ux-compliance-audit

UX Compliance Audit

Comprehensive evaluation of user experience, accessibility, and compliance with Google's UX standards. Ensures your site is accessible, navigable, and ad-friendly for all users across all devices.

Scoring Mode & Aggregation Contract

Field	Value
Default mode	`Core 79 + Profile` (UX01–UX15 always; UX16–UX18 when site type activates them)
Core 79 items	UX01–UX15 (15 items)
Extension items	UX16 (progressive web app / offline UX), UX17 (dark mode support), UX18 (custom 404 / error UX)
Extension trigger	UX16 when site type = Tool/SaaS; UX17 when News or Blog with high return traffic; UX18 always recommended but only scored in Full 105 or explicit trigger
Veto items	None in UX pillar; but UX09 (return-button hijacking) escalates to Critical and may cause PC cross-flag

Output fields required (for aggregation by ads-readiness-assessment):

score_mode: one of Core 79, Core 79 + Profile, Full 105
pillar: UX
items_evaluated: list of item IDs actually checked
critical_flags: any UX items rated Critical (e.g., UX09)
extension_findings: any UX16–UX18 issues observed even when in Core 79 mode

Rule: Items not in scope for the chosen mode must be labeled not_in_scope — never omitted silently.

Purpose

Verify that your UX meets User Experience (UX) criteria:

Clear navigation and site structure
Content-to-ad ratio appropriate
No intrusive interstitials or deceptive UI
Readable typography and layout
Accessibility compliance (WCAG AA)
Mobile usability and responsiveness

Quick Start

Input: Website URL or design files Output: Visual survey + screenshots + WCAG report Manual Checks: Navigation, typography, accessibility Time: 20-30 minutes

Workflow

Step 1: Site Structure Assessment

Evaluate navigation and site architecture:

Clear site navigation menu visible on all pages (UX01)
Logical information hierarchy
Category organization
Search/filter functionality for large sites (UX10)

Step 2: Ad & Content Analysis

Verify ad placement and content ratio:

Content-to-ad ratio acceptable (<30% ads) (UX02)
Ads not intrusive or deceptive (UX03, UX06)
Ad placement doesn't interfere with navigation (UX08)
No return-button hijacking (UX09)

Step 3: Readability & Typography

Assess visual presentation:

Font size ≥14px for body text (UX04)
Sufficient line-height and spacing
Proper color contrast (WCAG AA) (UX11)
Content not cramped or crowded
Logical reading flow

Step 4: Accessibility Verification

Check accessibility compliance:

Alt text on informative images (UX12)
Color contrast ratios ≥4.5:1 normal, ≥3:1 large (UX11)
Keyboard navigation functional
Screen reader compatible
WCAG AA compliance

Step 5: Cross-Browser & Mobile

Verify compatibility:

Chrome, Firefox, Safari rendering (UX07)
Mobile responsiveness (UX07)
Touch target sizing
Mobile viewport configuration

Step 6: Deceptive Elements Check

Scan for problematic UI:

No fake "close" X buttons (UX06)
No fake download buttons
No misleading CTAs
Navigation buttons not obscured by ads

Step 7: Generate Report

Produces detailed UX report with:

Overall UX compliance score (0-100)
Per-criterion evaluation
Accessibility report (WCAG)
Mobile usability assessment
Screenshots highlighting issues
Recommendations for improvement

Checklist

✓ Evaluate site navigation (UX01)
✓ Measure content-to-ad ratio (UX02)
✓ Check for intrusive interstitials (UX03)
✓ Verify typography and readability (UX04)
✓ Check internal link paths (UX05)
✓ Scan for deceptive UI elements (UX06)
✓ Test cross-browser compatibility (UX07)
✓ Verify ad placement (UX08)
✓ Check return button integrity (UX09)
✓ Verify search/filtering (UX10)
✓ Test color contrast (UX11)
✓ Check image alt text (UX12)
✓ Verify link functionality (UX13)
✓ Test mobile responsiveness (UX14)
✓ Verify footer/legal links (UX15)
✓ Run accessibility audit (WCAG)
✓ Generate comprehensive report
✓ Export annotated screenshots
✓ Route to ux-optimization-roadmap for fixes

Process Flow

digraph ux_audit {
    "Navigation Assessment" [shape=box];
    "Ad Analysis" [shape=box];
    "Typography Check" [shape=box];
    "Accessibility Audit" [shape=box];
    "Mobile Test" [shape=box];
    "Browser Compatibility" [shape=box];
    "Deceptive Elements" [shape=box];
    "Analyze Results" [shape=box];
    "Generate Report" [shape=box];
    "Export Results" [shape=box];
    "Route to Fix" [shape=doublecircle];

    "Navigation Assessment" -> "Ad Analysis";
    "Ad Analysis" -> "Typography Check";
    "Typography Check" -> "Accessibility Audit";
    "Accessibility Audit" -> "Mobile Test";
    "Mobile Test" -> "Browser Compatibility";
    "Browser Compatibility" -> "Deceptive Elements";
    "Deceptive Elements" -> "Analyze Results";
    "Analyze Results" -> "Generate Report";
    "Generate Report" -> "Export Results";
    "Export Results" -> "Route to Fix";
}

Detailed Criteria

Navigation & Structure (UX01, UX05, UX10, UX13)

UX01: Clear Site Navigation

Menu or nav bar visible and accessible
Links to main categories present
Navigation consistent across all pages
Mobile menu accessible on smaller screens

UX05: Internal Link Paths

Every page reachable within 3 clicks from homepage
No orphan pages (unreachable from navigation)
Breadcrumbs helpful where applicable
Related content links present

UX10: Search & Filtering

If site has >30 pages, search box present
Category filters functional
Results relevant and complete

UX13: Link Functionality

All links working (no 404s in navigation)
Links open in expected context (not unexpected new tabs)
Link text descriptive

Ad & Content Presentation (UX02, UX03, UX06, UX08, UX09)

UX02: Content-to-Ad Ratio (Active Phase Critical)

Ads occupy <30% of visible viewport
Content is dominant visual element
Users see content before scrolling

UX03: No Intrusive Interstitials

No full-screen pop-ups on page load that block reading
Pop-ups either absent or easily closeable
Google requires dismissal to proceed to content

UX06: No Deceptive UI

No fake "close" buttons disguised as X
No fake download buttons linking to ads
No misleading CTAs (e.g., "Skip Ad" buttons)
Ad labels clear and honest

UX08: Ad Placement

Ads not directly adjacent to navigation buttons
Ads not above search bars
Ads not obscuring important content
Clear separation from interactive elements

UX09: Return Button Not Hijacked

Browser back button works correctly
Doesn't redirect to unexpected page
Native behavior preserved

Typography & Readability (UX04, UX11)

UX04: Readable Typography

Body text ≥14px (16px ideal)
Line-height 1.4-1.8 for readability
Sufficient letter-spacing
Paragraph lengths reasonable (not walls of text)
Font choices readable (avoid excessive decorative fonts)

UX11: Color Contrast (WCAG AA)

Normal text: contrast ratio ≥4.5:1
Large text (≥18px): contrast ratio ≥3:1
Test all text colors against backgrounds
Tools: WAVE, Axe, WebAIM Contrast Checker

Accessibility (UX12 + WCAG)

UX12: Image Alt Text

Informative images have descriptive alt text
Decorative images use alt=""
Alt text concise but descriptive
Not just filename or "image"

WCAG AA Compliance:

Perceivable: Text alternatives, adaptable content, distinguishable
Operable: Keyboard accessible, enough time, seizure prevention
Understandable: Readable, predictable, input assistance
Robust: Compatible with assistive technologies

Browser & Device Compatibility (UX07, UX14)

UX07: Cross-Browser Compatibility

Chrome: Recent version
Firefox: Recent version
Safari: Recent version
Layout, content, functionality work on all

UX14: Mobile Responsiveness

Viewport meta tag present and correct
Layout adapts to mobile screen sizes
Touch targets ≥48×48px
Text readable without zooming
Navigation accessible on mobile

Footer & Legal (UX15)

UX15: Footer/Legal Links

Privacy policy link accessible
Contact information present
Social media links (if applicable)
Copyright notice
About/contact footer links

Output Formats

Visual Survey Report

# UX Compliance Report
## Overall Score: 74/100

### Critical Issues
[Screenshot] UX02: Content-to-ad ratio 45%
  → Ads take up more than 30% of viewport
  
[Screenshot] UX03: Intrusive pop-up on page load
  → Full-screen overlay blocks content for 3 seconds

### High Priority
[Screenshot] UX04: Body text only 13px
  → Some users may struggle to read
  
[Screenshot] UX11: Color contrast 3.2:1
  → Below WCAG AA requirement of 4.5:1

JSON Accessibility Report

{
  "audit_date": "2026-05-03",
  "site_url": "https://example.com",
  "score_mode": "Core 79 + Profile",
  "items_evaluated": ["UX01", "UX02", "UX03", "UX04", "UX05", "UX06", "UX07", "UX08", "UX09", "UX10", "UX11", "UX12", "UX13", "UX14", "UX15"],
  "overall_score": 74,
  "accessibility_score": 74,
  "wcag_level": "AA",
  "wcag_violations": [
    {
      "criterion": "1.4.3 Contrast",
      "level": "AA",
      "instances": 5,
      "elements": [...]
    }
  ],
  "passed_criteria": [...]
}

WCAG Audit Details

All WCAG AA criteria status (Pass/Fail)
Violations grouped by criterion
Specific elements and line numbers
Examples and fix suggestions

Supported Check Modes

URL Mode

Visual crawl of live site
Screenshot capture at various viewport sizes
Automated accessibility scanning
Real device testing (if available)

Design File Mode

Upload mockups or design files
Check design against UX standards
Verify accessibility in design phase

Manual Mode

Interactive guided UX assessment
Manual screenshot upload
Answer questions about UX decisions
Step-by-step accessibility review

Automated Accessibility Testing

Optional scripts for accessibility scanning:

# Full accessibility audit
npm run a11y-audit https://example.com

# Generate WCAG report
npm run wcag-report

# Screenshot comparison tool
npm run screenshot-compare mobile desktop

Outputs:

accessibility-violations.json - Issues by criterion
wcag-report.md - Human-readable report
screenshots/ - Annotated screenshots
contrast-failures.csv - Color contrast issues

Integration with Other Skills

[ux-compliance-audit] provides input to:
└─→ [ux-optimization-roadmap]
    ├─→ Navigation restructuring
    ├─→ Typography improvements
    ├─→ Color/contrast fixes
    ├─→ Ad placement strategies
    └─→ Mobile optimization

[ads-readiness-assessment] calls this skill
[resubmission-readiness-check] verifies fixes

Common UX Issues & Fixes

Poor Contrast (UX11)

Problem: Text hard to read on background Fix: Adjust colors to meet 4.5:1 ratio Time: 30-60 min for whole site Priority: HIGH

Content Buried in Ads (UX02, UX03)

Problem: More ads than content visible Fix: Remove or relocate ads Time: 1-2 hours Priority: CRITICAL - blocks approval

Intrusive Interstitials (UX03)

Problem: Full-screen pop-ups blocking content Fix: Remove or make easily dismissible Time: 30-60 min Priority: CRITICAL - blocks approval

Tiny Text (UX04)

Problem: Body text <14px, hard to read Fix: Increase font size and line-height Time: 2-4 hours Priority: HIGH

No Mobile Menu (UX14)

Problem: Navigation unreadable on mobile Fix: Implement responsive mobile menu Time: 4-8 hours Priority: HIGH

Missing Alt Text (UX12)

Problem: Images lack descriptions Fix: Add descriptive alt text to all images Time: 30-60 min Priority: MEDIUM

Accessibility Best Practices

Test with Real Users: Get feedback from users with disabilities
Keyboard Navigation: Ensure all functions accessible via keyboard
Color Alone: Don't use color as only distinguishing factor
Text Alternatives: Alt text for images, captions for videos
Clear Language: Avoid jargon, use simple sentences
Responsive Design: Works on all screen sizes and devices
Page Structure: Proper heading hierarchy and semantic HTML

Next Steps

Critical Issues: Fix intrusive ads and poor contrast immediately
Accessibility: Add missing alt text and color contrast fixes
Mobile: Ensure responsive design and mobile menu
Testing: Re-run audit after improvements
Verification: Use resubmission-readiness-check before submission

Related Skills:

Fix UX issues → ux-optimization-roadmap
Full site assessment → ads-readiness-assessment
Final verification → resubmission-readiness-check