Microsoft guidelines for app settings
Documents app settings as user-customizable portions of an app, including dedicated settings pages, entry points, in-context access, grouping, and recommendations for displaying configurable app options.
What this source can teach
Use this source to understand a platform convention and the setting it was designed for.
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Pattern Decisions This Source Supports
| Pattern | Supported decision | Required contract | Claim note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive defaults | Choose adaptive defaults when the system proposes a starting value inside the current task based on context or learned behavior. | Opening the task shows the proposed value and why it was chosen before the user submits, exports, sends, schedules, or applies anything. | Microsoft app settings guidance helps keep adaptive defaults separate from durable settings surfaces. |
| Settings management | Choose settings management when users need a durable place to inspect and change persistent preferences or configuration. | Opening settings management shows current persisted values, not empty defaults or stale cached assumptions. | Microsoft supports dedicated app settings pages and user-customizable app settings grouped behind clear entry points. |
| Settings page | Choose settings page when the main design problem is the destination layout, section hierarchy, selected section, and wayfinding for many settings areas. | Opening a settings page shows the page identity, current section, and whether the scope is personal, workspace, organization, app, device, or system. | Microsoft supports dedicated app settings pages, entry points, grouping, and display recommendations. |
| User-controlled layout | Choose user-controlled layout when users choose the arrangement, visibility, or order of workspace regions around the same task object. | Changing layout rearranges regions but does not change the active record, dataset, filters, columns, sort, density, theme, or saved view unless the user explicitly chooses those changes. | Helps separate durable app settings surfaces from in-context layout controls and layout persistence. |
Comparisons supported by this source
- Adaptive defaults vs settings management vs preference center vs recommendations
Microsoft settings guidance helps distinguish durable user-configurable app options from contextual starting values.
- Settings management vs complete complex form vs toggle switch vs progressive disclosure
Microsoft supports dedicated settings pages and recommendations for creating and displaying app settings.
- Settings page vs settings management vs side navigation vs tabs
Microsoft documents dedicated settings pages, entry points, grouping, and recommendations for displaying app settings.
- User-controlled layout vs custom dashboard vs dashboard layout vs saved view vs window splitter
Microsoft settings guidance helps distinguish durable configuration surfaces from in-context layout controls.
Evidence Role
This source is treated as platform-guideline evidence. Its value comes from the specific claims and setting described above.
Publisher: Microsoft Learn. Last checked: .