Website Audit Checklist: 36 Checks You Can Run Yourself
Short answer: a useful website audit checks six areas: Google, AI answers, speed on a phone, enquiries, phone layout and trust. Every check below uses a free tool or a phone, and each has a pass mark. Fix indexing and enquiry problems first, because they cost leads directly.
This is the same structure cense uses for its free website analysis. Tool behaviour and thresholds were checked in October 2026.
How to run this audit
Set aside about 2 hours. You need:
- Access to Google Search Console for your domain.
- PageSpeed Insights, free and no login.
- Bing Webmaster Tools, free with a Microsoft account.
- A phone, a laptop, and a spreadsheet to record pass or fail.
Run each check, mark it pass or fail, and note the page affected. Start with the home page and your 3 most important service or product pages.
1. Google
Google ranks the mobile version of your site. Its documentation states it "uses the mobile version of a site's content, crawled with the smartphone agent, for indexing and ranking" (Google Search Central).
| Check | How to run it | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| Pages indexed | Search Console, Page indexing report | Every important page is listed as indexed |
| Sitemap | Open yoursite.com/sitemap.xml, then Search Console, Sitemaps | Sitemap loads and shows status Success |
| Unique titles | View each page's title in the browser tab or a crawl tool | Each page has its own title under about 60 characters, with the service and location |
| Meta descriptions | Search your business name in Google and read the snippets | Each key page has a written description, not random page text |
| One page per service | Compare your services with your menu | Each main service has its own page and URL |
| Search terms | Search Console, Performance, Queries | Pages appear for the terms customers use, not only your brand name |
2. AI answers
ChatGPT search, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews can only cite pages they can crawl. OpenAI states that "sites that are opted out of OAI-SearchBot will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers" (OpenAI).
| Check | How to run it | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| AI crawlers allowed | Open yoursite.com/robots.txt | No Disallow rule for OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot or Googlebot |
| Firewall settings | Check your host or CDN dashboard for AI bot blocking | Search crawlers are not blocked |
| Bing index | Bing Webmaster Tools, add site and submit sitemap | Site verified and key pages indexed |
| Answer-first pages | Read the first two sentences of each key page | They state what you do, for whom, where, and a price or duration |
| Structured data | Run each key page in the Rich Results Test | Business details detected with no errors |
| AI mentions | Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity 5 questions a customer would ask | Your business is named or cited in at least some answers |
Google states there is no special schema or AI text file required for AI Overviews (Google Search Central). The detailed steps are in how to get your business mentioned by ChatGPT.
3. Speed on a phone
Run PageSpeed Insights on each key page and read the Mobile tab. Google's Core Web Vitals define "good" at the 75th percentile of page loads (web.dev).
| Check | How to run it | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) | PageSpeed Insights, Mobile | 2.5 seconds or less |
| Interaction to Next Paint (INP) | PageSpeed Insights, Mobile, field data | 200 milliseconds or less |
| Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) | PageSpeed Insights, Mobile | 0.1 or less |
| Image sizes | PageSpeed Insights diagnostics | No warning to properly size or compress images |
| Real visitor data | Top section of PageSpeed Insights | Core Web Vitals assessment shows Passed |
| Mobile data test | Load the home page on 4G with Wi-Fi off | Main content appears within 2.5 seconds, the LCP threshold |
Low-traffic sites may show no field data. In that case, use the lab figures as a guide.
4. Enquiries
A site that ranks but makes contact hard loses the visit. Test the path a buyer takes.
| Check | How to run it | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| Contact visible | Open each key page on a phone | A contact button is visible without scrolling far |
| Contact works | Tap every WhatsApp link and submit every form | Each one reaches the right person, and you receive it |
| Steps to contact | Count taps from landing page to sent message | 3 taps or fewer |
| Prefilled message | Tap the WhatsApp button | The message names the page or service |
| Response tracking | Check your analytics or enquiry log | You can see which page each enquiry came from |
| Price signals | Read the service pages | A starting price, range or what affects price is stated |
For the trade-offs between channels, see WhatsApp vs contact form.
5. Phone layout
Test on a real phone, not only a resized browser.
| Check | How to run it | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| No sideways scroll | Swipe left and right on each page | Page does not move sideways |
| Text size | Read body text at arm's length | Readable without zooming |
| Tap targets | Tap buttons and menu items with a thumb | No missed taps; WCAG 2.2 sets a minimum of 24 by 24 CSS pixels |
| Menu | Open and close the menu, reach every page | Every main page reachable in 2 taps |
| Pop-ups | Load the home page fresh | No pop-up covers the content on arrival |
| Tables and images | Open pages with tables, galleries and maps | Nothing cut off or overflowing |
The 24 by 24 figure is Success Criterion 2.5.8 at level AA in WCAG 2.2.
6. Trust
Visitors and search engines both look for signs that a business is real and current.
| Check | How to run it | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| HTTPS | Check the padlock and try http:// | Every page loads on https and http redirects to it |
| Privacy notice | Look for a privacy link in the footer | Notice explains what enquiry data is collected and why |
| Business details | Read the footer and about page | Registered name, and UEN for Singapore companies, shown |
| Credentials | Check licences, memberships and awards | Stated with the issuing body |
| Current content | Check copyright year, latest post and prices | Nothing shows as out of date |
| Consistent listings | Compare site, Google Business Profile and directories | Same name, address, hours and services everywhere |
For Singapore data rules on enquiry forms, see the website PDPA checklist.
What to fix first
Rank failures by what they cost.
- Pages not indexed or crawlers blocked. The page cannot be found at all.
- Broken contact path. Visitors who are ready to buy cannot reach you.
- Phone layout faults. Google indexes the mobile version, and a broken layout ends the visit.
- Speed. Fix the largest images and slow scripts first.
- Titles, answer-first copy and schema. These improve position and AI citations over weeks.
- Trust details. Quick to fix and they support every other check.
If more than 12 of the 36 checks fail, compare the cost of fixing the current site with a rebuild. If you plan to rebuild, read how to redesign without losing rankings before you start.
How cense runs this audit
The cense free website analysis covers the same six areas and is sent on WhatsApp within 2 working days, with fixes listed in order. If a rebuild makes more sense, the website package is S$2,000 one-off with a first draft 14 days after the call; see website redesign and pricing.
What should a website audit check?+
Six areas cover most problems for a business site: Google indexing and titles, AI answer visibility, speed on a phone, the enquiry path, phone layout, and trust signals such as HTTPS and a privacy notice.
Can I audit my own website for free?+
Yes. Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, the Rich Results Test and Bing Webmaster Tools are free, and the rest of the checklist needs only a phone and a browser.
What is a good page speed score?+
Google's Core Web Vitals set good thresholds at a Largest Contentful Paint of 2.5 seconds or less, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile of visits.
How often should I audit my website?+
Run the full checklist once a year and before any redesign. Check Search Console indexing and the enquiry path every month.
What should I fix first after an audit?+
Fix anything that stops pages being indexed or stops visitors getting in touch. Those two failures cost enquiries directly, before speed or design.
