Radio Group

A Radio Group is a form element that lets users select a single choice from a list of at least two options.

Version 13.1.1

const NetworkRadioGroup = () => {
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
      legend="Choose Network Access Profile"
      helpText="Network Access Profile specifies what networks your SIM's would connect to and how you will be billed."
    >
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="lowest"
        name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
      >
        Select lowest priced networks globally
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="existing"
        name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
      >
        Select existing network access profile
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="new"
        name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
        defaultChecked
      >
        Create new network access profile
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <NetworkRadioGroup />
)

Guidelines

A radio group is used for selecting a single choice from a list of at least two options. The user can only select one radio option at a time.

About Radio Group

Radio groups are used when a user must make a single choice from two or more options. The user can only choose one radio selection at a time.

Radio groups should:

Include at least two or more options.
Allow users to select only one option.
Include at most 6 options. If there's a chance the Radio might later expand to include more than 6 options, use a Select instead.
List options in an order that is contextual.

Best practices

Avoid nesting radio buttons within other radio buttons.
If an option is strongly recommended, add "(Recommended)" to the label. Be sure to add it to the label, not the help text.
Use the same name attribute on all radio buttons in the group. This ensures that if there is more than one group in the form, each one stays associated with its own group
If a radio group is “Optional”, users won't be able to unselect a selected radio. If you need to give users a way to unselect, consider adding a clear button or using another type of form field.

Accessibility

A radio group must have a visible label that is in close proximity to the control.
HTML radio groups don't natively support the required attribute. If a radio must be checked, display a required indicator.
Display error messages in an inline error below the radio group that clearly describes the error.
Radio groups act as a single tab stop. When focused on a radio, use the arrow keys to navigate to the other radios.

Controlled vs. uncontrolled RadioGroup

The radio and radio group components can either be controlled, meaning there is an external state that determines if it is checked, or uncontrolled, meaning the component manages its own state.

To make an uncontrolled radio group, do not pass the value or onChange props. To check the radio by default, use the defaultChecked prop.

const NetworkRadioGroup = () => {
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
      legend="Choose Network Access Profile"
      helpText="Network Access Profile specifies what networks your SIM's would connect to and how you will be billed."
    >
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="lowest"
        name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
      >
        Select lowest priced networks globally
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="existing"
        name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
      >
        Select existing network access profile
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="new"
        name="uncontrolled-radio-group"
        defaultChecked
      >
        Create new network access profile
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <NetworkRadioGroup />
)

To make a controlled radio group, pass the value and onChange props.

const NetworkRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState('lowest');
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="controlled-radio-group"
      legend="Choose Network Access Profile"
      helpText="Network Access Profile specifies what networks your SIM's would connect to and how you will be billed."
      value={value}
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
    >
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="lowest"
        name="controlled-radio-group"
      >
        Select lowest priced networks globally
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="existing"
        name="controlled-radio-group"
      >
        Select existing network access profile
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id={useUID()}
        value="new"
        name="controlled-radio-group"
      >
        Create new network access profile
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <NetworkRadioGroup />
)

Examples

Vertically-stacked Radio Group

The vertically-stacked Radio Group is the easiest for users to scan, in particular if labels are more than 3 words. Use the vertical stack if the list wraps to two lines.

const CampaignRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState();
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="campaign"
      value={value}
      legend="When should your campaign run?"
      helpText="We recommend at least two weeks."
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
    >
      <Radio
        id="ongoing"
        value="ongoing"
        name="campaign"
      >
        Run my ads as ongoing
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="enddate"
        value="enddate"
        name="campaign"
      >
        Set a start and end date
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <CampaignRadioGroup />
)

Pre-selected value

By default, the Radio Group component doesn't apply a pre-selected value.

Apply a pre-selected value only if:

The default value is a safe, secure, and reversible option, and you're willing to collect biased data. Defaulting to a value biases or alters the experience so that your data may be skewed.
The user doesn't need to make an explicit choice for safety, security, or legal reasons.

For additional guidance on whether to use a default selection, check out this article from the Nielsen Norman Group.

If you do apply a pre-selected value, make the first option the default option.

const AccountRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState('accountSid');
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="account"
      value={value}
      legend="How should we identify your account?"
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
    >
      <Radio
        id="accountSid"
        value="accountSid"
        name="account"
      >
        Account SID
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="messageSid"
        value="messageSid"
        name="account"
      >
        Message SID
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <AccountRadioGroup />
)

With Help Text

Use the helpText prop, rather than the Help Text component, to provide information that helps users understand the radio options. Avoid using help text to tell users how to use the component (for example, "Select an option.").

Help text appears after the group label but before the first radio option.

const NetworkRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState('lowest');
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="network"
      value={value}
      legend="Choose Network Access Profile"
      helpText="Network Access Profile specifies what networks your SIM's would connect to and how you will be billed."
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
    >
      <Radio
        id="lowest"
        value="lowest"
        name="network"
      >
        Select lowest priced networks globally
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="existing"
        value="existing"
        name="network"
      >
        Select existing network access profile
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="new"
        value="new"
        name="network"
      >
        Create new network access profile
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <NetworkRadioGroup />
)

Required usage

Use the required dot to denote a required field. The required dot appears before the fieldset legend.

const SslRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState('on');
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="ssl"
      value={value}
      legend="SSL Certificate Validation"
      helpText="Determines if certificate validation is performed on all Twilio originated requests."
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
      required
    >
      <Radio
        id="on"
        value="on"
        name="ssl"
      >
        Validation on
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="off"
        value="off"
        name="ssl"
      >
        Validation off
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <SslRadioGroup />
)

Horizontal alignment

Use horizontal alignment sparingly, as the options are harder to scan. Use labels that are 3 words or less, or less than 20 characters.

Place options next to each other with appropriate spacing. Avoid letting options run onto two lines.

const PaymentMethodRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState('credit');
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="payment"
      value={value}
      legend="Select payment method"
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
      orientation="horizontal"
    >
      <Radio
        id="credit"
        value="credit"
        name="payment"
      >
        Credit Card
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="paypal"
        value="paypal"
        name="payment"
      >
        PayPal
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <PaymentMethodRadioGroup />
)

Internationalization

To internationalize a radio group, pass different text as children to the radios. The only exception to this is the required dot in the legend of a required radio group. To change the required dot's text, use the i18nRequiredLabel prop.

const PaymentMethodRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState('credit');
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="payment"
      value={value}
      legend="Choisissez votre mode de paiement"
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
      required
      i18nRequiredLabel="(requis)"
    >
      <Radio
        id="credit"
        value="credit"
        name="payment"
      >
        Carte de crédit
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="paypal"
        value="paypal"
        name="payment"
      >
        PayPal
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <PaymentMethodRadioGroup />
)

States

Disabled

<>
  <Radio id="option" value="option" name="option" disabled>
    Option 1
  </Radio>
</>

Checked and disabled

<>
  <Radio id="option" value="option" name="option" checked disabled>
    Option 2
  </Radio>
</>

Disabled group

const DisabledRadio = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState('disabled_automation');
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="disabled_exit"
      value={value}
      legend="Exit Criteria"
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
      disabled
    >
      <Radio
        id="disabled_automation"
        value="disabled_automation"
        name="disabled_exit"
      >
        Contact have received all emails in the automation.
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="disabled_entry"
        value="disabled_entry"
        name="disabled_exit"
      >
        Contacts no longer meet entry criteria
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <DisabledRadio />
)

Group error

If the selected items don't pass the group validation requirements, use Help Text to show an inline error message below the group.

For required field errors, consider the following formats depending on the use case:

Situation	Recommended phrasing
When the option being selected is not a noun	Select an option.
When the option to be selected is a noun	Select a [noun in group label].

For additional guidance on how to compose error messages, refer to the error state pattern.

const CriteriaRadioGroup = () => {
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState();
  return (
    <RadioGroup
      name="exit"
      value={value}
      legend="Exit Criteria"
      errorText="Select an exit criteria."
      onChange={newValue => {
        setValue(newValue);
      }}
    >
      <Radio
        id="automation"
        value="automation"
        name="exit"
      >
        Contact have received all emails in the automation.
      </Radio>
      <Radio
        id="entry"
        value="entry"
        name="exit"
      >
        Contacts no longer meet entry criteria
      </Radio>
    </RadioGroup>
  );
};

render(
  <CriteriaRadioGroup />
)

Individual error

<>
  <Radio id="criteria" value="criteria" name="criteria" checked hasError>
    Contacts no longer meet entry criteria
  </Radio>
</>

Composition notes

Start all options with a capital letter.

Avoid using periods with radio option text, even if it's a sentence.

If using Help Text for radio options, include it for each option.

Validation

Validate the group on form submission. Don't validate each item in the group, treat validation on the group as a whole.