Do you have a "Back" button?
Updated by . See history
123
<introEmbed
body={<>
When building multi-step wizards (e.g. forms, onboarding flows, or setup processes), always provide a Back button—unless there's a very good reason not to.
A "Back" button gives users confidence that they can safely navigate through the steps without fear of losing progress. It helps reduce frustration and increases completion rates, especially when users need to review or correct something in earlier steps.
</>}
/>
::: good img-medium
Figure: Good example Back button is clearly visible
:::
::: bad img-medium
Figure: Bad example - User hits "Next" and can't go back to change their answer
:::
Implementation tips
- Place the "Back" button to the left of the "Next" or "Submit" button
- Use consistent labels (don't use “Previous" or other variations). ::: info According to Design Specifications and Guidelines - User Assistance, the commands for navigating through a wizard should be "< Back" and "Next >". :::
Note: Disabling or hiding the Back button is OK when:
- The previous step doesn’t exist (e.g. it's the first step)
- It's a single-step flow with no navigation needed
Acknowledgements
Related rules
Need help?
SSW Consulting has over 30 years of experience developing awesome software solutions.