Do you use an ellipsis (...) to indicate an action requiring more user input?

Last updated by RebeccaLiu over 11 years ago.See history

In menus (including context menus) or buttons, there are generally two types of actions:

  1. ones that carry out an action without any further user intervention upon clicking;
  2. and those that require further user input before the action is carried out

Microsoft applications use this technique to indicate whether or not the action will be carried out without any further user intervention. Your application should also follow this well-established standard, so users will not be caught off guard when an action carried out immediately after they click the menu item.

Figure: Good Example - Options menu in Outlook, with ellipsis

Figure: Good Example - Ellipsis on buttons that require further input

GoodElipsis3
Figure: Good Example - Different ways of using the elipsis

GoodElipsis4
Figure: Good Example - Elipsis being used on a button requiring user input

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