Ever launched a website only to discover a broken form, a missing redirect, or a page that looks terrible on mobile — after going live? That's what proper acceptance testing is designed to prevent.
What is Web Acceptance Testing?
Web acceptance testing (called recettage in French project management) is the structured process of validating a website or web application before it goes live. It ensures the final deliverable matches the initial specifications — functionally, technically, and from a user experience standpoint.
It's not just "clicking around to see if things work." It's a documented, step-by-step validation that covers every layer of your project.
The 3 Phases You Shouldn't Skip
- Intermediate testing (during development) Run at the end of each sprint or functional phase. Validates features progressively and avoids the "big bang" effect at delivery.
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Performed by the client or end users. The goal: confirm the product actually meets real business needs — not just technical specs.
- Final pre-production testing The last checkpoint before go-live. Everything gets tested one final time: responsiveness, SEO, RGPD compliance, redirects, performance. This phase ends with a sign-off document authorizing production deployment.
Step-by-Step Method
Step 1 — Write your acceptance test plan
Document every feature to test, the expected result, and the validation criteria. Derive it directly from your specifications or backlog.
Step 2 — Build your test scenarios
Each scenario simulates a real user action:
Submit a contact form → verify email received
Add product to cart → complete checkout
Navigate on mobile → check layout and readability
Always include edge cases: empty fields, unauthorized actions, unusual screen sizes.
Step 3 — Run the tests
Each test gets one of three statuses:
✅ Passed
⚠️ Minor issue
❌ Blocking bug
Use a simple tool (Notion, Trello, or even a spreadsheet) to track results.
Step 4 — Track and fix anomalies
Every bug must be documented (screenshot + steps to reproduce), prioritized, assigned, fixed, and retested. Don't skip the retest — fixes sometimes introduce new issues.
Step 5 — Technical & SEO verification
This is where many teams cut corners. Before signing off, verify:
Page load speed (PageSpeed Insights)
Every page returns HTTP 200 (no silent errors)
No broken links or missing redirects
JavaScript console is clean
robots.txt and sitemap are correct
The Acceptance Testing Checklist
FUNCTIONAL
☐ All forms submit correctly and trigger expected emails
☐ Navigation links point to correct pages
☐ Dynamic content loads properly (sliders, filters, search)
RESPONSIVE
☐ Mobile layout is clean and usable
☐ Touch targets are large enough
☐ No content overflow on small screens
TECHNICAL
☐ All pages return HTTP 200
☐ No 404 errors on internal links
☐ 301 redirects are active (after a redesign)
☐ Page speed score is acceptable (Core Web Vitals)
☐ No JS errors in browser console
SECURITY
☐ SSL certificate is valid on all pages
☐ Admin access is protected
☐ Forms are protected against XSS and SQL injection
LEGAL & COMPLIANCE
☐ Cookie consent banner is present
☐ Privacy policy is linked in forms
☐ GDPR data handling is documented
SIGN-OFF
☐ All blocking bugs resolved
☐ Client/stakeholder approval obtained
☐ PV de recette (acceptance report) signed
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Testing only in your local environment, not on a staging server
Skipping mobile testing entirely
Not involving the actual end user in UAT
Forgetting to document anomalies (memory is not a bug tracker)
Treating acceptance testing as a one-time event rather than an iterative process
Going Deeper
If you work in French or with French-speaking clients, I wrote a comprehensive guide on recettage web covering all these phases in detail, including tools and real-world examples: Recettage : définition, étapes et bonnes pratiques
If you need help running acceptance testing on your WordPress project or want a freelance partner for the full delivery process, you can also check out my freelance services at Lyode.
What's your go-to tool for tracking bugs during acceptance testing? Drop it in the comments.
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