User story & summary:
as a logged-out editor from an IP address that has hit the temp account creation rate limit, i want to be prompted to create a regular account or log in before i invest time editing so that i can successfully publish my changes without losing my work.
Background & research:
when this limit is hit, users cannot publish their edits via temp accounts, which creates a dead-end if we don't intervene early.
right now, the system allows users to edit, which means they may invest significant time making changes only to discover at publish time that they cannot proceed without creating a regular account. this creates frustration at a critical conversion moment.
additionally, the current implementation shows competing messages simultaneously (rate limit warnings alongside BLP notices and other article-specific communications), which creates visual clutter and makes it difficult for users to understand what action they need to take.
Design:
we suggest to introduce a modal that appears when the rate limit is hit, so that we can:
- create a stronger separation of concerns between user-relevant authentication information and article-relevant notices
- prevent users from investing time in edits they cannot publish
- provide a clear path forward (create account or log in) at the moment when it's most actionable
- reduce frustration by setting expectations upfront
Acceptance Criteria:
Given a logged-out user from an IP address that has already created 6 temp accounts in the past 24 hours
When they click edit on an article
Then the system checks whether their IP has hit the temp account creation rate limit before loading the editor
Given a user has dismissed or bypassed the initial rate limit modal (if we implement the "show twice" approach)
When they attempt to publish their edit
Then the modal appears again before the publish dialog, preventing them from proceeding without creating an account or logging in
Open questions:
- Should we should the modal once or twice?
- Should we disclose additional information inside as an accordion or styled as caption and visible at all times?
