Label buttons with verbs, not “OK”
A button should say what happens when you press it: Save draft, Delete 3 files, Send invite. Then nobody has to reread the dialog to find the safe one.
Why it matters
“OK” and “Cancel” answer a question people have to go back and reread. In a dialog that asks “Delete these files?”, OK is the delete and Cancel is the keep, and getting it backwards loses work. A label that says what the button does answers the question by itself, and people can act without reading the dialog twice.
How to do it
- Use a verb, and an object when it helps: Save draft, Delete 3 files, Send invite, Publish.
- Reuse the verb from the title. If the dialog says “Discard changes?”, the button says Discard, not Yes.
- Name the safe choice too, when “Cancel” would be unclear: Keep files, Keep editing.
- For a destructive action, don’t rely on red alone (tip #009); the verb carries the warning.
- Keep labels short. If a button needs a sentence, the dialog’s text should do the explaining.
When it bends
An alert that only informs, with a single button and no choice to make, can say OK or Got it. And Cancel is fine for backing out, as long as the other button names its action.