Conversion Optimisation
Primary Action
Plain English
The main thing you want the user to do.
Definition
A primary action is the main action a user is expected to take on a screen or within a journey.
In practice
Highlighted visually to guide users towards the desired outcome.
In context
The test is squinting at the screen. If more than one element competes to be the obvious next step, there is no primary action, only several secondary ones.
The reality
Multiple competing actions reduce glossaryClarityClarity is how easily users can understand what is happening and what they need to do.Open glossary term and effectiveness.
Compared with
Primary Action vs Call to Action
A glossaryCall to ActionA call to action is a prompt that encourages users to take a specific action.Open glossary term is any glossaryPromptA prompt is the input or instruction given to an AI system to guide its output or response.Open glossary term to act. The primary action is the single most important one on the screen. A page can carry several calls to action and should have only one primary.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.
What is a primary action?
The main action on a screen.
Why is it important?
It guides glossaryUser BehaviourUser behaviour refers to how users interact with a product, including actions, patterns, and decision-making processes.Open glossary term.
How is it shown?
Through visual emphasis.
What is a common mistake?
Having too many competing actions.
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