Complete Website Audit Checklist 2026: 50+ Points to Check

Crawlability & Indexation

• ☐ XML Sitemap exists and is accessible — Submit to Google Search Console. Should contain only canonical, indexable URLs. Remove non-200 status pages.
• ☐ Robots.txt is properly configured — Verify it does not accidentally block important pages. Include sitemap reference. Allow AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot).
• ☐ All important pages are indexed — Check "site:yourdomain.com" in Google. Compare indexed count with expected pages. Use URL Inspection tool for any missing pages.
• ☐ No noindex on critical pages — Verify meta robots tags on homepage, product pages, and key blog posts. A misplaced noindex can completely remove pages from search results.
• ☐ Canonical tags are correct — Every page should have a self-referencing canonical tag. Duplicates should point to the preferred version. No conflicting canonicals.

URL Structure & Architecture

• ☐ Clean, descriptive URLs — Use hyphens, lowercase letters, keywords. Avoid parameters, IDs, and excessive depth.
• ☐ www vs non-www resolved — Choose one version and 301 redirect the other. This prevents authority dilution across two domains.
• ☐ No broken internal links — Scan for 404 errors on all internal links. Fix or redirect every broken link.
• ☐ No redirect chains — Redirect A→B→C should be simplified to A→C. Chains slow page load and dilute ranking signals.
• ☐ Logical site architecture — Important pages within 3 clicks of homepage. Flat structure preferred. Clear category hierarchy.

Mobile & HTTPS

• ☐ Fully responsive design — Test on multiple devices and screen sizes. No horizontal scrolling. Adequate tap target sizes (48x48px minimum).
• ☐ HTTPS everywhere — Valid SSL certificate. All HTTP URLs redirect to HTTPS. No mixed content warnings.
• ☐ Security headers implemented — HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, Permissions-Policy.
• ☐ Viewport meta tag present — Every page should have: <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
• ☐ Structured data present — Schema markup (Organization, Article, FAQ, BreadcrumbList, SoftwareApplication) on relevant pages. Validate with Google Rich Results Test.

• ☐ Unique title tags on every page — Under 60 characters. Primary keyword near the beginning. Include modifiers (year, "Free," numbers).
• ☐ Compelling meta descriptions — 150-160 characters. Clear value proposition. Call to action. Primary keyword included.
• ☐ One H1 per page with primary keyword — H1 should match the page's primary topic and search intent. Never have multiple H1s or missing H1s.
• ☐ Logical heading hierarchy (H1→H2→H3) — Never skip levels. Use headings to structure content topics, not for visual styling.
• ☐ Primary keyword in first 100 words — Google pays extra attention to early content. Mention your target keyword naturally in the opening paragraph.
• ☐ Alt text on all images — Descriptive text that explains the image. Include relevant keywords naturally. No keyword stuffing or generic text like "image".
• ☐ Internal links (5+ per page) — Link to related content using descriptive anchor text. Build topic clusters connecting related articles.
• ☐ External links to authoritative sources — 2-3 outbound links to reputable sources per article. This signals credibility and thorough research.
• ☐ Keyword cannibalization check — No two pages should target the exact same primary keyword. Map keywords to unique pages.
• ☐ URL contains target keyword — Keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-relevant. Avoid unnecessary words.
• ☐ Open Graph and Twitter card tags — Proper social sharing metadata with compelling titles, descriptions, and images for each page.
• ☐ Breadcrumb navigation — Implemented on all interior pages with BreadcrumbList schema markup for enhanced SERP appearance.

• ☐ LCP under 2.5 seconds — Optimize the largest visible element: hero images, header text, video thumbnails. Use preload for critical resources.
• ☐ CLS under 0.1 — Set explicit dimensions on images and videos. Avoid inserting content above existing content. Font display swap configured.
• ☐ INP under 200ms — Minimize JavaScript execution time. Break long tasks into smaller chunks. Defer non-critical scripts.
• ☐ Images optimized — WebP/AVIF format, responsive srcset, lazy loading below the fold, compressed under 100KB where possible.
• ☐ JavaScript minimized — Remove unused code. Defer non-critical scripts. Code-split large bundles. Tree-shake dependencies.
• ☐ CSS delivery optimized — Inline critical CSS. Defer non-critical stylesheets. Remove unused CSS rules.
• ☐ Caching headers configured — Static assets cached for 1 year. HTML cached appropriately. CDN configured for global delivery.
• ☐ Server response time under 200ms — TTFB optimized. Consider server-side rendering for dynamic content. See our page speed optimization guide.

• ☐ Content matches search intent — Does the page answer what the user is actually searching for? Check top-ranking results for your keywords.
• ☐ Comprehensive coverage — Content should thoroughly cover the topic. Aim for 1,500+ words for authority articles. No thin content pages.
• ☐ Fresh and updated content — Update data and statistics annually. Include current year references. Remove outdated information.
• ☐ E-E-A-T signals present — Author credentials visible. Original insights and data. Real examples and case studies. Cited authoritative sources.
• ☐ FAQ section with schema — Add 4-6 frequently asked questions with comprehensive answers. Implement FAQ schema markup for rich results.
• ☐ No duplicate or near-duplicate content — Each page must be substantially unique. Use canonical tags for unavoidable duplicates.
• ☐ Clear calls to action — Every page should guide users toward a next step (try tool, read related article, sign up).
• ☐ Readable formatting — Short paragraphs. Bullet points. Tables for comparisons. Visual breaks. Scannable subheadings.

• ☐ Color contrast ratios pass WCAG AA — Minimum 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text. Check all text/background combinations.
• ☐ All images have descriptive alt text — Screen readers rely on alt text. Decorative images should have empty alt attributes.
• ☐ Form inputs have associated labels — Every form field must have a properly associated label element for screen reader accessibility.
• ☐ Keyboard navigation works — All interactive elements (links, buttons, forms) must be reachable and operable via keyboard alone.
• ☐ ARIA attributes used correctly — Landmark roles, aria-labels on interactive elements, aria-live regions for dynamic content.

• ☐ AI crawler access allowed — Robots.txt permits GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended to crawl your site.
• ☐ Structured data for AI comprehension — Comprehensive schema markup helps AI models understand your content structure and meaning.
• ☐ Definitive, citable statements — Include clear definitions, statistics, and factual statements that AI models can extract and cite.
• ☐ Brand entity signals — Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone). Wikipedia/Wikidata presence if applicable. Active social profiles.
• ☐ LLM seeding strategy — Content published on platforms AI models train on (Reddit, Stack Overflow, GitHub, industry forums).