Proper call to action text for button: "Request system alert to be closed" [closed]

Question

I'm working on an application. Sometimes, when performing certain tasks, something fires an "alert" (a message that something went wrong). The app notifies this and also gives the possibility to request this alert to be closed (they are not simple notifications, they need to be examined and then closed)

I need the call-to-action to be short and concise. It cannot say "Close alert" because that implies that the action takes effect instantly, and that's not the case. The user must make a request, and after some processes complete, the alert is effectively closed. When the user makes this request, they will see the alert's status change from "open" to "closing"

These are the options I've been given and none of them sound right to me:

• Request closing
• Closing request
• Close request

English is not my native language and they all sound weird to me. In Spanish, call-to-actions are in infinitive ("Cerrar alerta", "Aceptar", "Cancelar", etc) while in English they seem to be imperative ("Publish", "Try it", etc.)

Thanks for your time.

Answer 1

TL;DR - Use Request closure.

---

You're correct that it should be in the imperative. But you need to be careful, because "request" is both the imperative form of "to request" and a noun (meaning "something that is requested").

Let's look at your suggestions.

Close request

This sounds like "Close" is the verb, in the imperative form, and request is the noun. If I click on a button like this, I would expect a request to be closed.

It could also be interpreted as "close" being an adjective, describing the noun "request", and it would mean "[Create a] Close request". This works for what you want, but I think this interpretation is unlikely. And you should try to avoid ambiguity if possible, and make sure there is only one interpretation.

Closing request

Again "request" here is going to be interpreted as a noun. "Closing" could be a verb, in which case I could imagine seeing this on screen while the computer is doing something, i.e. "The program is currently closing the requests, please wait". This doesn't work for a button.

Alternatively "closing" could be an adjective, meaning "final". You might end a speech saying "My closing request is that you all consider saving water next time you have a shower". This wouldn't make much sense on a button.

Request closing

Interpretation 1 is that "request" is a noun, and "closing" is a verb, and it would mean "The request is currently closing". This would be a message on screen while the computer was doing something. This interpretation makes no sense on a button.

So, we're left with interpreting "request" as a verb, in the imperative form. But the verb needs to act on a noun, and "closing" doesn't work very well here. The "proper" noun version of close is "closure".

So I recommend "Request closure" for your button.

Answer 2

Dismiss is often used in this context:

Dismiss

7. To put off or away, especially from consideration; put aside; reject. - OLD.

Putting something off, casting it away (out of sight etc.) is exactly the kind of meaning you are seeking from your question I would say, because the user can dismiss the message, while it is pending closing proper by the process you mentioned.

Here is an example of the word being used in a similar context to how you mention:

Ionic Framework

After an alert has been dismissed, the app may need to also transition to another page depending on the handler's logic.

So you could use the phrase:

Dismiss alert

Answer 3

While "Request closure" is short, it's not an expression usually encountered on software user interfaces.

It's also quite abstract and it doesn't explain the entire behavior very well: - It doesn't tell users when the closure is supposed to happen. - It doesn't reveal to whom is the request made. - In software, requests are usually understood as fallible. They lack the meaning of a guaranteed action or behavior; they can be denied, rejected or can result in an error.

Instead, you could find the following used more frequently to denote the scenario you are describing:

• Buttons that say "Close when done" or "Close after completion".
• Checkboxes that say "Close the alert when the operation completes" or "Close the alert after completion".

They describe and place the focus on the desired behavior, rather than on the user's action. They offer imperative and explicit instructions as to what the system should do and when.

You can combine these with a simple "Close" button that only appears after the operation is completed and the user has not selected the option to automatically close the alert at that point.

Answer 4

Depending on the types of alerts your system generates "Request resolution" might be a better phrasing of this. It would really depend on if the focus is solving the problem that led to the alert or getting the alert closed.

For example if the alert was "Building is on fire" the system operator would be more concerned with resolving the request (call fire department or put out the fire) than getting the alert closed (turning off the fire alarm) so any variation of "Close Request" may confuse the user as their focus will be the problem itself not closing the request.