SaaS UX Audit Checklist: 30 Checks
A UX audit walks through your product the way a new customer does, screen by screen, and scores each step against a checklist. It turns ‘the product feels clunky’ into a ranked list of fixes.
What is a SaaS UX audit?
A SaaS UX audit is a structured review of every key screen in the customer journey, from homepage and signup to onboarding, upgrades, daily use, billing, cancellation and accessibility. Each check is scored pass, partial or fail with evidence, such as a screenshot or analytics, and the fails are ranked by their effect on revenue.
What are the 30 checks?
The checks below cover the screens that decide signups, activation, upgrades and retention. Score each one while walking through a new account on desktop and phone.
| Area | Checks |
|---|---|
| Homepage | 1. Headline says what it does and for whom. 2. One primary action. 3. Real product shown. 4. Specific proof. |
| Signup and login | 5. SSO offered. 6. Two fields or fewer. 7. Password rules shown up front, paste allowed. 8. Inline validation. 9. Login errors say what to do. 10. Reset works in under a minute. |
| Onboarding | 11. Activation event defined and tracked. 12. Welcome question personalizes the start. 13. Checklist of 3 to 5 steps. 14. No blank screens for new users. |
| Upgrade | 15. Prompts appear at limits and paid features. 16. Trial end date and consequences clear. 17. Payment step shows amount and next charge. |
| Daily use | 18. Dashboard answers one main question. 19. Filters visible and removable. 20. Navigation uses users’ words. 21. Errors say what to do. 22. Invites at moments of collaboration. |
| Billing and retention | 23. Failed payments trigger email, banner and grace period. 24. Invoices easy to find. 25. Cancel online, one offer, clear confirmation. |
| Mobile | 26. Phone tasks identified and fast. 27. Targets at least 24 px, primary 44 px. |
| Accessibility | 28. Text contrast 4.5:1. 29. Visible labels and focus. 30. Keyboard access to core flows. |
How do you score and prioritize the results?
Score each check, then rank fails by where they sit in the journey and how many users pass through that screen. A fail on signup or upgrade usually costs more than a fail deep in settings. The example scorecard below is for a fictional product.
| Area | Checks | Pass | Partial | Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homepage | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Signup and login | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Onboarding | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Upgrade | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Daily use | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Billing and retention | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Mobile | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Accessibility | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
In this example, onboarding has no passes at all, so it comes first even though signup has the same number of fails: users who don’t activate never reach any of the later screens.
What evidence should the audit collect?
Collect a screenshot of every screen, the analytics for each step where you have them, a handful of session recordings, and support tickets that mention each area. For accessibility checks, measure contrast against the WCAG thresholds (W3C on contrast minimum). Evidence turns opinions into priorities the whole team can agree on.
- Screenshots of every step, desktop and phone.
- Drop-off between steps from analytics.
- Five to ten session recordings of new users.
- Support tickets grouped by screen.
Fix where the most people drop.
A small fix on signup or onboarding usually beats a large fix in a screen few users ever reach.
What happens after the audit?
Fix the top three fails, measure the step they affect, then move down the list. Re-run the audit every six months or after major releases. Each area links to its page: homepage, signup, onboarding, upgrade, billing, cancellation and accessibility.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SaaS UX audit?
A structured review of every key screen in the customer journey, scored against a checklist with evidence.
What should a UX audit include?
Homepage, signup and login, onboarding, upgrade, daily use, billing and cancellation, mobile and accessibility.
How do I prioritize UX audit findings?
By where the fail sits in the journey and how many users pass through that screen.
How often should I run a UX audit?
Every six months or after major releases.
Can I audit my own product?
Yes, with a checklist and a new account, but outside reviewers spot problems the team no longer sees.
What evidence should a UX audit collect?
Screenshots, analytics drop-off, session recordings and support tickets grouped by screen.
Sources & further reading
Standards and platform rules change. These sources let you verify the current requirements directly. All screens shown are mock-ups of fictional products.