GOV.UK Design System: Addresses
Documents multiple address text inputs, address lookup for UK addresses, manual alternatives for international or missing lookup records, postcode tolerance, optional county guidance, autocomplete attributes, and field-specific errors.
What this source can teach
Use this source to compare a documented solution with the task and states in your own product.
- Start with the original. Open the source and find the guidance or example relevant to your task.
- Trace the connection. Use the claim notes below to see how this site applies the source to specific patterns.
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Pattern Decisions This Source Supports
| Pattern | Supported decision | Required contract | Claim note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address entry | Choose address entry when the product needs a complete postal, delivery, billing, contact, or official address rather than one short freeform value. | Users can start with lookup or choose manual entry before providing a postal code. | GOV.UK supports multiple address inputs, UK lookup, manual entry, international fallback, postcode tolerance, optional county handling, autocomplete attributes, and address-specific errors. |
| Fallback path | Choose fallback path when the user needs an alternate way to finish the same task after the primary method is blocked, unsupported, unavailable, or unsuitable. | The fallback path is a different route to the same user outcome or an explicitly named support handoff, not another attempt at the same failing operation. | GOV.UK documents manual address entry as an alternative when lookup coverage is incomplete. |
Comparisons supported by this source
- Address entry vs text input vs autocomplete vs dependent fields
GOV.UK documents multiple address inputs, UK address lookup, manual fallback, postcode tolerance, optional county guidance, and field-specific errors.
- Disabled controls without recovery vs disabled button no explanation vs inline validation vs error summary vs permission recovery vs fallback path
GOV.UK address guidance demonstrates manual entry as a fallback path when lookup cannot complete.
- Fallback path vs retry vs error state vs service unavailable page
GOV.UK documents manual address entry as a real alternative to address lookup when lookup coverage is incomplete.
Evidence Role
This source is treated as pattern-library evidence. Its value comes from the specific claims and setting described above.
Publisher: Government Digital Service. Last checked: .