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Addresses

Use this pattern when you need to ask users for addresses. This could be their own address or an address of a third party.
Warning

Only ask users for an address if this information is needed to deliver your site or service.

The address lookup needs a suitable back-end service to get addresses in response to a postcode search.

About this pattern

This pattern helps users to provide an address using either:

Make sure you tell your users what to do if they do not have a permanent address. For example, that they:

  • cannot use the site or service without one
  • need to contact you for help
  • can use a forwarding or temporary address

Address lookup

Sample HTML

<fieldset>
    <div class="ds_question">
        <label class="ds_label" for="address-postcode">
            Postcode
        </label>
        <input class="ds_input  ds_input--fixed-10" type="text" name="address-postcode" id="address-postcode" autocomplete="postal-code">
    </div>
    <button class="ds_button  ds_no-margin--top" type="submit">Find address</button>
</fieldset>
<p><button class="ds_link  ds_no-margin">Or type in your full address</button></p>

Sample HTML

<dl class="ds_prefilled-value-list" aria-label="Your current answers">
    <dt class="ds_prefilled-value-list__key">Postcode</dt>
    <dd class="ds_prefilled-value-list__value">
        <div>EH6 6QQ</div>
        <button class="ds_link  ds_prefilled-value-list__value-actions">Change <span class="visually-hidden">your answer for: <q>Postcode</q></span></button>
    </dd>
</dl>
<div class="ds_question">
    <label class="ds_label" for="address">
        Select an address
    </label>
    <div class="ds_select-wrapper">
        <select class="ds_select" name="address" id="address">
            <option value=""></option>
            <option value="address-1">1 Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ</option>
            <option value="address-2">2 Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ</option>
            <option value="address-3">3 Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ</option>
            <option value="address-4">4 Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ</option>
            <option value="address-5">5 Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ</option>
            <option value="address-6">6 Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ</option>
        </select>
        <span class="ds_select-arrow" aria-hidden="true"></span>
    </div>
</div>
<p><button class="ds_link  ds_no-margin">Or type in your full address</button></p>

The address lookup lets users search for a UK address by entering a postcode. When the user searches for a postcode they are shown a dropdown list of addresses in that postcode.

Users can correct or alter a postcode after they have performed a search, and can have the option of entering an address manually.

When using an address lookup you should:

  • make it clear that it will only work for the country or area where you offer your service, for example UK-only addresses
  • let users enter postcodes in upper or lower case, and with or without spaces

Unsuccessful searches

An error message should show when:

  • an incorrect or invalid postcode is entered
  • the user submits the address lookup with an empty postcode

Sample HTML

<fieldset>
    <div class="ds_question  ds_question--error">
        <label class="ds_label" for="address-postcode">
            Postcode
        </label>
        <p class="ds_question__error-message" id="postcode-error">Please enter a valid postcode</p>
        <input class="ds_input  ds_input--fixed-10  ds_input--error" type="text" name="address-postcode" id="address-postcode" aria-describedby="postcode-error" autocomplete="postal-code" value="Not a postcode">
    </div>
    <button class="ds_button  ds_no-margin--top" type="submit">Find address</button>
</fieldset>
<p><button class="ds_link  ds_no-margin">Or type in your full address</button></p>

When no matching addresses are found, you should explain what has happened and help the user understand what to do next.

Manual address entry

Sample HTML

<p><button class="ds_link  ds_no-margin">Return to postcode lookup</button></p>
<fieldset>
    <legend>Tell us your full address</legend>
    <div class="ds_question">
        <label class="ds_label" for="address-line-1">
            Building and street <span class="visually-hidden">line 1 of 2</span>
        </label>
        <input class="ds_input" type="text" name="address-line-1" id="address-line-1" autocomplete="address-line1">
    </div>
    <div class="ds_question">
        <label class="ds_label  visually-hidden" for="address-line-2">
            Building and street line 2 of 2
        </label>
        <input class="ds_input" type="text" name="address-line-2" id="address-line-2" autocomplete="address-line2">
    </div>
    <div class="ds_question">
        <label class="ds_label" for="address-city">
            City or town
        </label>
        <input class="ds_input" type="text" name="address-city" id="address-city" autocomplete="address-level2">
    </div>
    <div class="ds_question">
        <label class="ds_label" for="address-county">
            County
        </label>
        <input class="ds_input" type="text" name="address-county" id="address-county">
    </div>
    <div class="ds_question">
        <label class="ds_label" for="address-postcode">
            Postcode
        </label>
        <input class="ds_input  ds_input--fixed-10" type="text" name="address-postcode" id="address-postcode" autocomplete="postal-code">
    </div>
</fieldset>

Website analytics

To understand user behaviour, you can track:

Use the Design System’s ‘tracking’ script to add the data attributes automatically.

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