THE ULTIMATE SAAS UX CHECKLIST
UXLaunch Lab — uxlaunchlab.com

Most SaaS UX problems are not visible in a demo — they show up in the 40% of
the product nobody designs first: empty states, error messages, cancellation
flows. This checklist covers what actually gets missed, grouped by the part
of the product it affects.

ONBOARDING
[ ] First action is obvious within 5 seconds of landing on the dashboard
[ ] Empty state on day one shows what success looks like, not just an empty table
[ ] Progress is saved if a user abandons onboarding mid-flow
[ ] No more than one required field before showing value
[ ] The activation moment happens before asking for payment info

NAVIGATION & INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
[ ] Primary nav has 7 or fewer top-level items
[ ] Current location is always visible (active state, breadcrumb, or page title)
[ ] Search is available if the product has more than roughly 20 discoverable items
[ ] Settings are organised by who uses them (account vs. team vs. billing), not alphabetically

EMPTY, LOADING & ERROR STATES
[ ] Every list, table, and chart has a designed empty state — not a blank rectangle
[ ] Loading states use skeletons that match the final content shape, not generic spinners
[ ] Error messages say what happened and what to do next — never just "Something went wrong"
[ ] Zero-result search states suggest a next action

FORMS
[ ] Inline validation happens on blur, not just on submit
[ ] Error messages appear next to the field they describe
[ ] Required fields are marked; optional fields are labeled "optional," not the reverse
[ ] Destructive actions (delete, cancel) require confirmation with the consequence spelled out

BILLING & PLANS
[ ] Current plan and usage are visible without opening a support ticket
[ ] Upgrade path is one click from any place a limit is hit
[ ] Cancellation flow exists and is not deliberately hidden or obstructed
[ ] Pricing page and in-app plan comparison show the same numbers

ACCESSIBILITY
[ ] Colour is never the only signal — always paired with an icon or text
[ ] All interactive elements are reachable and operable by keyboard
[ ] Contrast ratio meets WCAG AA for body text (4.5:1)
[ ] Form inputs have associated labels, not just placeholder text

PERFORMANCE
[ ] Largest Contentful Paint is under 2.5 seconds on the dashboard
[ ] No layout shift after initial render (CLS near 0)
[ ] Pagination or virtualisation is used on any list over roughly 100 rows

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