Components

Button

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<button class="govuk-button" data-module="govuk-button">
  Save and continue
</button>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Save and continue"
}) }}

When to use this component

Use the button component to help users carry out an action like starting an application or saving their information.

How it works

Write button text in sentence case, describing the action it performs. For example:

• ‘Start now’ at the start of the service
• ‘Sign in’ to an account a user has already created
• ‘Continue’ when the service does not save a user’s information
• ‘Save and continue’ when the service does save a user’s information
• ‘Save and come back later’ when a user can save their information and come back later
• ‘Add another’ to add another item to a list or group
• ‘Pay’ to make a payment
• ‘Confirm and send’ on a check answers page that does not have any legal content a user must agree to
• ‘Accept and send’ on a check answers page that has legal content a user must agree to
• ‘Sign out’ when a user is signed in to an account

You may need to include more or different words to better describe the action. For example, ‘Add another address’ and ‘Accept and claim a tax refund’.

Align the primary action button to the left edge of your form.

There are 2 ways to use the button component. You can use HTML or, if you are using Nunjucks or the GOV.UK Prototype Kit, you can use the Nunjucks macro.

Default buttons

Use a default button for the main call to action on a page.

Avoid using multiple default buttons on a single page. Having more than one main call to action reduces their impact, and makes it harder for users to know what to do next.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<button class="govuk-button" data-module="govuk-button">
  Save and continue
</button>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Save and continue"
}) }}

Start buttons

Use a start button for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
Start buttons do not usually submit form data, so use a link tag instead of a button tag.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<a href="#" role="button" draggable="false" class="govuk-button govuk-button--start" data-module="govuk-button">
  Start now
  <svg class="govuk-button__start-icon" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="17.5" height="19" viewBox="0 0 33 40" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false">
    <path fill="currentColor" d="M0 0h13l20 20-20 20H0l20-20z" />
  </svg></a>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Start now",
  href: "#",
  isStartButton: true
}) }}

Secondary buttons

Use secondary buttons for secondary calls to action on a page.

Pages with too many calls to action make it hard for users to know what to do next. Before adding lots of secondary buttons, try to simplify the page or break the content down across multiple pages.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<button class="govuk-button govuk-button--secondary" data-module="govuk-button">
  Find address
</button>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Find address",
  classes: "govuk-button--secondary"
}) }}

You can also group default and secondary buttons together.

Warning buttons

Warning buttons are designed to make users think carefully before they use them. They only work if used very sparingly. Most services should not need one.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<button class="govuk-button govuk-button--warning" data-module="govuk-button">
  Delete account
</button>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Delete account",
  classes: "govuk-button--warning"
}) }}

Only use warning buttons for actions with serious destructive consequences that cannot be easily undone by a user. For example, permanently deleting an account.

When letting users carry out an action like this, it’s a good idea to include an additional step which asks them to confirm it.

In this instance, use another style of button for the initial call to action, and a warning button for the final confirmation.

Do not only rely on the red colour of a warning button to communicate the serious nature of the action. This is because not all users will be able to see the colour or will understand what it signifies. Make sure the context and button text make clear what will happen if the user selects it.

Buttons on dark backgrounds

Use the govuk-button--inverse modifier class to show white buttons on dark backgrounds — for example, in headers, custom components, and patterns with darker backgrounds.

Make sure all users can see the button — the white button and background colour must have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<button class="govuk-button govuk-button--inverse" data-module="govuk-button">
  Create an account
</button>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Create an account",
  classes: "govuk-button--inverse"
}) }}

Disabled buttons

Disabled buttons have poor contrast and can confuse some users, so avoid them if possible.

Only use disabled buttons if research shows it makes the user interface easier to understand.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<button disabled="disabled" aria-disabled="true" class="govuk-button govuk-button--disabled" data-module="govuk-button">
  Disabled button
</button>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Disabled button",
  disabled: true
}) }}

Grouping buttons

Use a button group when two or more buttons are placed together.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<div class="govuk-button-group">
  <button class="govuk-button" data-module="govuk-button">
    Save and continue
  </button>
  <button class="govuk-button govuk-button--secondary" data-module="govuk-button">
    Save as draft
  </button>
</div>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

<div class="govuk-button-group">
  {{ govukButton({
    text: "Save and continue"
  }) }}

  {{ govukButton({
    text: "Save as draft",
    classes: "govuk-button--secondary"
  }) }}
</div>

Any links within a button group will automatically align with the buttons.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<div class="govuk-button-group">
  <button class="govuk-button" data-module="govuk-button">
    Continue
  </button>
  <a class="govuk-link" href="#">Cancel</a>
</div>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

<div class="govuk-button-group">
  {{ govukButton({
    text: "Continue"
  }) }}

  <a class="govuk-link" href="#">Cancel</a>
</div>

Stop users from accidentally sending information more than once

Sometimes, users double click buttons because they:

• have used operating systems where they have to double click items to make them work
• are experiencing a slow connection which means they are not given feedback on their action quickly enough
• have motor impairments such as hand tremors which cause them to click the button involuntarily

In some cases, this can mean their information is sent twice.

For example, the GOV.UK Notify team discovered that a number of users were receiving invitations twice, because the person sending them was double clicking the ‘send’ button.

If you are working in production and research shows that users are frequently sending information twice, you can configure the button to ignore the second click.

To do this, set the data-prevent-double-click attribute to true. You can do this directly in the HTML or, if you’re using Nunjucks, you can use the Nunjucks macro as shown in this example.

Open this example in a new tab

HTML

<button data-prevent-double-click="true" class="govuk-button" data-module="govuk-button">
  Confirm and send
</button>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.

If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Name	Type	Description
element	string	Whether to use an input, button or a element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use href or html.
text	string	Required. If html is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
html	string	Required. If text is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored and element will be automatically set to button unless href is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if element is set to input.
name	string	Name for the input or button. This has no effect on a elements.
type	string	Type of input or button – button, submit or reset. Defaults to submit. This has no effect on a elements.
value	string	Value for the button tag. This has no effect on a or input elements.
disabled	boolean	Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, disabled and aria-disabled attributes will be set automatically.
href	string	The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, element will be automatically set to a if it has not already been defined.
classes	string	Classes to add to the button component.
attributes	object	HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
preventDoubleClick	boolean	Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
isStartButton	boolean	Use for the main call to action on your service’s start page.
id	string	The ID of the button.

{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Confirm and send",
  preventDoubleClick: true
}) }}

This feature will prevent double clicks for users that have JavaScript enabled, however you should also think about the issue server-side to protect against attacks.

In the case of slow connections, aim to give the user information about what’s happening, for example, by showing a loading spinner or a modal, before using data-prevent-double-click.

Research on this component

Testing on GOV.UK has shown that the green colour of start buttons has improved click-through rates.

Help improve this component

To help make sure that this page is useful, relevant and up to date, you can:

• take part in the ‘Button’ discussion on GitHub and share your research
• propose a change – read more about how to propose changes in GitHub

Tell us if your service uses this component

Take part in our usage survey (opens in a new tab) to help us improve this component to better meet the needs of the services that use it.

Need help?

If you’ve got a question about the GOV.UK Design System, contact the team.