Alert Dialog

Use an alert dialog to force a critical decision that requires the user's immediate attention and action.

Writing alert dialogs

Alert dialogs force users to make critical decisions. For this reason, they should always be clear and direct.

Follow these general rules:

Use sentence case

2–5 words for headings

1–2 sentences of text

Use active voice and clear instructions

A ‘question and answer’ format can create a natural conversational flow. The heading poses a question (‘Save for later?’) that is answered by the buttons (‘Save changes’ or ‘Don’t save’)

Avoid bullets, paragraphs or text hyperlinks

Link heading and button language

This helps users recognise actions and outcomes.

For example, if the heading is ‘Delete account?’ a delete action button could say ‘Delete account’ or ‘Yes, delete’. This is better than ‘Confirm’ or ‘Remove account’ because it’s easier for users to understand the outcome at a glance.

Consider buttons together

Each button should make sense on its own and contrast clearly with other buttons to guide a user:

❌ Delete account? This will permanently delete all data. It cannot be undone. <Continue> <Cancel>	✅ Delete account? This will permanently delete all data. It cannot be undone. <Delete account> <Go back>
Unclear actions Which button completes the deletion process, and which sends the user back to the previous screen?	Clear actions It’s now much clearer what each button does.

This is particularly important for when confirming a destructive action or cancellation.