How it works
An address lookup aims to quickly find a unique address while not making the user do unnecessary work.
A 'search and select' journey is a common way of balancing these goals and is used in several live DWP services, including the Child Maintenance Service.
User journey
- The user enters search terms: in this pattern, these are postcode and building number or name: Address search example
- If there is more than one result, the service lists matching addresses and the user chooses from the list Search results example
- The user checks and confirms the chosen address Confirm example
Every screen includes a Back link and the option of manual address entry. Use the GOV.UK pattern for manual address entry.
Errors and validation
Follow GOV.UK guidance for validation rules and errors on text inputs.
If the search produces no results, replay the search terms and give the option of searching again or entering the address manually. No results screen example.
Avoid pagination
Do not use pagination to split up a long list of results. Pagination forces people to guess which page their result is on and also makes navigation more difficult for screen reader users.
Showing all results on the same page means people can use their browser's Find function to find the right result in a long list.
If your research finds that long results lists are causing problems, it is better to offer a way to refine the search and make sure manual entry is easily available.
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