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Statecraft

All patterns

  • Bulk Actions

    Let users perform one action across many records safely, with clear scope, eligibility and recovery.

    Data

  • Advanced Filters

    Help users narrow large datasets with filters they can see, edit, share and recover from.

    Data

  • Autosave

    Save changes continuously without a Save button, while keeping users certain their work is safe.

    Forms

  • Approval Workflow

    Route a request through one or more reviewers with clear status, accountability and an auditable history.

    Workflow

  • AI Response

    Present generated answers with streaming, sources, control and recovery, so users can trust and verify them.

    AI

  • File Upload

    Let users add files with visible progress, early validation and recovery that never loses what already uploaded.

    Files

  • Command Palette

    Give users one keyboard-first entry point to jump anywhere and run any action without hunting through menus.

    Navigation

  • Subscription Management

    Let customers upgrade, downgrade, change billing cycles and cancel with exact prices, dates and consequences shown before they confirm.

    Payments

  • Refunds

    Let support staff or customers return money with the exact amount, destination, timing and consequences stated before it's irreversible.

    Payments

  • Checkout

    Take a customer from plan choice to paid with the fewest fields, a total that never surprises, and errors that keep what they typed.

    Payments

  • Failed Payment Recovery

    Recover failed renewals with timely, specific prompts and a grace period, before customers lose access they still want.

    Payments

  • Usage & Limits

    Show customers how much of their plan they've used and handle the moment they hit a limit without breaking their work.

    Payments

  • App Sidebar

    Organise a product's main navigation so users always know where they are, reach frequent places in one click, and keep their place on small screens.

    Navigation

  • Tabs

    Split one object's content into peer views that users switch between without losing their place, state or URL.

    Navigation

  • Breadcrumbs & Back

    Show users where they are in a hierarchy and get them back to exactly where they came from — filters, scroll and all.

    Navigation

  • File Preview

    Let users look inside a file without downloading it, with a predictable fallback for every type the product can't render.

    Files

  • Attachments

    Attach files to records and comments with clear ownership, visibility and deletion rules that match the record they belong to.

    Files

  • CSV Import

    Bring spreadsheet data into the product with column mapping, row-level validation and a preview, so nothing is imported by surprise.

    Files

  • Confirmation

    Ask for confirmation only when an action is hard to undo, and make the dialog state exactly what will happen.

    Workflow

  • Partial Failure

    Report operations where some items succeed and some fail, so users know exactly what happened and what to do about the rest.

    Workflow

  • Permissions

    Show people what they can do, explain what they can't, and give them a way forward instead of a dead end.

    Workflow

  • Notifications

    Tell people about things that need them, in the right channel and at the right volume, without burying what matters.

    Workflow

  • Activity History

    Show who changed what and when on a record, in a timeline people can scan, filter and trust.

    Data

  • Empty States

    Design what users see when there's nothing to show, so every empty screen explains why and offers the next useful step.

    Data

  • Version History

    Let users see earlier versions of a document or record, compare them, and restore safely without losing current work.

    Forms

  • Human Review

    Put a person between AI output and real-world consequences, with review that's fast for good output and careful for risky output.

    AI

  • Feedback

    Collect quick, specific feedback on AI output that users actually give, and that the team can actually use.

    AI

  • Inline Validation

    Tell users about input problems at the right moment — not while they're still typing, and not only after they submit.

    Forms

  • Unsaved Changes

    Protect work in forms that save explicitly, warning only when something would actually be lost.

    Forms

  • Offline Mode

    Keep users working when the connection drops, with an honest view of what's synced, what's pending and what can't be done offline.

    Forms

  • Search

    Help users find records by what they remember — a name, a number, a phrase — with results that explain why they matched.

    Data

  • Pagination

    Split long lists into pages or progressive loads in a way that keeps position, counts and selection predictable.

    Data

  • Saved Views

    Let users save a combination of filters, sorting and columns as a named view they and their team can return to.

    Data

  • Comments

    Let people discuss work where it happens — on the record or the exact part of it — with mentions, threads and resolution.

    Workflow

  • Error Recovery

    When something fails, say what happened in plain language, protect the user's work, and offer the most useful next step.

    Workflow

  • Keyboard Shortcuts

    Give frequent users fast keyboard paths that are discoverable, consistent and never get in the way of typing.

    Navigation

  • Prompt Input

    Design the box where users ask AI for things — with context, attachments and controls visible — so prompts start strong and never get lost.

    AI

  • AI Suggestions

    Offer AI-generated values, completions and next steps inline, so users accept good ones in one action and ignore the rest at no cost.

    AI

  • Agent Progress

    Show what an AI agent is doing during long, multi-step tasks — steps, tool use and decisions — so users can follow, steer and stop it.

    AI

  • AI Onboarding

    Introduce an AI feature by showing what it can do with the user's own data, setting honest expectations about limits and privacy.

    AI

  • Export

    Let users take their data out in the format they need, with a clear scope and no surprises about what's included.

    Files

  • Sharing & Links

    Let people share files and records with teammates or outsiders, with access levels and link scope that are impossible to misread.

    Files

  • Storage Limits

    Show how much storage is used and by what, and handle a full quota without blocking work or deleting anything.

    Files
Payments Pro

Failed Payment Recovery

Recover failed renewals with timely, specific prompts and a grace period, before customers lose access they still want.

7 states6 edge casesDesktop + Mobile

Unlock implementation prompt

01The problem

A large share of SaaS churn is involuntary: cards expire, banks decline renewals, limits are hit. The customer still wants the product, but nobody tells them clearly, or the person who sees the warning isn't the person who can fix it. Access is cut, data appears gone, and a recoverable payment becomes a lost customer.

02When to use

Use when

  • Any recurring subscription billed by card
  • Products where the user and the billing owner are different people
  • Usage-based plans that charge at the end of a period

Avoid when

  • Invoiced customers paying by bank transfer — use invoice reminders with due dates instead.
  • Prepaid credit products with no recurring charge.

03Recommended UX

Statecraft recommendation

When a renewal fails, keep full access through a defined grace period, show a persistent in-app banner only to people who can fix billing, and give them a one-step card update that retries the payment immediately.

04Desktop behaviour

On desktop the alert is a slim, persistent banner across the top of the app for billing admins, linking straight to the card update.

Desktop rules

  • Banner states the problem, the deadline and the fix: “Payment failed. Update your card by 14 Nov to keep Pro.”
  • Banner is dismissible for the session only; it returns on the next visit until resolved.
  • Members without billing rights see a quieter notice naming who can fix it.
  • Escalate tone as the deadline approaches — neutral, then warning, then danger in the last 3 days.
Admins see the reason, deadline and one-step fix. Members see who can fix it — not a payment form.

05Mobile behaviour

Most customers act on the failure email, often on their phone. The link must land on a page where the fix takes under a minute.

Mobile rules

4 mobile rules are included in Pro.

The email link lands on a page with one job: update the card and retry the payment immediately.

Statecraft Pro

Unlock the full pattern

Get the complete interaction flow, states, edge cases, mobile rules and implementation prompt.

  • Interaction flow · 6 steps
  • 4 mobile rules
  • 7 states
  • 6 edge cases with recommendations
  • 5 microcopy comparisons
  • Accessibility notes
  • Developer notes
  • Claude Code / Codex implementation prompt
Get Statecraft Pro · $9Compare plans

Edge cases covered in this pattern

  • Viewer isn't the billing owner
  • Card updated, retry fails again
  • Bank requires authentication
  • Grace period ends
  • Paying after suspension
  • Multiple failed invoices