How to review a web page
To review a web page, open the staging URL on real devices, check the design and content against the brief, share the link with your client, and collect their feedback pinned to the exact element — not scattered across emails. The review is done when every note is resolved and the client signs off on the same link.
Open the page on real devices — not just your laptop
Most design problems hide on screens you didn't test on. Open the staging URL in Chrome on your laptop, then on an iPhone in Safari. The things that slip through: text that wraps oddly at 390px, buttons under the iOS safe-area bar, hero images that crop off-center on tall screens. Resize isn't enough — mobile Safari and Chrome handle font-size, tap targets, and sticky headers differently. Ten minutes on a real phone catches issues that a week of dev-tools emulation misses.
Work through the brief point by point before calling it ready
Pull up the original brief or scope-of-work alongside the page. Check: does every section exist? Is the copy approved or still a placeholder? Are brand colors correct (the brief usually has hex codes — compare them)? Do forms submit without errors? Are all links live? A useful method: mark each item in the brief as pass / flag / discuss. Flag anything that's 80% right but needs a decision — don't silently fix it, the client may have a reason for the original call. This pass typically takes 20–40 minutes on a 5-section marketing page.
Send stakeholders a link, not a file
The most common mistake in a web page review is asking for feedback by email. The client replies with "the bit near the top looks off" and you spend 20 minutes on a call reconstructing which bit they meant. Instead, share the staging URL directly — or a review-link that lets them click the exact element and pin a note to it. Keep the feedback loop to one round: share the link, give a 48-hour window, consolidate all notes in one place, address them, and mark each as resolved. Multiple uncoordinated rounds are where projects go sideways.
Resolve every note, then get explicit sign-off on the same link
Once feedback is addressed, push the updated version and share the same URL (not a new one). Ask for explicit sign-off — not "looks good to me" in a chat, but a written confirmation on the review link itself, or at minimum a dated email. This protects you from late-stage "I never approved that" conversations. If the client re-opens items they previously approved, point back to their recorded sign-off. The review is complete when every open note is either resolved or explicitly deprioritized, and the client has confirmed in writing.
The hardest part of a web page review isn't doing it yourself — it's collecting feedback from a client who doesn't speak design. Drop the page into Drafty and share the link: your client clicks the exact element they mean and leaves a pinned note, no account, no extension. Every comment lands in one thread, anchored to the spot. You reply, mark it resolved, and push a new version on the same URL. No email archaeology, no "the bit near the top."
Open a live demoQuestions
- What should I check when reviewing a web page?
- Work through four areas: design (layout, colors, typography, spacing on desktop and mobile), content (copy matches the approved brief, no placeholders, links live), functionality (forms submit, navigation works, no console errors), and performance (page loads in under 3 seconds on a real phone connection). A written brief or scope-of-work makes this faster — tick off each item rather than reviewing from memory.
- How do I get clear feedback from a client on a web page?
- Share a link they can comment on directly — not a screenshot in an email. When a client can click the exact element they mean and pin a note to it, you get "the CTA button color feels too pale" instead of "something on the right side looks off." Specific, placed feedback cuts revision rounds in half.
- How do reviewers give feedback without a login?
- Guest commenting tools let a client open a link in any browser and leave a note on the exact spot without creating an account. They click, type, and submit — you see the comment pinned to the element they meant. No extension to install, no password to remember.
- How long should a web page review take?
- A single marketing page: 20–40 minutes for a thorough design and content pass. Add 30 minutes for cross-device testing if you're doing it properly (laptop + iPhone + one Android). Client feedback rounds typically add 1–3 days depending on stakeholder availability — the review link approach compresses this because clients can comment async at their own pace.
- How do you get a client to sign off on a web page?
- Ask for written confirmation tied to the specific version they reviewed. "Looks good" in a chat isn't sign-off — it's a note. A comment on the review link (or a short email saying "I approve the version at [URL] as of [date]") is the record you need if anything is disputed later.
- What's the difference between reviewing a web page and a website audit?
- A web page review is typically pre-launch: you're checking whether the page matches the brief, collecting stakeholder feedback, and getting sign-off before it goes live. A website audit is post-launch: you're measuring how existing pages perform against SEO, accessibility, and conversion benchmarks — usually with tools like Lighthouse, Screaming Frog, or Google Search Console.
Keep exploring
Stop emailing files back and forth.
Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.