The 3-Click Rule

“Can we reduce the number of clicks?”

This question arises from something called “the 3-click rule."

The three-click rule is a heuristic that suggests that keeping interactions or tasks on websites and applications to three clicks or less is desirable for the best user experience and usability.

What I hope to illustrate in this article is why this ‘rule’ needs to be thrown out with the other UX myths, like “no more than seven top navigation items,” “white space is wasted space,” or one of my favourites, “people won’t scroll.”

So let's get into it.

The Problem With The 3-Click Rule

Before I hammer down on this rule, let’s remember that limiting the number of clicks comes from a desire to simplify and streamline a user’s interaction with an application or website. This sentiment comes from a good place, but it isn’t backed up by conclusive data and may cause the opposite effect if pursued strictly for the sake of itself.

“The big problem with the 3-click rule is that it has not been supported by data in any published studies to date.” - Page Laubheimer, Nielsen Norman Group.

One problem with this rule is that it does not take cognitive factors into account. Users need to know where they are, understand their current context, and absorb any and all options that may be presented to them.

So, it is more important to ensure that the user knows what’s going on at any given time in a task, showing them where they came from, where they currently are, and how much is left to do.

“Usability does not equate to a specific number of clicks, taps, swipes, pinches, flicks.” — John Morkes, founder of Neet UX & Strategy.

Should We Ever Consider The 3-Click Rule?

The rule is arbitrary, but if reducing the number of clicks to two or three leads to improvements in metrics such as time on tasks, user confidence, and user satisfaction, then it is worthwhile.

That being said, increasing the number of clicks can also improve these things. For example, in his book Prioritizing Web Usability, Jakob Neilsen states that usability tests showed a 600% increase in a user’s ability to find products on an ecommerce site after increasing the number of clicks from three to four.

This is not to say we should start aiming for a four-click rule, but adopt the idea that the number of clicks isn’t as significant and stop counting clicks.

“…the Three-Click Rule does not focus on the real problem. The number of clicks isn’t what is important to users, but whether or not they’re successful at finding what they’re seeking.” - Joshua Porter, Testing the Three-Click Rule.

Not All Clicks Are Created Equal

Some clicks are easy, and some are more difficult. If we look at a series of five steps in a process, where each step has a straightforward decision as a call-to-action, we could reduce this task to, let’s say, three clicks.

However, to do this is likely to increase the number of options at each step a user must read through (and potentially miss completely). Not only will this increase the cognitive load on each page, but it could also add frustration on the user's part.

It’s about making clicks easier, not necessarily fewer.

How Can We Make Our Clicks ‘Easier’?

We can do several things to enable better usability and improve user experience. Here are just a few.

Improve information scent - Label your links well with solid and clear indications of where they will take them (don’t use vague or ambiguous terms).

Rethinking Clicks: UX Design Is More Than The 3-Click Rule | Acro Commerce

Every click should take the user one step closer to their destination.
Use wayfinding (breadcrumbs, steppers, etc.) to show users where they are at any given time.

Rethinking Clicks: UX Design Is More Than The 3-Click Rule | Acro Commerce

In Conclusion

There is no magic number of clicks, and there is only how straightforward or complex these clicks are. Design with good information scent, keep the user on a clearly labelled path and don’t worry about the number of clicks.