Page navigation and journey behaviour
Page navigation settings are exceptions to the service’s normal journey rules. Use them only when a person needs a clearly different route, such as returning to a task overview or completing a controlled exit. Every exception increases the number of paths you must test.
Preserve the normal route by default
Leave the page ID generated and stable. It is used by navigation, back-history and redirects. Do not change it simply to make it more readable; use the page title and short name for human-facing labels.
The standard journey uses page order, conditions and normal back history. Before enabling an override, check whether a clearer page order, condition or task-list structure would solve the problem without special navigation.
Use jumps and stops only for a defined reason
Out-of-order navigation allows a link or redirect to reach a page without validating intervening pages. It is useful for a controlled jump destination, but it can allow someone to bypass expected questions. Always stop here prevents the journey from fast-forwarding over a page even when it was previously visited; page visibility conditions still take precedence.
Use either setting only when you can describe the route in a test case. Check direct links, a changed earlier answer, browser Back, Check your answers change links and a saved draft.
flowchart TD
A["Need a different route?"] --> B{"Can page order or a condition solve it?"}
B -->|"Yes"| C["Use the normal journey model"]
B -->|"No"| D["Configure a narrow navigation exception"]
D --> E["Test direct entry, back history and validation"]
C --> ELabel actions accurately
The normal primary button is Continue. Override its text only when the action is materially different, for example Save and continue. Do not rename it to a vague term such as Submit while the person is only moving to the next page.
An extra button can save and go back, go back without saving or go to a URL. Give it a specific label and choose a style that matches its consequence. Use a warning treatment only for a genuinely destructive or high-risk action. If the button takes someone away from the service, state that clearly and test the URL, including missing or unexpected dynamic values.
Control the Back link with care
The Back link normally uses the person’s actual journey history. A page can override it to return to a homepage, restart the journey, go to a specific page, go to a custom URL or hide the link. These are high-impact choices.
| Override | Use only when | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | Multiple journeys have a clear home page. | Returning does not lose or obscure the current journey. |
| Restart | Restarting is safe, explicit and expected. | Answers are removed only after an unambiguous choice. |
| Specific page | The destination is always applicable. | Conditions and validation do not create an impossible route. |
| Custom URL | The person needs to leave for a known destination. | The link works, is trustworthy and the outcome is explained. |
| Hide | A back route would be unsafe or misleading. | People still have a clear safe exit. |
You can change the back-link text or target an anchor or tab on the destination. Keep the label truthful and ensure the selected tab or fragment is meaningful when the page opens.
Task-list and workflow behaviour
The task-list Start/Continue control is specific to Task List pages. A task overview page acts as a summary point and resets the page-history model in a similar way to a Check your answers page. Use it for a genuine task-level review, not as a general content page.
Post-view actions run after a page is displayed and should not block a person. Workflow actions run after submission in the background. Keep those action settings separate from page navigation and test their success and failure outcomes across the route.
Make validation failures helpful
When page-level validation conditions fail, the page can show a custom error message above Continue. Explain what the person needs to do, not the underlying rule. If the message contains a dynamic value, verify the missing and unexpected-value cases.
Test navigation as a matrix
- Follow the normal route.
- Use every primary and extra button.
- Test the Back link from each alternative route.
- Open permitted jump links directly.
- Change earlier answers and re-enter the route.
- Test conditional pages, errors, task overviews and saved drafts.
- Repeat in QA before deploying the change.