Forms should be logical and intuitive.

Making sure your forms follow logical steps, are as short as possible, and clearly explain what's needed will go a long way toward helping everyone complete them more easily.

Use brief, plain language for instructions and cues.

Be as clear and straightforward as you can. If referencing another part of the form in instructions, state clearly which section you're talking about. Buttons should also be descriptive and tell exactly what will happen when someone clicks.

Button Text Examples

"Click Here" is too vague to know what action the button leads to. "Sign Up" is much more clear about what will happen when the button is clicked.

Error messages should say exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.

If you have control over your form's error messages, make sure they state the problem in plain language and give some clear way to address it. 

Third-party forms and forms developed in-house will need an accessibility review.

If you'd like to use a form from a third-party vendor or create a custom form, you will need to have the form reviewed for accessibility compliance before it can go live, with the exception of forms created using Formstack.

Request a Review

Email DoITDAteam@mailbox.sc.edu.

It's always best and easiest to request a review of any new digital tools or services before you purchase or start using them.

Creating Forms in Omni CMS

If you're working on an sc.edu site in the Omni CMS content management system, learn how to build forms using built-in tools.