Ambiguous destructive action copy

Problem Context

• A dialog, sheet, action menu, toast, command palette, mobile action sheet, or review page includes a destructive command.
• The interface uses vague labels such as OK, Yes, No, Continue, Confirm, Submit, Remove, Done, or Cancel near a destructive or externally visible action.
• The same word can mean different outcomes, such as cancel the dialog versus cancel the subscription, remove from view versus delete permanently, or continue review versus execute the dangerous action.
• Users need to distinguish the destructive commit, the safe preserve path, reversible cleanup, typed target verification, and high-impact action review.

Selection Rules

• Flag this anti-pattern when the destructive or safe action label does not name what will happen.
• Use destructive action confirmation when the whole final review needs target, scope, consequence, dependency, acknowledgement, and commit states; this entry focuses on the wording defect inside those surfaces.
• Use typed confirmation when severe wrong-target risk requires reproducing a visible target phrase; typed confirmation still needs unambiguous final button copy.
• Use dangerous-action review when the action is high impact because of money, access, production, legal, customer, external recipient, or agent-tool effects; this entry flags vague Run, Continue, or Approve labels that hide execution.
• Use confirmation fatigue when the problem is repeated low-value prompts and habituation; this entry applies even to one prompt if the destructive labels are unclear.
• Use warning text when consequence copy belongs before the command; warning text cannot repair a final button labelled OK or Yes.
• Name the destructive verb and target in the final action, such as Delete workspace, Revoke Maya's access, Cancel Pro subscription, or Permanently delete 12 files.
• Name the safe path as the preserved outcome, such as Keep workspace, Keep subscription, Keep access, or Cancel deletion.
• Avoid Cancel when both the dialog and the underlying service can be cancelled; use Back, Keep plan, Close review, or Cancel subscription according to the real outcome.

Required States

• Clear destructive title state with verb, target, and consequence.
• Clear final action state with destructive verb plus target or count.
• Clear safe action state that names the preserved outcome.
• Ambiguous Cancel state where cancel could mean cancel dialog or cancel service.
• Reversible cleanup state where Archive, Move to trash, or Hide is not mislabeled as Delete permanently.
• Bulk scope state where the label includes selected count and object type.
• Permission or access removal state where Remove distinguishes from delete object.
• External-effect state where Send, publish, charge, revoke, or run labels reveal the side effect.
• Mobile compact state where shortened labels still preserve outcome meaning.
• Bad OK or Yes state that hides destruction.
• Bad Continue state that hides execution.
• Bad Remove state that hides whether data is deleted or detached.
• Bad Cancel state that reverses user intent.
• Bad same-copy state where every prompt uses the same labels.
• Bad color-only danger state where red styling carries the only destructive signal.
• Bad post-commit copy state where the UI clarifies the outcome only after the destructive action runs.

Interaction Contract

• Every destructive control label must answer what action will happen and what object or scope it affects.
• Every safe action label must answer what will be preserved or where the user returns.
• Dialog titles, body copy, final buttons, secondary buttons, menu items, and status text must use the same verb and target model.
• If a word has domain ambiguity, such as Cancel, Remove, Close, Disable, Reset, Revoke, Clear, or Dismiss, the UI adds the object and outcome.
• Copy changes must update accessible names, not only visible helper text or color.
• Short mobile labels may abbreviate object names only when nearby text keeps the full target and consequence in reading order.

Implementation Checklist

• Inventory every destructive prompt and record the trigger label, title, final action, safe action, status message, object, count, and consequence.
• Replace OK, Yes, No, Continue, Confirm, Submit, and Done with outcome-specific labels.
• Replace ambiguous Cancel with Keep plan, Close dialog, Cancel subscription, Stop deletion, or Do not delete according to intent.
• Disambiguate Remove by naming whether the object is deleted, detached, hidden, unshared, revoked, or moved to trash.
• Include counts for bulk destructive actions and rerender labels when selection changes.
• Keep copy synchronized with disabled states, dependency blockers, typed confirmation, and post-action receipts.
• Test localization, truncation, keyboard focus, screen reader names, compact width, and action-sheet layouts so labels remain specific.

Common Generated-UI Mistakes

• A delete prompt uses OK and Cancel without naming what OK will delete.
• A subscription flow has a Cancel button that could mean close the dialog or cancel the subscription.
• A permission dialog uses Remove without saying whether access is revoked or the person is deleted from the workspace.
• A dangerous agent tool review uses Continue for both the next review step and actual execution.
• A mobile action sheet shortens Delete account to Delete when the account name and scope are offscreen.
• A red button relies on color to signal destruction while its text says Confirm.

Critique Questions

• Would the final action label still be clear if read without color or icon?
• Does the label name the destructive verb and affected target?
• Could Cancel, Remove, Continue, or Done mean more than one outcome in this context?
• Does the safe action say what remains unchanged?
• Does bulk copy update when selected count or object type changes?
• Does assistive technology receive the same outcome-specific label as sighted users?