Loading state
What the UI shows while it waits for data or an action to finish, such as a spinner or skeleton.
Definition
Network requests take time, so apps need a loading state that tells the user something is happening. Testers check that it appears, that it disappears when done, that the user can't trigger the same action twice, and what happens if loading never finishes.
In practice
On a slow 3G network, the search results screen should show a skeleton list instead of an empty white screen that looks broken.
Learn it in context
Lessons that use this term.
Related terms
- UI stateHow a component looks and behaves in a given situation: default, hover, pressed, focused, disabled, loading, error.
- Empty stateThe screen a user sees when there is no content yet, like an empty cart or no search results.
- Double submitA bug where an action runs twice because the user tapped or clicked twice quickly.