| UI or UX | UI + UX - Automatic list of targets the current user meaningfully operated or used recently | UI + UX - Automatic list of items the current user opened recently | UI + UX - User-marked preferred items gathered into a recognizable return-access list | UI + UX - Deliberate user or owner-selected items kept in a stable prominent position |
| UI guidance | Render a labelled Recently used area with target name, type, location or workspace, last-used time, use scope, availability, and a remove-from-recent-use control near each entry. | Render a labelled list or rail of items the current user actually opened, ordered most recent first, with enough identity to recognize each item such as name, type, thumbnail or icon, location, status, and last-viewed time. | Show a clearly labelled Favorites or Starred area with item identity, item type, location, ownership or scope, selected favorite state, and an unfavorite control that is visually tied to each item. | Render pinned items in a clearly labelled section, top zone, or fixed order with item identity, type, owner or scope, pin state, and an unpin path visible near each item. |
| UX guidance | Use recently used when users benefit from returning to the tools, files, commands, apps, workspaces, or tasks they actually operated, especially in products with many possible work surfaces. | Use recently viewed to reduce re-finding effort when users compare items, pause work, resume documents, or return to records they inspected during the current or recent sessions. | Use favorites when users want to mark affinity, preference, or personal save-for-later access without necessarily changing list order, top placement, notifications, or the underlying object. | Use pinned items when users or workspace owners deliberately keep a small set of high-priority objects, files, links, repositories, records, or widgets easy to return to. |
| Good UI | A document editor Insert link flow shows Recently used cloud files with file type, folder, last-used time, and a Browse all files option. | A procurement dashboard shows Recently viewed records with title, record type, status, project, last-viewed time, and a remove control for each row. | A file hub has a Favorites section with file names, file types, folder paths, owner labels, filled star buttons, and an explanation that removing a favorite keeps the file in its folder. | A document library has a Pinned section at the top with three highlighted files, each showing file name, type, modified date, owner, Move left, Move right, and Unpin actions. |
| Bad UI | A Recent list contains tools the user hovered over, suggested starters, favorite files, and pinned dashboards with no reason or ordering rule. | A homepage shows a Recently viewed carousel filled with promoted products the user never opened. | A star icon appears beside items with no label, no selected state, and no way to tell whether it favorites, rates, pins, recommends, or subscribes. | A pin icon appears on cards with no selected state, no top section, no limit, and no explanation of whether the pin is personal or public. |
| Good UX | A user reopens the Export invoices tool from Recently used after running it yesterday, sees it belongs to Finance, and removes an obsolete workspace shortcut without deleting anything. | A user opens several supplier records, returns to the dashboard, and reopens the most recent record without reconstructing the search. | A user stars three policy folders for personal access, filters the workspace to Favorites, and removes one favorite without deleting or moving the folder. | A manager pins the Quarterly review folder, moves it before the Benefits checklist, sees the three-item limit, and can unpin it without deleting the folder. |
| Bad UX | A reporting app treats viewing a dashboard as using it, so the recently used tools list fills with dashboards the user only inspected. | Users trust a Recently viewed rail as a recommendation and choose an irrelevant item because sponsored content was mixed into history. | A user removes a favorite and loses the underlying record because the product treated unfavorite as delete. | A user unpins a file and thinks it was deleted because the item disappears with no status message or recovery path. |
| Best fit | Users repeatedly operate a broad set of tools, files, commands, apps, workspaces, or tasks. | Users inspect multiple objects and often need to return to one they recently opened. | Users need to mark preferred or personally important objects for later return. | Users need stable quick access to a small set of known high-priority objects. |
| Avoid when | The product only knows what users viewed or searched, not what they actually used. | The content set is tiny, linear, or easy to scan without history. | The goal is to keep a small set at the top or in a stable user-defined order. | The item list should be automatic history, popularity, recommendation, or search ranking. |
| Required state | Empty or hidden state before any qualifying use event exists. | Empty or hidden state before any qualifying item has been viewed. | No favorites state with a path to favorite eligible items. | No pinned items state with a path to pin an eligible item. |
| Accessibility burden | Use a heading or labelled region that names the scope and target type, such as Recently used tools or Recently used files. | Use a heading or labelled region that describes the scope of the list. | Use an accessible name and state such as Add to favorites, Remove from favorites, or Starred instead of relying on a star icon alone. | Use text and accessible state for Pin, Pinned, Unpin, Move earlier, Move later, and Replace actions instead of relying on a pushpin icon alone. |
| Common misuse | Counting views, hovers, previews, suggestions, ads, or recommendations as use. | Filling recently viewed with recommendations, ads, popular items, or related content. | Using a star icon with no label or selected state. | Using a pin icon as a favorite without changing placement or explaining selected state. |