Confirm an email address

[govuk-design-system]

Use this issue to discuss this pattern in the GOV.UK Design System.

[Andrey-Kobilnyk]

Hello! There is a version of this design pattern in use on https://petition.parliament.uk where the user is shown the email address then entered and asked to click a 'confirm and continue' button - rather than being asked to re-input their email address and a script on the page comparing the two entries to determine if both addresses are identical so that a 'continue' button becomes clickable.

I completely understand that the petition.parliament.uk pattern is easier to use. My concern is that it may not ensure that an accurate email address has been entered as effectively as the double-input-and-compare method.

The service I am working on creates a risk if the individual attempting to validate themselves cannot do so quickly and accurately.

Does anyone have experience and / or research data in implementing the petition.parliament.uk pattern for a service where it is critical that an individual can quickly and accurately validate themselves?

[joelanman]

I think one aspect not covered by the current guidance is that without an email confirmation loop, people can sign other people up for emails, deliberately or accidentally. I think this would contravene GDPR, and I think this means you really need an email loop whenever you're asking for email addresses. GDPR requires you to have consent of the data subject (email address owner) - the normal way to get and prove consent is through an email loop.

[joelanman]

I'm a bit confused by this line, is it a typo?

sending emails to spam folders so users do not see them, for example, because it goes to their spam folder

Might be better as something like

users may not see the email, for example because it goes to their spam folder

[ponco-infraedukasi]

bagus
ya?

[bluesigor]

I have applied for UK visa and had to receive email from Gov.uk but my gmail acc was full so I couldn’t get it. Anyone had a same issue? any suggestions?

[querkmachine]

@bluesigor Hi, this is a page for discussing the "Confirm an email address" pattern in the GOV.UK Design System.

We are unable to help with anything relating to visas or immigration. Please try contacting UK Visas and Immigration instead.

[annie-crab]

Hello! I'd like to question the guidance on expiry conditions for blocking email loops where it says: 'You should also set the link to expire when: it's been used once."

One-use links can potentially break too quickly and easily for mobile users if it initially opens within an email app rather than their browser, for example the Gmail app. Some people will follow the option to reopen in a browser, which registers as a 2nd use and potentially breaks the link in both apps at once.