How do I check a web developer’s portfolio?

A web developer portfolio is the best evidence you have of what you will get. But portfolios can be misleading: screenshots hide slow pages, and some sites shown were built by someone else. A few simple checks reveal the real quality.

You do not need technical skills for any of the steps below.

Step 1: ask for live links

A strong web developer portfolio links to live websites. Screenshots and mockups show design, but they cannot show speed, mobile layout or whether the forms work. If a developer only shares images, ask why.

Step 2: test each site on your phone

• Does it load quickly on mobile data?
• Is the text easy to read without zooming?
• Do the menu and buttons work with your thumb?
• Does the contact form send without errors?

Step 3: measure speed

Paste each URL into PageSpeed Insights. Look at the mobile results. A developer whose sites consistently score well on Core Web Vitals understands performance. Our free WordPress speed checker gives a quick second opinion.

Step 4: confirm the work is theirs

Some portfolios include sites the developer only touched briefly, or built while working for someone else. To check:

1. Look for a “designed by” credit in the footer.
2. Ask what exactly they did on each project.
3. Contact one or two site owners and ask about the experience.

Step 5: match the portfolio to your project

A beautiful portfolio of design studios does not prove the developer can build a reliable store, and the reverse is also true.

Step 6: look beyond the homepage

Many developers polish the homepage and neglect inner pages. Click through to service pages, blog posts and the contact page. Consistent quality across the site is a good sign.

Step 7: check age and upkeep

Sites built years ago may have been changed by others since. Ask which projects are recent, and whether the developer still maintains them. Up-to-date sites show the developer’s current skills.

Red flags in a web developer portfolio

• Only templates or theme demos, not client sites.
• Broken links or sites that no longer exist.
• Every site looks identical, regardless of the business.
• Very slow pages on mobile.
• No explanation of what the developer actually did.

Use these checks alongside the questions to ask a web developer before you hire.

Example: two portfolios compared

Imagine two developers. The first web developer portfolio shows twelve beautiful screenshots but no links. The second shows five live sites: three load quickly on mobile, all forms work, and two owners confirm the developer built them and still maintains them. The second is clearly the safer choice, even though the first looked more impressive at a glance. A web developer portfolio is only useful when you can test it. Spend thirty minutes clicking through real sites and you will learn more than from any sales call. Keep notes on each site you test so you can compare candidates side by side later.