The Web Quality Assurance Checklist

240 rules to improve your sites and take better care of your users - Version 4 - 2020-2025

#webquality #accessibility #security #performance #privacy #Ecodesign

n°1
The site provides a way for users to find out about new content and services.

#Mobile #Content #Editorial

n°2
Information about copyrights and reuse rights is available from every page.

#Content #Editorial

n°3
Each page’s source code contains metadata that describes the content.

#SEO #Content #Editorial

n°4
Dates are presented in an explicit format.

#Content #Editorial

n°5
The first occurrence of an abbreviation or an acronym in the body of any page gives access to an explanation of its meaning.

#Accessibility #Content #Editorial

n°6
The publication date of the contents is indicated when needed.

#Content #Design

n°7
A lexicon or a glossary adapted to the target audience explains the industry-specific or technical vocabulary used.

#SEO #Content #Editorial

n°8
Advertisements and sponsored content are identified as such.

#Content #Editorial

n°9
The conditions for moderation of public spaces are indicated.

#Content #Editorial

n°10
Content and files intended for public spaces can be checked before upload.

#Content #Development

n°11
Public spaces offer at least one way to report abuse.

#Content #Design

n°12
Each graph is accompanied by its numerical data.

#SEO #Content #Editorial

n°13
The search result page indicates the number of results, the number of pages of results, and the number of results per page.

#Content #Development

n°14
The privacy and confidentiality policy is available from any page.

#Privacy #Personal data #Editorial

n°15
The process of accessing and modifying personal data is described.

#Privacy #Personal data #Editorial

n°16
Account creation is possible without the need to use a third-party identification system.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°17
Account creation is subject to a confirmation process.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°18
The site offers a mechanism to prevent account or identity theft.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°19
Accounts and subscriptions opened online can be closed online by the same method.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°20
If the site offers a personal or subscriber space, it is possible to download personal content.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°21
Connection to all the services offered is possible with the same identifiers.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°22
It is possible to log out from private areas.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°23
The website accepts email aliases containing the + sign.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°24
The headers sent by the server specify the communication policy of the referrers.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°25
External links that open in a new window don't share contextual information.

#Privacy #Personal data #Development

n°26
Exchanges of sensitive data are securely transmitted and reported as such.

#Personal data #Editorial

n°27
Sensitive data is not transmitted unencrypted through URLs.

#Personal data #Development

n°28
The purpose of using cookies, as well as the limitations inherent in refusing them, are explained.

#Privacy #Personal data #Editorial

n°29
A product or service can be purchased without creating an account.

#Privacy #E-Commerce #Development

n°30
The details of each item can be viewed from the shopping cart.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°31
No additional products or services are added to the shopping cart without being user triggered.

#E-Commerce #Design

n°32
Registration for ancillary services is not enabled by default.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°33
Product availability is indicated before final validation of the order.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°34
The estimated delivery time is indicated before the final validation of the order.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°35
The estimated delivery costs are indicated before the final validation of the order.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°36
The method for retrieving a dematerialised or digital product is specified before placing the order.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°37
Users can still modify each item’s quantity, and add or delete one or more items, before the final validation of the order.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°38
The nature and quantifiable characteristics of products and services are indicated.

#SEO #E-Commerce #Editorial

n°39
The period of validity and conditions of special offers and promotions are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°40
The detailed sub-total is indicated before final validation of the order.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°41
The conditions of financing are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°42
The operating conditions of the after-sales service are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°43
Debit and payment conditions are indicated before final order placement.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°44
Warranty conditions are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°45
The terms of sale or use are available from all pages.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°46
The information relating to the delivery zones of the products or the realization of the services are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°47
The means of payment accepted, and the corresponding procedures are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°48
The identity of third parties involved in transactions is specified.

#Privacy #E-Commerce #Editorial

n°49
The recourse in cases of dispute are indicated in the general terms and conditions of sale or of use.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°50
The address and the terms and conditions for returns are indicated before the final validation of the return order.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°51
The cost of the return is indicated before the final validation of the return order.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°52
The mode of filing and the procedure for handling complaints are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°53
The conditions for reimbursement are indicated.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°54
The hardware and software necessary for the operation of the service are indicated before final validation of the order.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°55
The displayed prices show the applied taxes and any additional charges, as well as tax-exclusive prices.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°56
Different shipping and billing addresses can be specified.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°57
The website accepts at least two methods of payment.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°58
Personal banking information is only stored after the explicit consent of the user.

#Privacy #E-Commerce #Development

n°59
The personal banking information stored by the site can be modified or deleted at any time.

#Privacy #E-Commerce #Development

n°60
The transaction’s reference number is displayed to the customer, once the order has been placed.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°61
The invoices issued are also available online

#E-Commerce #Development

n°62
Each invoice is subject to a confirmation email.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°63
Any mention of an affiliation with a professional association, or endorsement by a label or an award, features a link to the source.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°64
Unavailable products are differentiated by visual and textual means.

#E-Commerce #Editorial

n°65
An email providing the transaction’s reference number and the order details is sent after order placement.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°66
Each complaint shall be issued with an acknowledgment of receipt.

#E-Commerce #Development

n°67
Each Form Field has its own Label associated with it in the Source Code.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°68
Information supplementing a field’s label is associated with that field in the source code.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°69
Each form field’s label indicates whether or not it is a required field.

#Privacy #Forms #Development

n°70
Each form field’s label indicates the required data format, where applicable.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°71
The user is warned whenever a field is case-sensitive.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°72
The label of each form field indicates the maximum number of characters allowed, where applicable.

#Forms #Development

n°73
The creation of a password by the user is subject to a mechanism for the prevention of input errors.

#Forms #Development

n°74
The characters entered in a password field can be displayed in an un-encrypted text.

#Forms #Development

n°75
Each form label is visually associated to the field that it describes.

#Accessibility #Forms #Design

n°76
The contextual information relating to a form field has a close visual-proximity to it.

#Accessibility #Forms #Design

n°77
If any data entered in the form are rejected, the fields containing the rejected data are indicated for the user.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°78
If any data entered in the form are rejected, the reason(s) why are indicated to the user.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°79
If any data entered in the form are rejected, all the data entered can be modified by the user.

#Forms #Development

n°80
Custom error messages are expressed in the language of the form.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°81
For forms divided over several pages, an overall summary is displayed before the final version is submitted.

#Forms #Development

n°82
The page displayed after the form’s submission allows the user to return to their navigation directly.

#Forms #Development

n°83
Form submission is followed by a message indicating whether or not the action was successful.

#Forms #Development

n°84
The user is alerted at the beginning of a complex process to the nature of the required data and documents

#Accessibility #Forms #Design

n°85
Complex processes are accompanied by a list of their steps.

#Forms #Design

n°86
The current step in a complex process is indicated.

#Forms #Design

n°87
Each step in a complex process allows the user to go back to the previous step.

#Forms #Development

n°88
The user is warned when they will lose information if they go back using their browser’s history during a complex process.

#Forms #Development

n°89
Navigating through a complex process does not cause any previously-submitted data to be lost.

#Forms #Development

n°90
Copy-and-paste is possible in the form’s fields.

#Forms #Development

n°91
The items in a drop-down list are grouped together appropriately, where applicable.

#Accessibility #Forms #Editorial

n°92
The lists of form options are presented in an identifiable order.

#Accessibility #Forms #Development

n°93
Email, URL, telephone number, search, password, and date and time input fields are assigned an appropriate input type.

#Mobile #Forms #Development

n°94
The homepage explains the nature of the content and services offered.

#SEO #Identification and contact #Editorial

n°95
If the site is reserved or intended for a specific audience, that audience is mentioned, at least on the homepage.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°96
The identity of the author, the company or the organization is indicated.

#SEO #Identification and contact #Editorial

n°97
Each page provides a title that enables one to identify the site

#SEO #Identification and contact #Editorial

n°98
Each page provides a title that enables one to identify its content

#SEO #Identification and contact #Editorial

n°99
The source code of the pages contains a valid call to a favourite icon (“favicon”)

#Identification and contact #Development

n°100
The complete address and telephone number of companies and organizations are available from all pages of the site.

#SEO #Identification and contact #Editorial

n°101
The registration number issued to companies or organizations under the legal registration procedures in force in their country is indicated.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°102
The site provides at least two means of contact.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°103
Response times for information requests are indicated.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°104
The operating hours and prices for the services made available to users are indicated.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°105
Each request for information is followed by an acknowledgement receipt.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°106
All emails provide at least one means of contact

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°107
The site provides at least one means of contacting the person in charge of complaints.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°108
The site provides at least one means of contacting the moderator of public spaces.

#Privacy #Identification and contact #Editorial

n°109
The identity of the person or department responsible for the content is indicated.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°110
If the site claims to adhere to one or more standards or guidelines, a link is provided to each of them.

#Identification and contact #Editorial

n°111
Each decorative image has an appropriate text alternative.

#SEO #Images and media #Editorial

n°112
Each image link has an appropriate text alternative.

#SEO #Images and media #Editorial

n°113
Each information-carrying image has an appropriate text alternative.

#SEO #Images and media #Editorial

n°114
Thumbnails and previews are not larger images resized on the client side.

#Ecodesign #Images and media #Development

n°115
Included objects have an appropriate text alternative.

#SEO #Images and media #Editorial

n°116
Each audio and video content is accompanied by a text transcription.

#SEO #Images and media #Editorial

n°117
Videos have synchronized subtitles.

#Accessibility #Images and media #Editorial

n°118
The length of video and audio content is indicated.

#Accessibility #Images and media #Development

n°119
Videos are user-triggered.

#Accessibility #Images and media #Development

n°120
Sounds are user-triggered.

#Accessibility #Images and media #Development

n°121
Video content and animations, sounds and flashes can be paused.

#Accessibility #Images and media #Development

n°122
The running of video or any animation does not block access to navigation or content.

#Images and media #Development

n°123
The international dialling codes are available for all phone numbers.

#Internationalization #Editorial

n°124
The country is specified for all mailing addresses.

#Internationalization #Editorial

n°125
Each page’s source code indicates the content’s main language.

#SEO #Internationalization #Development

n°126
The main language of a link’s target page can be identified when it differs from the main language of the original page.

#Internationalization #Editorial

n°127
Each language change is identified.

#Accessibility #Internationalization #Editorial

n°128
Links to translated versions point directly to the current page’s translation.

#Internationalization #Editorial

n°129
Links to equivalent versions of a page or site are written in the target language.

#Internationalization #Editorial

n°130
The server respects the preferential order of languages specified by user agents.

#Internationalization #Development

n°131
Each link has a title in the source code.

#Accessibility #Links #Development

n°132
Each hyperlink’s label describes either its function or the nature of the content of its target.

#SEO #Links #Editorial

n°133
Hyperlinks of the same nature have identical colors, shapes and behaviors on all pages.

#Links #Design

n°134
Underlining cannot be used for elements other than hyperlinks.

#Links #Editorial

n°135
Hyperlinks are visually differentiated from the rest of the content.

#Accessibility #Links #Design

n°136
The site applies a different style to visited and unvisited links.

#Links #Development

n°137
Internal and external hyperlinks are differentiated.

#Links #Development

n°138
Internal links to restricted content are differentiated.

#Links #Development

n°139
Links which cause external software to open have an explicit label.

#Accessibility #Links #Editorial

n°140
Telephone numbers can be enabled using the appropriate protocol.

#Mobile #Links #Development

n°141
The user is notified when new windows are to be opened.

#Accessibility #Links #Editorial

n°142
The format of the files available for download is indicated.

#Accessibility #Links #Development

n°143
The size of the internal files available for downloading is indicated.

#Accessibility #Links #Editorial

n°144
The language of downloadable files is mentioned when it differs from the original page.

#Accessibility #Links #Editorial

n°145
Internal names for downloadable files make it possible to identify their content and origin.

#Links #Editorial

n°146
The website does not prohibit or restrict incoming.

#SEO #Links #Editorial

n°147
All hyperlinks internal to the site are valid.

#SEO #Links #Editorial

n°148
If the site is not restricted to a specific public, its content can be accessed directly.

#SEO #Navigation #Editorial

n°149
Navigating the website does not open any pop-up windows.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Design

n°150
It is possible to return to the homepage from any page.

#Navigation #Design

n°151
Each page displays information about its location in the site’s tree structure.

#Navigation #Design

n°152
Active menu items are identifiable.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Development

n°153
Navigation blocks of the same nature are in the same place on every page.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Design

n°154
Navigation icons are provided with an explicit legend.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Design

n°155
Mechanisms for closing windows are visually linked to their content.

#Navigation #Design

n°156
Mechanisms for closing windows are immediately available.

#Navigation #Development

n°157
Newly dimensioned windows and modal windows are equipped with an explicit close button.

#Navigation #Development

n°158
Mechanisms for closing windows are shown in the same location on every page.

#Navigation #Design

n°159
Each page contains quick-access links placed at the beginning of the source code.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Development

n°160
Keyboard focus has not been removed or masked.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Development

n°161
The website can be used and navigated in its entirety using only a keyboard.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Development

n°162
Keyboard navigation is set up in a predictable order.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Development

n°163
The site offers an internal search engine.

#Ecodesign #Navigation #Design

n°164
Each search results page can be reached via a web address.

#Ecodesign #Navigation #Development

n°165
It is possible to relaunch a search from its results page.

#Navigation #Development

n°166
The sitemap is available from every page.

#SEO #Navigation #Design

n°167
The time limits imposed on an action or access are indicated.

#Navigation #Development

n°168
Subscribing to newsletters is subject to a confirmation process.

#Privacy #Newsletter #Editorial

n°169
An unsubscribe link is provided in each newsletter.

#Privacy #Newsletter #Development

n°170
Unsubscribing from within the newsletter does not require email confirmation.

#Ecodesign #Newsletter #Development

n°171
It is possible to unsubscribe from newsletters from the website.

#Privacy #Newsletter #Development

n°172
The latest edition of the newsletter is available online.

#Newsletter #Design

n°173
Newsletter archives are available online.

#SEO #Newsletter #Development

n°174
The newsletters’ frequency can be found before subscribing.

#Newsletter #Design

n°175
The graphic charter is consistent throughout the site.

#Presentation #Design

n°176
Information is not conveyed by color alone.

#Accessibility #Presentation #Design

n°177
Content is presented with sufficient contrast to its background.

#Accessibility #Presentation #Design

n°178
The content and meaning of each page are not altered when styles are disabled.

#Accessibility #Presentation #Development

n°179
Content is not only designated by its shape or its position on the screen.

#Accessibility #Presentation #Editorial

n°180
Content that needs to be reproduced by screen readers is not hidden from them.

#Accessibility #Presentation #Development

n°181
The size of the clickable elements is sufficient.

#Mobile #Presentation #Design

n°182
Texts that can be formatted via styles are not replaced by images.

#SEO #Presentation #Editorial

n°183
Content generated via styles is provided with a suitable alternative.

#SEO #Presentation #Development

n°184
Typographic symbols have an appropriate alternative.

#SEO #Presentation #Development

n°185
A generic font family is listed as the last alternative in font family lists.

#Presentation #Development

n°186
Styles do not justify the text.

#Accessibility #Presentation #Development

n°187
Capitalization for decorative purposes is done using styles.

#Presentation #Editorial

n°188
The website does not block the browser’s zoom functionalities.

#Mobile #Presentation #Development

n°189
The website offers one or more mechanisms for adapting to mobile devices.

#Mobile #Presentation #Development

n°190
The site offers styles dedicated to printing.

#Presentation #Development

n°191
The content of each page can be printed without printing the navigation blocks.

#Ecodesign #Presentation #Development

n°192
All pages use the HTTPS protocol.

#Security #Development

n°193
Security certificates are signed and currently valid

#Security #Development

n°194
Pages using HTTPS have a strict transport header.

#Security #Development

n°195
Pages using the HTTPS protocol do not offer HTTP resources.

#Security #Development

n°196
Password operations can be carried out in their entirety online.

#Security #Development

n°197
Passwords can be chosen and changed by the user

#Security #Development

n°198
A mechanism raises the user's awareness regarding their password's level of security

#Security #Development

n°199
The site provides a way to reinitialise a password.

#Security #Development

n°200
The site doesn't communicate a password by email.

#Security #Development

n°201
The headers sent by the server disable automatic detection of each resource’s MIME type.

#Security #Development

n°202
The server indicates each resource’s MIME type.

#Security #Development

n°203
Information relative to transaction security is indicated.

#Security #Editorial

n°204
The server does not send the file listing of directories with no index page.

#Security #Development

n°205
The server sends activation information for protection against cross-site scripting.

#Security #Development

n°206
The server sends information that indicates which domains are allowed to embed its pages in frames

#Security #Development

n°207
The website offers a security mechanism that limits the sources of its content.

#Security #Development

n°208
The server doesn't communicate information on the software and languages used.

#Security #Development

n°209
Integrity control of third party resources is present and valid.

#Security #Development

n°210
The website offers at least two mechanisms to validate a secure operation.

#Security #Development

n°211
The address of the website and of its subdomains works with and without a www prefix.

#Ecodesign #Server and performances #Development

n°212
The website’s root contains instructions for web crawlers.

#SEO #Server and performances #Development

n°213
The website provides a sitemap file listing the content to be crawled.

#SEO #Server and performances #Editorial

n°214
The server does not force redirects from the desktop version to the mobile version or application.

#Mobile #Server and performances #Development

n°215
The server sends a 404 HTTP error code for resources not found

#SEO #Server and performances #Development

n°216
The server sends a customised 404 Not found error page

#Server and performances #Development

n°217
The server sends a customised 403 “Forbidden” error page.

#Server and performances #Development

n°218
The main navigation menu is displayed on custom error pages.

#Server and performances #Development

n°219
The server transmits compressed contents to the clients which accept them.

#Ecodesign #Server and performances #Development

n°220
The server sends information to enable the caching of contents

#Server and performances #Development

n°221
Headers sent by the server contain information pertaining to the character set used

#SEO #Server and performances #Development

n°222
Style sheets of the site are minified.

#Ecodesign #Server and performances #Development

n°223
Scripts of the site are minified.

#Ecodesign #Server and performances #Development

n°224
The date of publication or update of the contents is made available in a programmatic form.

#SEO #Structure and code #Development

n°225
Each page’s source code contains metadata which defines the character set used.

#SEO #Structure and code #Development

n°226
The character encoding is UTF-8.

#Structure and code #Development

n°227
Each page’s content is organized according to a hierarchical structure of headings and sub-headings.

#SEO #Structure and code #Editorial

n°228
Elements that are visually displayed as lists are tagged in an appropriate way in the source code.

#Accessibility #Structure and code #Editorial

n°229
Each HTML ID is only used once per page.

#Accessibility #Structure and code #Development

n°230
The website does not block the copying of content.

#Structure and code #Development

n°231
The website does not block access to the contextual menu.

#Structure and code #Development

n°232
The site does not force any redirects or auto-refreshes on the client side.

#Accessibility #Structure and code #Development

n°233
The text of internal PDF documents can be selected.

#SEO #Structure and code #Editorial

n°234
Internal PDF documents are given a structure based on titles.

#SEO #Structure and code #Editorial

n°235
Syndication feeds can be detected by user agents

#Structure and code #Development

n°236
Cells in data tables are linked to their headers

#Accessibility #Structure and code #Editorial

n°237
Captions for data tables are provided

#Accessibility #Structure and code #Editorial

n°238
Linearising tables used for layout does not impede the understanding of contents

#Accessibility #Structure and code #Development

n°239
Data tables are not replaced by images.

#SEO #Structure and code #Editorial

n°240
Data tables are not simulated through styled text

#SEO #Structure and code #Development