How can you determine the optimal number of clicks for a user to reach their goal?

Clicks or taps are just one interaction that can add to the total interaction cost (the sum of physical and mental effort required to achieve a task) of performing a task. Looking, scrolling, searching, reading, clicking, waiting, typing, thinking, and remembering all add to interaction cost. The higher the interaction cost, the harder it is for someone to achieve their task. Hence, it's generally best to try and minimise interaction cost.

Research has repeatedly shown that number of clicks doesn’t matter. What matters is how confident users feel they are progressing towards their goal. The mental effort it takes to determine what to click is much more important. If it takes 7 clicks, but the person is sure that each click is getting them closer is a better experience than an interface where it theoretically takes 3 clicks, but many users are not sure if each click is getting them to the information they want.

I tend to slightly disagree. Clicks are not quite a measure of how easy or hard is to use an interface - if that would be the case, everything would be on a single page. What's more important in this case is to understand the reason behind the interaction - what the user want to achieve at that specific step. If that's the case, the flow / journey is more important then the number or clicks, and you are actually more interested in the success rate.

Number of clicks != good usability. Whilst it's often thought of as a measure of ease of use, reducing the number of clicks does not always improve usability. Testing UI with users is the truly the best way to observe whether your designs are allowing users to achieve their goal easily and efficiently. A clean and simple multi-step process may test better than a busy and overwhelming experience that's all laid out in one page with minimal clicks.

I believe determining the optimal number of clicks for user goals is nuanced, as it's not solely about minimizing clicks. In some cases, additional clicks can enhance user understanding and product adoption. Assessing task complexity, conducting user testing, and considering industry standards are essential. While minimizing unnecessary clicks is crucial for efficiency, providing a clear and guided path might require more clicks for improved comprehension. The key is to balance simplicity with the user's need for understanding, ensuring each click serves a meaningful purpose in fostering a positive overall experience.

I used to adhere to this religiously but in hindsight, it all depends on context; is the user gathering information or making a purchase? If it takes more than three clicks or taps or gestures but it's a smooth UX, they don't get frustrated and they get what they want then why the hell should you to stick to three clicks?

There is no optimal number of clicks. It's just an overall recommendation that you should aim to reduce the number of clicks. It doesn't mean fewer clicks gets better results. Simplicity, goal focusing, verbiage, understanding users leads to better results.

Google killed most Web Directories (including its own) How and why? Because in many cases users have a definite idea of what they are looking for. Clicks were means of navigation and were a stop-gap measure to the limitation of early web. Can you imagine specifying your pickup location in Uber or Delivery Locations using clicks. Modern web enabled alternate interaction techniques. The three click rule was useful in early days of web when the only way (well most of the times) you could get to a piece of information was by clicking links. This was an over simplification. It depended on task at hand: am I exploring an idea or am I looking for something specific? Is the information pool too vast and deep for three clicks to be effective?

It’s 2023 and the 3-click-myth has been debunked so many times in the past years I can’t believe anyone still mentions it. Saying „4 clicks is one too much“ regardless of context makes as little sense as saying „10 dollars is too little money“.

I can tell you that it's more about the quality of those clicks rather than the quantity. It's about creating an effortless experience that efficiently guides users to their destination based on what task(searching or onboarding on a platform) user is doing. If users are engaged and can navigate easily with clear information at each step without getting irritated, the number of clicks becomes less significant.

Determining the optimal number of clicks for user goals in UX design is nuanced. There's no universal formula, but principles guide us. The depth vs breadth trade-off is key. Depth relates to levels of information, while breadth pertains to choices at each level. Striking a balance depends on context and user needs. Reference web insights for informed design decisions.

A narrow depth might require a longer recovery time if the user is unable find the required information. Imagine clicking through a series of 6-9 sub-categories in a catalogue and not being able to find what you were looking for (e.g. looking for that elusive spare part on Amazon). Therefore, a wider breadth also helps when the categories don't belong to the same family and hence harder to guess where one might find a lower-level information. In many such instances, while a well defined Information Hierarchy might be useful backup, a Semantic Search approach might be a better option. E.g. you are more likely to go to Help and Search for Excess Baggage Policies than trawling through a well designed information hierarchy.

In the end what counts is that the user manages to achieve the goal. For this you can do various checks - usability tests, interviews, checking usage data. That's why is important to have product discovery processes so you can test and iterate on these aspects fast.

Designers are at liberty to create interfaces that truly cater to the specific needs of their users. Rather than adhering to rigid rules, they can focus on understanding when to prioritize depth for a structured and organized experience and when to emphasize breadth for quick access.

Design is often a trade-off between best-conveying information, the space available for the information, the information needed by the user, and then getting the balance right. When designing interactions, I like the Keystroke-level model, either applying it directly or keeping it in mind. The model splits up the steps involved in interactions and gives them a time cost, allowing you to evaluate designs before testing with users. If you want to understand how your IA and navigation perform, you can use a tree test. This evaluates the time it takes and the success rate of finding information in your IA.

Choosing the right balance is like cooking your favorite meal. For quick things, keep it simple; for tricky stuff, add a bit more. Test and ask friends for thoughts, like tasting your dish. Adjust until it feels just right, like finding the perfect flavor in your design.

Nothing to add to. Imagine designing your IA as making a sandwich - Depth is like the number of layers in your sandwich, while breadth refers to the range of choices you have for each layer. A deep interface is like 'Club Sandwich' with multilayers but limited ingredients in each, and a broad interface is like 'Grilled Cheese'—fewer layers but packed with choices in each. Now, whether you want a 'Club Sandwich' or a 'Grilled Cheese' really depends on your appetite(context) and taste (user needs). So, there isn't a one-size-fits-all. The right balance varies and the key lies in deeply understanding your user's diet— their preferences, goals, and abilities. Getting quite hungry now..

Finding the right balance is like tuning a guitar. It's about harmonizing user experience by considering the depth of content and the ease of navigation.

When it comes to website hierarchy, there's no one right answer. Flat hierarchies work best for distinct and recognizable categories. Use card sorting and tree testing to structure and validate information. Exceptions to breadth architectures include too many categories or confusing topics, in which case intermediate pages may be needed for context.

Finding the right balance between depth and breadth starts with a deep understanding of your users. Techniques like user research, personas, and user journeys illuminate user goals and behaviors. Testing various IA and navigation options through tools like card sorting and usability testing is crucial. Real user feedback provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your structure. It's an iterative process, refining based on user experiences to ensure the IA aligns seamlessly with user expectations and tasks. The key is to remain adaptable and user-centric throughout the design and testing phases.

To optimise your clicks, you need to create user flows for all users to meet their objectives. It's a guided journey specific to each user's needs, based on their persona. In a car website, for example, you'll have, broadly speaking, users who want to go straight to the price list, users who'll want to explore customisation options, users who just want to look at photos or videos, and so on. The trick is to identify the pathways and create the most intuitive, logical flow for each person. Put the three-click rule aside for this one, please. Here, it's the destination that determines the journey. Remove distractions; you can think about cross-sells later. Forget shortcuts until you know where you're taking them. Stay on target.

This comes down to 2 things: 1. affordance, i.e. making it clear which things are clickable and which aren't 2. removing unnecessary friction that causes users to click additional things that aren't taking them closer to their goal

Based on my experience, optimizing clicks involves using labels that are clear and descriptive, offering feedback and progress indicators for user clarity, minimizing unnecessary clicks like pop-ups or confirmations, and providing helpful shortcuts such as search, filters, or bookmarks to enhance the user journey. These strategies have consistently improved user satisfaction in my projects.

Think of it as streamlining your morning routine. Optimizing clicks involves decluttering the user journey, making it more efficient and enjoyable.

Life's not always simple, but in the digital realm, simplicity rules. Streamline the process, keep it smooth. Make every click count.

The optimal number of clicks is the number of clicks it takes you to navigate away from awful AI-authored articles. Linked In needs to pay actual writers instead of expecting the community to work for free to review and fact-check.

Striking a balance between simplicity and clarity is key. I have prior experience utilizing tools such as Inspectlet, Hotjar, Mouseflow, Crazy Egg, Mixpanel, and Google Analytics for various analytics and user tracking purposes.

Correct. In the grand scheme of creating captivating user experiences, there isn't a magic number for clicks—it's like the rhythm in music, it's about striking the right chord that reverberates with your audience. And just as tunes vary, the ideal user flow varies too, depending on user preferences, your interface, and how well these two dance together—making the journey not just about reaching the destination, but also how much they enjoy the ride.

In the end, it's a bit like crafting the perfect cup of coffee. The optimal number of clicks creates a smooth, enjoyable experience for users, ensuring they reach their goal effortlessly.

While the actual experience around optimal number of clicks is that of a contextual nature, there are better ways of optimising it before you test concepts. Here's what i mean : 1. Build user empathy : As Ux designers we get time to understand our users and build empathy for the various personas we study. It helps gather a general understanding  of the mental thresholds of your target audience and build relatability. 2. Build an HTA first : An important step in understanding complex tasks in the UCDR (User Centered Design Research)  methods, Creating an HTA (Hierarchical Task Analysis) will help you go that extra mile and document the actual steps that are taken by the users to reach a perticular goal or compleat a task. 

Modern Web offers multiple alternatives. As an example, geo location allows you to look for five star rated hotels/ restaurants in the vicinity as opposed to clicking through a directory hierarchy. Similarly, Conversational Interfaces offer new possibilities where clicking through links/ buttons isn’t required at all.

Sometimes in order to remove clicks things get messed up really fast, There was a client and project, I was working on the client wanted to copy the competitor's UX for their App design even after I suggested the UX was not right on the competitor's App and to just copy (just to reduce clicks was not right) Still we went ahead (into development) and so on until our launch. The competitor's app had a new update and that click issue was solved. Then we had to fix our Click issue as suggested earlier.

Whilst minimizing clicks is immensely beneficial... It's important to weigh that against the user experience. Sometimes, extra clicks are justified if they make the process more intuitive or simpler for the user. It's about finding that sweet spot where the interface remains user-friendly without sacrificing the directness of the user journey.

Beyond the basics, consider user feedback and evolving trends. It's like adding a pinch of spice to keep things interesting and aligned with user expectations.

Prioritize the most important content and features that users need to access to achieve their goals. Organize information architecture and navigation menus to ensure that essential content is easily accessible within a few clicks.