Using 1,2,3 links is often a result of lazy web design. In many cases, it’s the web equivalent of asking your users to rake through bargain bins. They don’t know what’s in each bin, they have to rummage through them in order to find out.

Often however, 1,2,3 links are the most appropriate option. I recommend applying a little thought before using them in your designs.

What are 1,2,3 links?

When I say 1,2,3 links I mean the links that allow you to navigate through a long list of pages (also called pagination links). This approach was made popular by search engines like Google (I’ll come back to that in a bit). You start on page 1 and in order to find what you’re looking you have to click 2, then 3, then 4 and so on.

What’s wrong with 1,2,3 links?

These links hide content. There’s no way of knowing what’s behind each of the links until you click them, so you have to either click through every link or start guessing. This can cause problems for users, especially when there are a lot of pages to look through.

I’ve chosen Hotmail as an example because I’ve struggled with this feature on a few occasions. The image below illustrates the problem.

Listing by date

These links appear at the bottom-right of the web interface for Hotmail. It allows me to scroll through past mails. However the mails are sorted by date. Let’s pretend I’m trying to find an email that was sent to me in April? Which number do I click?

If the results are listed by date then the links should be provided by date rather than as 1,2,3 links as they are here.

Listing alphabetically

So let’s say I decide to sort my emails by the name of the person who sent the email instead. If my friend Stuart sent me the email I’m looking for, then I need to get to S. I’m still forced to use the 1,2,3 links. After some painstaking guesswork I might end up at the emails from senders beginning with S on page 48. This issue renders the ‘Sort by sender’ function practically useless, unless you’re looking for that email from Aardvark Electrical Supplies.

It’s not just Microsoft

It’s not just Microsoft that falls into the 1,2,3 trap. Plenty of big websites do it, basically because it’s technically easier to achieve. The image below shows the Radio 4 page on BBC iPlayer. The 7 long pages of programmes are listed alphabetically, but the links that take you through the pages are 1,2,3 links. So which page is Secret Lives on?

So which page is Secret Lives on?

When to use 1,2,3 links

You can use 1,2,3 links when there isn’t a lot to look through or when your users actually want to look at the content of each page, one after the other.

With search results

1,2,3 links work well on search results. If the search is any good then the results will be in order of relevance. The 1,2,3 link just help the user go through each page. There should be no need for them to jump straight to page 9. If they are on page 9 it is because the user has tried pages 1 to 8 already.

When there are only a few pages

If you have 3 short pages, then it might be easier to use 1,2,3 links than categorising the pages in some way. If the pages are long then try to categorise them instead.

Alternatives to 1,2,3 links

There are plenty of alternatives to using 1,2,3 links. The method you choose depends on the context.

Chronological and alphabetical order

If you are listing alphabetically then you can substitute 1,2,3 for A-D, E-H or Aa-Am, An-Az if you have a huge list. It’s often trickier to achieve but not impossible. Likewise date order links can be provided as date ranges or using a calendar.

Categorisation

In some cases you don’t have to provide linear pages at all. If I’m looking for a new pair of shoes and I know I want brown leather shoes with laces I should be able to choose these options within product categorisation options. I then don’t need to wade through the pages of shoes I know I don’t want.

One big page

There are occasions when it’s better to show everything on one big page. If the website I’m using to buy shoes has lots of shoes I might end up with a lot of options even after filtering for brown leather shoes with laces. In this case it’s better to just give me one big page of shoes, than ask me to click through half a dozen pages. I can then click on the ones that catch my eye rather than have them hidden behind 1,2,3 links.

Think about the context of use

Whenever you’re considering 1,2,3 links, think about the context in which they will be used. There’s a good chance that it’s not the ideal approach.

What do you think?

If you have an opinion on this, I’d love to hear it.

Provide a box not a link

If you want people to see your site search then don’t provide a ‘search’ link on every page. Instead provide the search box itself. Your users are more likely to notice it, so it will be used more.

No search is better than a bad search

If your search sucks, then lose it. Take it off the page. Some people will spend ages struggling with a bad search engine. If they can’t find it with search then they often think it doesn’t exist.

Take the Google logo off

If you have some sort of Google powered search then don’t put a Google logo on it. Some people will mistake it for a web search.

What are quick tips?

My quick tips are bits of advice I’ve given lots of times, but they’re not really worth writing a big article about.