Web standards checklist

By legacy · 44 items · v1 · 0 revisions · 1 view

The term web standards can mean different things to different people. For some, it is 'table-free sites', for others it is 'using valid code'. However, web standards are much broader than that. A site built to web standards should adhere to standards (HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, XSLT, DOM, MathML, SVG etc) and pursue best practices (valid code, accessible code, semantically correct code, user-friendly URLs etc).

Quality of code

Does the site use a correct Doctype?

Does the site use a Character set?

Does the site use a Valid (X)HTML?

Does the site use Valid CSS?

Does the site use any CSS hacks?

Does the site use unnecessary classes or id's?

Is the code well structured?

Does the site have any broken links?

How does the site perfom in terms of speed/page size?

Does the site have Javascript errors?

Degree of separation between content and presentation

Does the site use CSS for all presentation aspects?

Are all decorative images in the CSS, or do they appear in the (X)HTML?

Accessibility for users

Are "alt" attributes used for all descriptive images?

Does the site use relative units rather than absolute units for text size?

Do any aspects of the layour break if font size is increased?

Does the site use visible skip menus?

Does the site use accessible forms?

Does the site use accessible tables?

Is there sufficient colour brightness/contrasts?

Is colour alone used for critical information?

Is there delayed responsiveness for dropdown menus?

Are all links descriptive?

Accessibility for devices

Does the site work acceptably across modern and older browsers?

Is the content accessible with CSS switched off or not supported?

Is the content accessible with images switched off or not supported?

Does the site work in text browsers such as Lynx?

Does the site work well when printed?

Does the site work well in Hand Held devices?

Does the site include detailed metadata?

Does the site work well in a range of browser window sizes?

Basic usability

Is there a clear visual hierarchy?

Are heading levels easy to distinguish?

Is the site's navigation easy to understand?

Is the site's navigation consistent?

Does the site use consistent and appropriate language?

Does the site have a sitemap page and contact page? Are they easy to find?

For large sites, is there a search tool?

Is there a link to the home page on every page in the site?

Are links underlined?

Are visited links clearly defined?

Site management

Does the site have a meaningful and helpful 404 error page that works from any depth in the site?

Does the site use friendly URL's?

Do your URL's work without "www"?

Does the site have a favicon?