UX Audit Template: Checklist + Report Outline

A UX audit reviews the end-to-end experience and pinpoints friction. This template helps you document issues, prioritize fixes, and report clearly.

What you'll get:

A UX audit checklist
A copy/paste UX audit template
A simple report outline

Use the sections below as building blocks; keep what you need and delete the rest.

For a UI-only pass, use the UI audit checklist.

References for this guide are listed at the end.

What is a UX audit?

A UX audit is a structured review of a product to identify usability issues, friction, and gaps in the user journey. It combines expert review with evidence from analytics, user feedback, and usability testing.

When to run a UX audit

UX audits are especially useful when:

You launch a new feature or redesign
Conversion or retention drops
You see repeated negative user feedback
You need to benchmark against competitors
New accessibility requirements appear

Core steps in a UX audit

Most audits follow a similar flow:

Align with stakeholders on goals and scope
Collect analytics, feedback, and baseline metrics
Evaluate UI and interactions (heuristics + walkthroughs)
Research with users (tests, interviews, surveys)
Analyze findings and patterns
Build the report with evidence and recommendations
Share, prioritize, and plan next steps

UX audit checklist

Use this checklist to keep reviews consistent.

Prep

[ ] Define the goal and success metrics
[ ] Set scope (flows, pages, devices)
[ ] Gather analytics, support tickets, and feedback
[ ] Select personas or target segments

Experience review

[ ] Run a walkthrough of key flows
[ ] Check navigation and information architecture
[ ] Review UI consistency and clarity
[ ] Evaluate accessibility basics
[ ] Review forms, errors, and edge cases

Evidence

[ ] Review funnel drop-offs and exit points
[ ] Capture screenshots and examples
[ ] Note severity and user impact

Report

[ ] Summarize findings and patterns
[ ] Prioritize issues by severity
[ ] Provide actionable recommendations
[ ] Define owners and next steps

UX audit template (copy/paste)

Audit brief

Section	Details
Audit goal	What outcome are we trying to improve?
Scope	Which flows, pages, or devices are in scope?
Success metrics	Ex: activation rate, task success, conversion
Target users	Primary personas or segments
Constraints	Time, team, tools

Methods used

Heuristic evaluation
Cognitive walkthrough
Analytics review
User feedback or testing

Findings log

Area	Issue	Evidence	Severity	Recommendation
Checkout	Shipping step is unclear	Screenshot + 38% drop-off	High	Add inline guidance and progress labels

Journey summary

Key blockers:
Patterns across users:
Quick wins:
High-effort fixes:

Recommendations

Recommendation with expected impact
Recommendation with expected impact
Recommendation with expected impact

Next steps

Owner and deadline for each fix
Follow-up validation plan

UX audit report outline

A strong report should be easy to scan and backed by evidence.

Summary (top 5 findings)
Scope and goals
Methods and data sources
Findings by severity
Recommendations and examples
Next steps and owners

Example (short)

Goal: Increase signup completion.

Scope: Web signup flow (desktop + mobile).

Top findings:

Password rules appear after an error (confusing)
Email verification CTA is below the fold on mobile
Form labels are inconsistent across steps

Next steps:

Move password rules above the field
Pin the verification CTA
Standardize labels to match user language

FAQ

Is a UX audit the same as usability testing?

No. Audits combine expert review with data and can include usability testing, but they do not replace direct testing.

Do UX audits need heuristics?

Heuristics are a common part of UX audits because they provide a structured way to spot usability issues quickly.

What should a UX audit report include?

Include clear findings, severity ratings, evidence, and recommendations.