Terms for User Interaction with Software
The terminology for describing the way users interact with software depends on the type of the utilized device—whether the technology is operated by touch or through a traditional pointing device.
Repetitions of the adopted terminology are allowed both in a single sentence and across sentences.
In This Article
Desktop Applications
- When you refer to a button or a link, use "click", "double-click", "right-click", and so on. If you need to prevent ambiguity, include the UI element type. For example, if you have a Data tab and a Data menu in the product, always mention what UI element you are referring to.
-
When you refer to a key on a standard keyboard, use "press". Do not explicitly state that this is a key.
Not so good Much better Press the F12key.
Push theF12key.
HitF12.Press F12. -
When you refer to a menu, a toolbar, a drop-down control, a combo box, or a checkbox, use "select"".
Not so good Much better In the File menu, click Save. In the File menu, select Save. Click Apples from the Fruit drop-down box. Select Apples from the Fruit drop-down box. Select the items that you want to delete and then click Delete from the drop-down menu. Select the items that you want to delete and then select Delete from the drop-down menu. -
When you refer to a checkbox, use "select" and "deselect".
Not so good Much better Check the box.
Click the checkbox.Select the checkbox. Uncheck the checkbox. Deselect the checkbox.
Mobile Applications
-
When you refer to a single short touch, use "tap".
Not so good Much better Click Done to close the window. Tap Done to close the window. 
-
When you refer to tapping and holding until an action occurs on the screen, use "tap and hold".
Not so good Much better Click and hold the image and then tap Delete. Tap and hold the image and then tap Delete. 
-
When you refer to a quick succession of two taps that must happen within a certain time interval, use "double-tap".
Not so good Much better Click twice to automatically zoom the page to the screen width. Double-tap to automatically zoom the page to the screen width. 
-
When you refer to the fluent motions of moving your finger across the screen, starting from and ending in a non-contacting position, use "swipe". Multi-finger swipes exist.
Not so good Much better Slide your finger across the screen to unlock the device. Swipe the screen to unlock the device. 
-
When you refer to the action of placing two of your fingers on the screen before moving them apart or together, use "spread" and "pinch".
Not so good Much better Place two of your fingers and move them apart. Spread to zoom in. Place two of your fingers and move them close together. Pinch to zoom out. 
-
When you refer to the action of tapping and holding followed by moving your finger, use "drag". The action imitates grabbing an object and moving it across the screen.
Not so good Much better Grab the doodle and move it to the new position. Drag the doodle to the new position. 
Mixed Applications
For software documentation which targets both desktop and mobile users:
- Use "select" as a universal term across desktop and touch devices.
- Use "double-tap" or "double-click" (the full phrase) instead of double-select.
Vendor-Specific Terms
A device vendor may have established a specific term for interacting with a specific device feature. Use the vendor-coined term if the feature is unique to the device and does not correspond to a generic feature available on other devices. Follow device vendor trademark guidelines when using device vendor trademarks. In all other cases, use the generic term.
For example, to refer to the action of using 3D Touch, Apple uses "touch and hold" as opposed to "tap and hold" or "press and hold". However, even though 3D Touch is an Apple trademark, the term "touch" is generic enough and can be carried over to other devices as soon as they start offering the feature.