Is your website still up to date? With this website checklist, you can check in around an hour whether your technology, content and legal basics are in order and whether your site can be found on Google and in AI search engines.
Key points at a glance
- A mobile-friendly display and fast loading times are a must, not an optional extra.
- Your legal notice, privacy policy and cookie consent must be correct.
- Every page needs a clear goal and an unambiguous call to action.
- Structured data and clear answers make your site understandable for AI search engines.
How do you check technology and speed?
Check loading time, mobile display, HTTPS and error pages, ideally with PageSpeed Insights and Google Search Console.
- The website runs on HTTPS with a valid certificate.
- It is easy to use on smartphone, tablet and desktop.
- The Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) are in the green zone in Google Search Console.
- Images are compressed and embedded in modern formats such as WebP.
- The CMS, theme and plugins are up to date, and backups run regularly.
How do you check legal compliance and trust?
Check your legal notice, privacy policy, cookie banner and contact details, because this information builds trust with visitors and search engines.
- The legal notice and privacy policy are complete and accessible from every page.
- A cookie banner obtains consent before any tracking starts.
- Contact details are genuine and clearly visible: address, phone, email.
- Reviews, work samples or awards build trust.
- Online shops and certain digital services for consumers meet accessibility requirements.
How do you check content and user journeys?
Check whether every page says in one sentence what you offer and for whom, and whether visitors can get in touch in no more than 3 clicks.
- Visitors understand within a few seconds what you offer and for whom.
- Every page has a clear goal and a visible call to action.
- Your copy answers your customers’ questions, with headings that are themselves questions.
- Forms only ask for what is really necessary.
- Navigation is logical and no deeper than three levels.
How do you check the SEO basics?
Check page titles, meta descriptions, headings, internal links and indexing in Google Search Console.
- Every page has its own page title and its own meta description.
- There is exactly one H1 per page and a clean heading structure.
- An XML sitemap has been submitted in Google Search Console.
- Images have meaningful alt texts.
- Important pages are linked internally, and there are no broken links.
How do you check AI visibility?
Check whether AI crawlers are allowed, structured data is in place and your pages answer customer questions directly.
- Structured data describes your company, your services and FAQs.
- Important content can be read without JavaScript.
- Your robots.txt does not unintentionally block AI crawlers.
- Your company name, address and services are consistent across the web.
- An llms.txt file summarises your offering for language models.
When is a relaunch worthwhile?
A website relaunch is worthwhile when fundamental points are not met and can no longer be retrofitted with reasonable effort. Typical reasons are outdated technology that can no longer be updated, a poor mobile display or content that no longer matches your offering. What matters in a relaunch: protect existing rankings, plan redirects and factor in SEO from the outset.
| Result | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| No more than 5 points open | Make targeted improvements; the foundation is sound |
| 6 to 12 points open | Plan a revision, prioritising technology and content |
| More than 12 points open | Consider a relaunch |
How do you carry out the website check in practice?
Work through the website checklist in 5 steps: prepare your tools, measure the technology, review the content, prioritise the results and implement the measures. Half a working day is usually enough for an initial check.
- Have your access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics ready
- Measure the homepage and the 3 most important subpages with PageSpeed Insights
- Click through every page on a smartphone and test the forms
- Rate all 25 points as “met”, “partly met” or “missing”
- Sort the open points by effort and impact, then work through them
Start with points that take little effort but have a big impact, such as missing page titles, broken links or a poorly visible contact button.
Which points should you check first?
Check first the points that directly prevent enquiries: faulty forms, unclear contact options, error pages and long loading times on smartphones.
Next come mandatory legal details such as the legal notice and privacy policy, because mistakes there can lead to formal warnings. Only in the third step is it worth improving content, page titles and internal links. This order ensures that you do not lose visitors while working on your long-term visibility. You can find out how to meet the legal basics in our guide Create a website.
What values should the Core Web Vitals reach?
Google assesses user experience with 3 Core Web Vitals and sets a clear threshold for “good” for each value. These values feed into the assessment of your pages.
| Metric | Measures | Good up to |
|---|---|---|
| Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) | Loading time of the largest visible element | 2.5 seconds |
| Interaction to Next Paint (INP) | Response to clicks and input | 200 milliseconds |
| Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) | Content shifting during loading | 0.1 |
INP replaced the former First Input Delay metric in March 2024. You can find your real values in Search Console under “Core Web Vitals”. Google explains the thresholds on web.dev.
What should you check for accessibility?
Check contrast, image descriptions, keyboard navigation and clear forms, because accessible websites are easier for all visitors to use. For many online shops, accessibility has been mandatory since 28 June 2025, as set out in the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882).
- Contrast between text and background of at least 4.5:1 for normal text
- Meaningful alt texts for images
- All functions can be operated without a mouse
- Form fields with visible labels and clear error messages
In Germany, the legal basis is the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG, German Accessibility Strengthening Act), which implements the European Accessibility Act. The WCAG guidelines at level AA serve as the benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I check my website?
A quick check every three to six months makes sense, plus after major changes to content, technology or plugins. Focus above all on loading time, mobile display, forms and the messages in Google Search Console. We recommend a thorough audit covering all 25 points once a year.
Which tools help with a website check?
Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights and Google’s Rich Results Test are free and very helpful. Search Console shows indexing problems and search terms, PageSpeed Insights shows loading time and the Rich Results Test checks structured data. For visibility in AI search engines, a GEO check of your content also helps.
Why is mobile display so important?
Most visitors today arrive on mobile devices, and Google primarily assesses websites based on their mobile version. If text is too small, buttons are too close together or forms are cumbersome, visitors leave. So test your website regularly on a smartphone yourself, especially the contact form, phone number and navigation.
What is the difference between a revision and a relaunch?
With a revision, you make targeted improvements to your existing site. With a relaunch, you create a new website with new technology, structure and design. A revision is worthwhile if the foundation is solid. A relaunch makes sense if the technology or design is outdated and many points in the check fail.
Can I carry out the website check myself?
Yes, you can check most of the 25 points yourself with free tools such as PageSpeed Insights and Google Search Console. It gets harder with technical causes, such as slow servers, faulty redirects or indexing problems. Here an outside perspective is worthwhile, so that you invest your time in the measures with the greatest impact.
What do I do with the results of the check?
Put all open points into a simple list with effort and expected impact. Tackle quick wins with a big impact first, and plan larger topics such as loading time or accessibility as separate projects. Repeat the check after implementation to make progress visible and spot new weaknesses early.
How can I tell that my site is not indexed?
Enter site: followed by your domain on Google. If important pages do not appear, check the page indexing report in Search Console. Common causes are a noindex tag, a block in robots.txt, redirect errors or duplicate content. With the URL Inspection tool, you can test individual pages and resubmit them for indexing after a fix.
Does my website have to be accessible?
For many online shops and digital services for consumers, accessibility has been mandatory since 28 June 2025. Microenterprises with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of no more than €2 million are exempt for services. Regardless of the obligation, accessibility is worthwhile because it improves usability for all visitors.
Have your website professionally checked
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