Readability and Plain Language

Scannability Review

Improve headings, lists, summaries, visual cues, and information prominence so task-focused readers can locate, understand, and act on the right content.

Free editable Markdown · Content designers, editors, and web writers · Updated July 30, 2026

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Page and task

Page URL or file: [Location]
Primary reader: [Role and context]
Primary task: [What the reader must accomplish]
Must-find information: [Three to five items]
High-impact warning or exception: [What cannot be missed]
Devices reviewed: [Desktop, mobile, other]
Review date and owner: [YYYY-MM-DD; name]

Scan observations

First clear signal: [Heading, summary, label, or action]
Time to primary answer: [Observed time]
Point of confusion: [Where and why]
Vague heading: [Current wording] — **Revision:** [Specific wording]
Dense section: [Location] — **Treatment:** [Split, list, table, or retain]
Buried requirement: [Location] — **New position:** [Where it belongs]
Unclear link or button: [Current] — **Revision:** [Descriptive action]
Mobile issue: [Overflow, obstruction, or order]

Final checks

The main answer is prominent without losing necessary conditions.
Headings describe content and follow a logical level order.
Lists contain parallel items and steps retain sequence.
Tables have useful headers and remain usable on small screens.
Links and buttons make sense outside surrounding sentences.
Warnings use text and structure, not color alone.
Visual hierarchy matches semantic document structure.
Continuous reading still preserves context and reasoning.

How to use this template

Define the page's primary task and the exact facts, actions, and warnings a reader must find.
Perform a timed scan at desktop and mobile widths, recording where the route becomes unclear.
Review heading meaning, information order, lists, links, tables, summaries, and visual prominence.
Revise the hierarchy while preserving qualifications and relationships that require continuous prose.
Recheck semantics, keyboard flow, mobile behavior, and comprehension of the final path.

Start with the reader's route

Name the main task and the signals a reader is likely to seek: a heading, price, eligibility rule, deadline, step, warning, or comparison. Scan the page without reading every sentence and mark where those signals are visible. Put the most important answer or next action near the point where the reader needs it. Information order should follow decisions and dependencies, not the order in which the author discovered the subject. A short summary can orient readers, but it should not hide an exception that changes the answer.

Make labels carry meaning

Headings should describe the section's content rather than announce “Overview,” “More information,” or a repeated keyword. Use parallel wording for sibling sections and preserve a logical heading hierarchy. Lists work for genuinely parallel items, steps, requirements, or options; they are not a cure for paragraphs that contain an argument. Give links and buttons labels that explain destination or action. Tables need clear headers and work best for exact comparisons, while complex nuance may remain clearer in prose.

Check visual and semantic prominence together

Bold text, cards, color, spacing, and placement create a visual hierarchy, but semantic markup must carry the same relationships for assistive technology. Do not rely on color alone for status or warning. Avoid putting every sentence in a callout, which removes all contrast. On mobile, verify that tables, sticky elements, banners, and long headings do not obscure the task. After restructuring, reread continuously to catch context lost through aggressive splitting and ensure repeated labels still make sense out of visual context.

See the fields in context

Fictional example: pottery studio cancellation page

Kiln Corner is an invented studio. The rules below are illustrative and are not a real cancellation policy.

Task: A fictional member needs to find whether a Saturday class can be rescheduled.
Finding: The key 48-hour condition appears below a long description titled “Things to know.”
Revision: Rename the section “When you can reschedule” and place the condition before the request steps.
Visual check: The deadline remains visible as text in the callout and is repeated in the form confirmation.
Context retained: A short paragraph explains the invented exception for a canceled class rather than forcing it into an ambiguous bullet.

Frequently asked questions

Does scannable content have to be short?

No. A long resource can be highly scannable when its structure, labels, summaries, and navigation help readers reach the right depth.

How many headings are too many?

There is no fixed number. Add a heading when it names a meaningful section; remove headings that fragment one idea or repeat labels without navigational value.

Should every paragraph become bullets?

No. Bullets suit parallel items. Explanations, causality, conditions, and argument often need connected sentences to preserve relationships.

Is scannability an accessibility check?

It supports accessibility but covers only part of it. A separate accessibility review should inspect semantics, keyboard use, alternatives, contrast, and other requirements.