Responsive QA Audit

A layout that looks correct in a browser resize is not a tested layout. Test at real breakpoints, with real content, with real fingers.

1. Set up the audit environment & viewports

Test across all defined breakpoints from responsive-breakpoint-strategy:

• Mobile Small (375×667 - iPhone SE)
• Mobile Standard (393×852 - iPhone 15 / Pixel 8)
• Tablet (768×1024 - iPad Mini/Air)
• Desktop (1280×800)
• Ultra-wide (1440×900+)

2. Automated Playwright overflow & layout test

Run automated checks to detect un-intended horizontal overflows and viewport clipping:

// tests/responsive-overflow.spec.js
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

const VIEWPORTS = [
  { name: 'mobile-sm', width: 375, height: 667 },
  { name: 'mobile-std', width: 393, height: 852 },
  { name: 'tablet', width: 768, height: 1024 },
  { name: 'desktop', width: 1280, height: 800 },
];

for (const vp of VIEWPORTS) {
  test(`No horizontal overflow at ${vp.name} (${vp.width}px)`, async ({ page }) => {
    await page.setViewportSize({ width: vp.width, height: vp.height });
    await page.goto('/');

    const hasOverflow = await page.evaluate(() => {
      return document.documentElement.scrollWidth > window.innerWidth;
    });

    expect(hasOverflow).toBe(false);
  });
}

3. Run tap target & thumb-zone audit

On mobile breakpoints:

• Verify all interactive targets ≥ 44×44 CSS pixels.
• Minimum 8px spacing between adjacent touch elements.
• Primary CTA located within the thumb reach zone (lower 40% of viewport).

4. Typography & line-length check

• Body text ≥ 14px (16px strongly recommended on mobile).
• Reading line-length between 45–75 characters per line (no runaway text containers).
• Headings scale fluidly using clamp() or breakpoint tokens.

5. Component transformation audit

Verify component state against adaptive-component-behavior:

• Data tables transform into stacked card lists on mobile.
• Desktop sticky sidebar transforms into mobile bottom-bar or sliding drawer.
• Modals transform into bottom action-sheets (drawer-bottom).

6. Mobile viewport edge-case testing

• Virtual Keyboard: Ensure inputs stay visible above the virtual keyboard without covering the submit CTA.
• Safe Area Insets: Verify padding-bottom: env(safe-area-inset-bottom) prevents content collision with OS home indicator bars.
• Landscape Orientation: Verify layout does not break when rotated horizontally on mobile.

7. Remote & real device testing strategy

• For teams without physical hardware, execute cloud testing via BrowserStack or Playwright WebKit mobile emulation.
• Physical device spot-check mandatory on at least 1 iOS Safari device and 1 Android Chrome device before production shipping.

Completion Criteria

• Automated Playwright overflow test passes across all 4+ viewport configurations
• Tap targets ≥ 44×44px with zero touch target overlap
• Component transformations verified (table -> cards, sidebar -> bottom-nav)
• Safe-area insets (env(safe-area-inset-*)) tested on notched devices
• Virtual keyboard open state tested on form inputs

Output

A responsive-qa-report.md artifact detailing pass/fail status per breakpoint, automated Playwright test scripts, and actionable remediation tasks.

Anti-patterns

• Testing only at desktop (1440px) and a single mobile width (375px), skipping tablets.
• Relying on overflow-x: hidden to hide horizontal layout overflow instead of fixing the root element width.
• Forgetting iOS Safari address bar height variations when calculating 100vh (use 100dvh).
• Using hover tooltips to convey critical data on touch devices.