A Website Review Evidence Template That Makes Findings Reproducible

Capture the conditions that change the result

• URL, page state, and account or permission state (never include credentials).
• Device, browser, viewport, zoom, and assistive technology when relevant.
• Starting point and the exact actions taken.
• Input or test data, with personal or confidential values removed.
• Observed result, expected result, and whether the issue repeats.

Separate what happened from what you think it means

Write the observation first: ‘After I submit the form with the postal code blank, the page returns to the top and the missing field is not identified.’ Then add the interpretation: ‘A visitor may not know what to correct.’ Keep a proposed fix separate again. This lets another reviewer validate the observation without accepting the first explanation or implementation idea.

Choose evidence that helps another person

Use a screenshot for a static visual issue, a short recording for sequence or timing, and written steps for reproduction. Show only the relevant area and redact names, addresses, tokens, and private account details. A capture should support the report, not replace a clear description.

Illustrative filled example

Fictional sample only—replace it with a real observation before filing a finding. Page/state: appointment request, after selecting a time. Environment: the specific phone, browser, and viewport you actually tested. Steps: focus the email field, type a test address, then try to reach submit. Observed: [what happened]. Expected: [what should happen]. Evidence: [redacted recording or steps]. Repeated: [number of reproductions, if checked]. Leaving these fields explicit prevents a template from turning invented evidence into a reported fact.

State confidence and limits

Say whether the issue was reproduced once, repeated, observed in a study, or inferred from inspection. If production data or a state could not be accessed, say so. Avoid turning one review into a universal claim about all users or devices.

Reusable note

Page/state: [URL and starting conditions]. Environment: [device, browser, viewport]. Steps: [short sequence]. Observed: [what happened]. Expected: [what should happen and why]. Consequence: [task affected]. Evidence: [redacted capture or reproduction notes]. Confidence: [observed, reproduced, or hypothesis]. Follow-up: [owner or question].