Add link usability issues
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I’m noticing usability issues with the Add Link page.
First, there’s a button at the top Add New Link. If you click this button after filling out the form, it wipes out your work. There is no reason to have an Add New Link on the form in which you fill out information about a new link.
Second, the Save section is collapsable, and, for whatever reason, was collapsed when I first encountered this page today. This hides the Add Link button.
Bottom line: Usability issues caused me to lose my work. I couldn’t see the Add Link button, so clicked the Add New Link button and, poof, my work was gone and I had to re-do it.
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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I choose not to use the new editor for several reasons. One of which is that I liked the old method of adding links because what you describe also happened to me and peeved me right off.
I cannot help you, therefore, I will type modlook into the sidebar tags on this thread for a Staff follow-up. How do I get a Moderator/Staff reply for my question? https://en.support.wordpress.com/getting-help-in-the-forums/#how-do-i-get-a-moderatorstaff-reply-for-my-question Also subscribe to this thread so you are notified when they respond and be patient while waiting. To subscribe look in the sidebar of this thread, find the subscribe to topics link and click it.
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@chasbelov can you clarify where you’re seeing this? If you can send a link to the URL that will help. A screenshot would also be helpful; you could put that in your media library.
I can see @timethief thought you were referring to our Calypso editor, but we don’t have an “Add Link” button by that name. The link button we do have doesn’t collapse.
Do note though, if you were working in our Calypso editor, we automatically save on a regular basis. Check revisions and you’ll likely find your lost work there.
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Yes, I’m seeing this on /wp-admin/link-add.php and I think I just figured out what happened. Definitely a usability issue and perhaps an edge case based on the random size of my browser window.
Steps:
1. I go to /wp-admin/link-add.php
2. I see https://chasbelov.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/add-link-before-click.png
Note that the last line on the screen is the word Save.
3. I fill in the fields and click Save (this is the mistake that collapses the Save section)
4. I now see https://chasbelov.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/add-link-after-click.png
Note that the arrow in the Save fieldset is now pointing up.
5. As nothing happened, I scroll down.
6. I now see https://chasbelov.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/add-link-after-click-and-scroll-down.png
7. Not seeing anything to click, I scroll up and see the Add New Link button. I click that and, voila, lose my work.Hope that explains what happened.
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3. I fill in the fields and click Save (this is the mistake that collapses the Save section)
You should be seeing an “Add link” button far right if you don’t collapse the save box. Fill in the name and web address then after clicking “Save”( if that box is collapsed) you just click the big blue “Add link” button and voila.
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Yes, thank you, that is what I eventually figured out, after I had already lost my work.
The issue is that I didn’t see the “Add link” button because it is below the bottom edge of my browser window, thus I mistook the word “Save” that heads the Save fieldset as being what I needed to click in order to save my work. This had the inadvertent effect of hiding the “Add link” button.
There’s no good reason for a fieldset that has a required action to be collapsible. And there’s no good reason for there to be an “Add New Link” button at the top (unless it is labeled “Cancel” instead, since that was the effect of clicking it). These appear to be UI design errors, thus I reported it via this post.
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There’s no good reason for a fieldset that has a required action to be collapsible.
Actually I noticed that happens on wp-admin’s editor as well, and in a few other places. Basically anywhere you get a ‘postbox’ meta box, it can be collapsed and moved around. Changing the metabox so it’s not collapsible would likely require a change in WordPress.org core.
I think I may be able to recommend some sort of “Are you sure you don’t want to save?” prompt that appears before we let you navigate away from the page, though. And that could have helped in a situation like this.
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Thank you. I am very much in favor of “Are you sure you don’t want to save?” prompts, and that would satisfy my concern.
If you’re going to word it that way, I’d suggest buttons “Don’t save” and “Cancel”
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Stay or Leave is fine.
And actually, positive wording on the question would be better. “Did you want to save first?” or “You’ll lose your work if you leave.” or something as opposed to “Are you sure you don’t want to save?” or whatever the browser default is.
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Stay or Leave is the default, and it’s already translated into many languages, so we’ll likely use that if we implement this change.
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