First Click Testing

First click testing is a UX research method that evaluates the intuitiveness of a design by recording where users click first when trying to complete a specific task. It is based on the insight that users who click correctly on their first attempt are significantly more likely to complete the task successfully.

Participants are shown a static image or clickable prototype of a screen and given a task prompt, for example, "Where would you click to contact support?" Their first click is recorded, along with the time taken to make it. Researchers analyze the distribution of first clicks to determine whether users are navigating toward the intended target or clicking elsewhere.

First click testing is fast, inexpensive, and highly predictive. Research has shown that users who get their first click right complete tasks at a much higher rate than those who do not. This makes it an efficient early-stage diagnostic, a quick way to identify navigation and labeling problems before investing in full usability testing

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