition error messages on the right side of the erroneous input field were subjectively evaluated as the most satisfying and intuitive by participants. The results indicate possible improvements for online shops, where error messages are currently mostly placed on the top of the form. (C) 2012 British Informatics Society Limited. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
display errors error message location online forms form usability form validation interaction design