Tabs
Tabs group related content into sections on the same page.
When to use
- Two to six views of the same subject, where only one is needed at a time.
- Related content that would make the page too long if it were all shown.
- Views people will switch between, rather than read in order.
When not to use
- Content that should be read in sequence. People can skip tabs, so steps get missed.
- Content people need to compare. Tabs show only one view at a time.
- Navigation between pages. Use links, so each page has its own URL.
- One tab, or more than about six. One tab is not a choice, and seven do not fit.
Guidance
Do
Everything said in this conversation.
Who touched it and when.
Attachments shared here.
Label each tab with the content behind it, in one or two words, and write every label the same way.
Don't
First do this.
Then do this.
Do not put a sequence in tabs. Nothing stops people starting at step two, and the labels turn into instructions.
Content
What to write, and what to leave out.
- One or two words per tab. Messages, not All the messages.
- Use nouns for all of them.
- Do not number tabs. Numbers suggest an order that tabs do not enforce.