# Ask or Default
> Don’t ask what you can infer. Default to what most people would choose, as long as it’s safe.

## Situation

Could you answer this question for them?

## Decision

### Use Ask when

There’s no clear majority answer, or the choice has real consequences for money, privacy, or commitment.

- Role or use case
- Plan and pricing choices
- Consent and marketing
- Inferences would often be wrong

### Use Default when

The system already knows the answer, or most people pick the same thing. Show the value and make it easy to change.

- Country, currency, time zone
- Choices made last time
- A safe, common option exists
- Values stay visible and editable

**The numbers:** Default when the system already knows (location, last choice) or when one option covers most people and is safe. Ask when no option covers most people, or when the choice involves money, privacy, or consent. Consent is never pre-checked.

## Why

We know the user’s country from their billing address, so currency is already set and still editable. Roles vary too much to guess, so we ask.

## Edge cases

A common default can still be unsafe: pre-selecting the most expensive plan, or opting people into marketing. Common isn’t the same as safe.

Source: https://www.designdecisions.dev/cards/ask-default
Author: Alex Dovhyi