A UX audit checklist you can use today.

This checklist is the hands-on companion to our guide what is a UX audit. Work through it on the device most of your customers use, usually a phone, and note every issue you find, however small.

For each problem, write down three things: what happened, where, and how much it might matter. You’ll end up with a prioritised list of fixes rather than a vague feeling that something’s wrong.

It helps to pick one or two key tasks first, such as “book a haircut” or “request a quote”, and test the checklist against those journeys.

• Is it obvious what you do and who it’s for?
• Is it clear where you are or which areas you serve?
• Is the main action visible without scrolling: book, call, order or get a quote?
• Does the page load quickly on a phone with a normal connection?
• Do the photos show your real work, team or premises?
• Is there anything distracting, such as pop-ups, auto-playing video or a huge cookie banner?

• Can you find services, prices and contact details in one or two taps?
• Are menu labels in plain words customers use, not internal jargon?
• Does each main service have its own page?
• Is the mobile menu easy to open, read and close?
• Can visitors always get back to the home page?
• Are there any dead ends: pages with no next step?
• Do all links and buttons work?

• Are prices or “from” prices shown?
• Are headings short and specific?
• Is text broken into short paragraphs and lists?
• Are common questions answered, such as process, timings, areas and policies?
• Is the tone consistent and easy to read?
• Are opening hours, address and phone number the same everywhere, including Google?

• Does the form ask only for what you really need?
• Are labels visible above fields, not only inside them?
• Is the keyboard right for each field on mobile, such as the number pad for phone?
• Are error messages clear and next to the problem?
• Does the person know what happens after they submit?
• Do they get a confirmation, on screen and by email?
• Can they book or enquire without creating an account?

• Are buttons big enough to tap easily?
• Is text readable without zooming?
• Is there enough contrast between text and background?
• Do images have meaningful alt text?
• Can the site be used with a keyboard, with visible focus?
• Does nothing overflow sideways or get cut off on small screens?
• Do videos have captions where they include speech?

• Are reviews or testimonials visible near the main actions?
• Are there real examples of your work?
• Is it clear who is behind the business?
• Are guarantees, policies or accreditations shown where relevant?
• Is there more than one way to get in touch, such as phone, WhatsApp, form or booking?
• Does every page end with a clear next step?
• Do analytics tell you where people drop off?

Once you’ve worked through the list, sort the issues into three groups:

• Quick wins: small changes with a big impact, such as moving the phone number to the top or adding prices.
• Bigger improvements: restructuring pages, rewriting forms, improving speed.
• Things to test: changes you’re unsure about. Watch a few real people try the task before deciding.

Fix the quick wins first, then measure. If enquiries go up, you know you’re on the right track.

A checklist finds a lot, but it’s hard to judge your own site objectively. A professional audit adds fresh eyes, a review against established usability principles, analytics, and user testing where useful. You get a prioritised report and clear recommendations.

My UX audit starts at £295 for a focused review of a website or app, with full audits and audit-plus-fixes options. If you’d rather redesign, see UX/UI design.

You don’t need expensive software to run this checklist. Useful free or built-in tools include:

• Your own phone, on mobile data rather than Wi-Fi.
• Google PageSpeed Insights, for loading speed on mobile.
• Google Search Console, for mobile usability and indexing problems.
• Your analytics, to see which pages people leave from.
• A browser’s zoom and keyboard, to test readability and keyboard use.

Screenshots of every issue make your notes much easier to act on later.

The most valuable audit step is watching someone else use your site. Ask three to five people who match your customers to complete a task, such as booking or requesting a quote, while thinking aloud. Don’t help them; just watch and take notes.

You’ll often see the same problem two or three times. That repeated stumble is usually your most important fix.

Here’s what typical findings look like when written up clearly. These are illustrative examples, not from a specific client:

• Finding: the phone number is only in the footer on mobile. Fix: add a call button to the header.
• Finding: the booking form asks for a full address before showing availability. Fix: show available times first; ask for details last.
• Finding: prices are only in a downloadable PDF. Fix: add a simple price list to each service page.
• Finding: error messages appear at the top of a long form. Fix: show each error next to its field.

Each finding names the problem, where it happens and a specific fix. That makes it easy for anyone to act on.