Definition

What is checkout form load?

Checkout form load is the number of input elements displayed by default in a checkout (the sequence of screens between the cart and the order confirmation), before the customer does anything. It counts fields, checkboxes, drop-down menus and choice buttons. It is this number of decisions asked of the customer, more than the number of steps, that drives abandonment.

How to measure it

The measurement takes one screenshot per checkout step. Count everything that asks the customer for an action when the page displays by default: fields, checkboxes, drop-down menus, choice buttons. A field hidden behind a link does not count until the customer opens it.

Form load therefore counts more than fields alone. The two Baymard Institute measurements Falia cites show it: an average of 11.3 fields in an online order, but 23.48 form elements displayed by default in a US checkout. Its usability testing indicates an optimal checkout can be as short as 12 to 14 elements.

The benchmarks and their scope

The Baymard Institute observes that most sites can reduce the number of fields displayed by default by 20 to 60%, without removing anything the customer needs. It also measures that 17% of online shoppers say they recently abandoned an order solely because of a long or complicated checkout process.

These figures have a precise scope. They come from tests and comparisons that mostly cover American and European sites. They describe retail sites: a B2B checkout with purchase orders and customer accounts works under other constraints.

Reducing the load without losing information

The reduction almost always goes through the same fixes:

first and last name merged into a single field;
the address completed automatically from the postal code;
the second address line hidden behind a link;
the billing address set to match the shipping address by default;
the province inferred rather than asked.

None of these fixes removes a piece of information. They remove actions from the customer.

Where it fits among checkout fixes

In a checkout, form load is not the first thing to fix. Validation errors (the form that empties after an error, the message shown far from the field concerned, the format imposed without saying so) come first: they require no business decision and are fixed in a few days. Form load comes next, with a one-third reduction as a target that is almost always reachable. Fee display and forced account creation follow, because they require commercial decisions.

Measure after each fix, on the number of completed orders. The click-through rate on the payment button is misleading: a fix that screens out over-budget buyers earlier makes it drop while orders go up.

Example

Fictional example: a store counts 24 elements displayed by default in its checkout. It merges first and last name (one element fewer). It infers the city and province from the postal code (two fewer). It hides the second address line behind a link (one fewer). Finally, it replaces the billing address block, which had five elements, with a “same as shipping” box checked by default (four fewer).

The checkout drops to 16 elements, a one-third reduction, without a single piece of information missing to ship the order. The store then compares the number of completed orders over a comparable period.

How we read it

We count checkout form load before talking about an advertising budget. A business that answers an overloaded checkout with more advertising pays twice: the media, then the revenue it still loses at the last step. Counting the elements, measuring step by step and redesigning the templates can be delegated. The trade-off between the information you want to collect and the information you need to deliver stays with you.

We measure abandonment from the moment people enter the checkout, not from the cart. The average abandonment rate of around 70% mixes customers who were going to buy with people who were browsing with no intention to buy. Only the first group can be recovered.

Not to be confused with

Form friction: Form friction is the effort a person perceives when facing a form, the effort that makes them hesitate or give up. Checkout form load is the measurement that makes that effort visible: the number of input elements displayed by default in a checkout.
Number of steps: The number of steps is how the checkout is split into successive screens. A checkout with three light steps completes better than a single overloaded page: it is the load, not the split, that decides.
Cart abandonment: Cart abandonment measures carts that lead to no purchase, whatever the cause, and it includes people who were browsing with no intention to buy. Checkout form load is one measurable cause of abandonment during checkout itself.

Related concepts

Related services

Frequently asked questions

How many elements should my checkout display?

Count the input elements displayed by default, not just the fields: checkboxes, menus and choice buttons count too. The Baymard Institute measures an average of 23.48 elements in a US checkout, while its testing indicates an optimal checkout can be as short as 12 to 14. A one-third reduction is almost always reachable.

Should we move to a one-page checkout?

It is not the number of steps that decides, it is the number of decisions asked. A checkout with three light steps completes better than a single page overloaded with twenty-five fields. Count your input elements before discussing how to split the path.

How long before a reduction shows results?

A reduction in checkout form load is measured over one or two months. Track the number of completed orders, never the click-through rate on the payment button. Measure after each fix rather than at the end, or you will not know which one produced the effect.

← The full glossary