Delete & Destructive Actions Checklist

Actual Confirmation UI Example

Medium-Risk Delete Modal

Delete Project?

This will permanently remove Marketing Q1 and all 14 tasks inside it. This action cannot be undone.

Type project name to confirm

Risk Levels

Risk Level	Examples	Confirmation Type
Low	Archive a project, remove a tag	Simple confirm modal
Medium	Delete a recoverable record, remove a member	Named confirm modal
High	Delete account, delete all data, cancel subscription	Type-to-confirm modal

Confirmation Dialog Standards

Use a modal dialog — never browser alert() or confirm()
Title states the exact action, not just “Are you sure?”
Body names the specific item and consequence
Destructive button is red and clearly labeled
Cancel is the safe default option
Loading state prevents double-delete

Low / Medium / High Risk Rules

Low risk explains reversibility clearly
Medium risk names the record being deleted
High risk requires typed confirmation before enabling the delete button
When in doubt, choose the higher confirmation level

Soft Delete vs Hard Delete

Use soft delete when recovery is expected
Use hard delete only when the business rule truly requires permanent removal
UI text makes reversibility explicit

Bulk Delete

Dialog shows record count and what will be affected
High-volume or irreversible bulk delete requires type-to-confirm
Errors stay visible inside the dialog if deletion fails

After Deletion

Dialog closes only after success
Success toast or inline confirmation shown
List refreshes or user redirects intentionally
Failed deletion preserves the dialog and allows retry