A form label tells people what information a field needs. Keep it visible when the field contains a value, and use wording that describes the request precisely. Placeholder text can offer an example, but disappearing text should not carry the only explanation.

A practical approach

Review the whole form as a conversation. Identify required information, explain unusual requests and keep related fields together. International visitors may have names, addresses and phone formats that differ from the examples the designer initially used.

Your checklist

  • Give each field a clear persistent label.
  • Explain required and optional inputs.
  • Test representative international details where relevant.

For example

A project enquiry can ask for your current website with an optional note, rather than requiring a website from someone commissioning their first one. The label and requirement should fit the actual audience.

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