A UX audit is when you go through a website and check whether it's actually easy to use. You're looking at things like: can people find what they need? Is the navigation clear? Do pages load fast enough? Is the site easy to use on a phone? Are calls-to-action obvious? You don't need to be a UX expert to do a basic audit — you just need to use the site like a real person would and note where things feel confusing, slow, or frustrating. This checklist walks you through it step by step.
What a UX Audit Actually Is
A UX audit sounds like something you'd hire a consultant for, but at its core, it's just looking at a website from the user's perspective and asking "does this make sense?" You're not redesigning anything — you're just identifying what's working and what's not.
You can do a basic audit on any website in about 30-60 minutes. Here's how.
First Impressions (The 5-Second Test)
Open the homepage and look at it for five seconds. Then look away. Ask yourself:
- What does this company do? If you can't answer that immediately, the homepage isn't doing its job.
- What should I do next? There should be a clear next step — a button, a link, something obvious.
- Does it look trustworthy? First impressions are mostly about visual quality and professionalism.
Navigation
- Can you find the main pages within one or two clicks?
- Does the navigation make sense? Are labels clear or are they clever-but-confusing?
- Is the mobile menu easy to find and use?
- Can you always tell where you are on the site? Is there a visual indicator for the current page?
- Is there a way to get back to the homepage from every page?
- If the site has a lot of content, is there a search function?
Content and Readability
- Is the text big enough to read without squinting?
- Are paragraphs short and scannable? Walls of text are a red flag.
- Do headings actually describe what follows, or are they vague?
- Is there enough contrast between text and background?
- Are important things emphasized with bold, color, or size?
Calls to Action
- Is it obvious what the site wants you to do? (Sign up, buy, contact, etc.)
- Do buttons look like buttons? Can you tell they're clickable?
- Is the primary CTA easy to find on every page?
- Are there too many competing CTAs? If everything is highlighted, nothing is.
Forms
- Are there only as many fields as absolutely necessary?
- Do fields have clear labels (not just placeholder text that disappears)?
- Are error messages helpful? "Invalid input" doesn't help anyone.
- Does the form show a clear confirmation after submission?
- Is the form easy to fill out on mobile?
Mobile Experience
- Does everything work on a phone? Not just look okay — actually work?
- Are tap targets big enough? Tiny links next to each other are frustrating on mobile.
- Is text readable without zooming?
- Does the layout adapt well, or does it just shrink the desktop version?
- Are images sized appropriately? Giant images on mobile eat data and slow everything down.
Performance
- Does the site load in under 3 seconds? If not, people are leaving.
- Does anything jump around while the page loads? (That's called layout shift and it's super annoying.)
- Are there any pages that feel sluggish or laggy?
Trust and Credibility
- Is there real contact information? Physical address, phone number, email?
- Are there testimonials, reviews, or case studies?
- Does the site use HTTPS?
- Is the design professional, or does it look outdated?
- Are there any broken images or missing content that make it look abandoned?
How to Document What You Find
The worst way to do a UX audit is to write up a long document that says things like "the navigation could be improved on mobile." That doesn't help anyone because it's not specific enough.
The best way is to go through the actual site and mark issues exactly where you find them.
Mark UX issues directly on the site
Paste a URL, click on problem spots, leave notes. You'll have a visual map of every issue when you're done.