The 2026 Digital Publishing Audit: 50 Questions to Ask About Your Platform

When was the last time you truly examined your digital publishing platform? Not just checked your analytics dashboard or published another issue, but really audited every aspect of how your content reaches readers and performs in the market?

If you're like most publishers, the honest answer is probably "too long ago." Digital publishing moves fast, and what worked brilliantly two years ago might now be holding you back from growth, engagement, and revenue opportunities.

This comprehensive audit checklist will help you evaluate your platform across six critical dimensions. Set aside time to work through these questions with your team, gather real data, and identify areas where your platform might be limiting your publishing success.

Accessibility (8 Questions)

Digital inclusion isn't optional anymore. Beyond being the right thing to do, your platforms accessibility features will directly impact your audience size and legal compliance.

1. Does your platform meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards at minimum?

2. Can readers navigate your entire publication using only a keyboard?

3. Are all images accompanied by meaningful alt text?

4. Is your content compatible with screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver?

5. Do you offer adjustable text sizes without breaking your layout?

6. Are your colour contrast ratios sufficient for readers with visual impairments?

7. Do video and audio content include captions and transcripts?

8. Have you tested your platform with actual assistive technology users?

Red flag: If you answered "I don't know" to more than two of these questions, accessibility should be your immediate priority.

Analytics & Insights (9 Questions)

You can't improve what you don't measure. Your platform should give you deep visibility through analytics capabilities into reader behaviour and content performance.

9. Can you track individual article or content piece performance beyond basic page views?

10. Do you understand which content drives subscriptions, renewals, or conversions?

11. Can you see where readers drop off or disengage within your publications?

12. Do you have visibility into reader journeys across multiple sessions and devices?

13. Can you segment your audience based on behavior, interests, or engagement levels?

14. Are you tracking meaningful metrics beyond vanity numbers like total page views?

15. Can you measure the ROI of specific content types or editorial initiatives?

16. Do you have access to real-time data or are you working with day-old information?

17. Can you export and manipulate your analytics data for custom reporting?

What success looks like: You should be able to answer questions like "Which articles convert free readers to subscribers?" or "What content keeps our most valuable segment engaged?" within minutes.

Interactivity & Engagement Features (9 Questions)

Static PDFs are yesterday's publishing. Today's readers expect rich, interactive experiences that make content more engaging and memorable.

18. Does your platform offer robust content search capabilities within publications?

19. Can you easily embed video content that plays smoothly within your publications

20. Can you incorporate interactive infographics and data visualizations?

21. Does your platform support animations and motion graphics to enhance storytelling?

22. Can you add 360-degree product views or interactive product showcases?

23. Do you offer page-turning effects that create a magazine-like reading experience?

24. Can you implement interactive pop-ups, tooltips, or expandable content sections?

25. Does your platform support interactive elements like quizzes, polls, or calculators?

26. Can readers interact with your content in meaningful ways beyond passive scrolling?

Engagement reality: Publications with interactive elements see 2-3x higher time-on-page and significantly better content recall compared to static alternatives.

Mobile Performance (8 Questions)

With mobile traffic often exceeding 60% for many publishers, mobile performance isn't a nice-to-have feature anymore.

27. Do your publications load in under 4 seconds on mobile devices?

28. Is your content genuinely responsive or just scaled-down desktop content?

29. Can readers easily navigate, zoom, and interact with your content on smartphones?

30. Do interactive elements (forms, galleries, videos) work smoothly on mobile?

31. Does your platform support offline reading or download capabilities?

32. Are your file sizes optimised for mobile data usage?

33. Have you tested your platform across different devices, not just the latest iPhone?

34. Do mobile readers have the same functionality as desktop readers (commenting, sharing, saving)?

Reality check: Test your platform across different smartphone and desktop devices - or using Chrome DevTools - to explore how your content displays on different screen sizes and devices. This gives you true insight into the readers' reality, rather than how the publication performs on your office wifi on the latest device.

Sales & Marketing Capabilities (9 Questions)

Your publication should be a revenue-generating asset, not just a content delivery mechanism. The right platform turns readers into leads and customers.

35. Can you control advertising placement on your platform and exclude networks like Google Ads if desired?

36. Can you embed lead capture forms directly within your publications?

37. Does your platform integrate forms with your CRM or email marketing system automatically?

38. Can readers purchase products directly from your publication through an integrated shopping cart?

39. Can you add e-commerce links that drive sales through external channels (Amazon, your website, etc.)?

40. Can you implement remarketing pixels (Facebook, Google, LinkedIn) to build retargeting audiences?

41. Can you integrate live chat to have sales, customer service or support conversations within your digital publication?

Revenue reality: Publishers who enable direct commerce and lead generation within publications see 30-50% higher conversion rates compared to driving traffic to external sites.

Reader Experience (8 Questions)

At the end of the day, if readers don't enjoy consuming your content, none of the technical excellence matters.

42. Can you deliver your digital publications through an app for an alternative way to consume content?

43. Is your content genuinely enjoyable to read or does your platform get in the way?

44. Can readers easily find related content or navigate your archive?

45. Do you offer personalisation based on reader interests and behavior?

46. Are your calls-to-action (subscribe, share, comment) clear but not intrusive?

47. Does your platform load cleanly without excessive ads or pop-ups interrupting reading?

48. Can readers highlight, annotate, or save content for later?

49. Do you offer multiple consumption formats (read, listen, watch) where appropriate?

50. Have you actually asked your readers what frustrates them about your platform - consider integrating feedback requests in your content?

The ultimate test: Would you genuinely enjoy spending 30 minutes reading content on your platform, or would you find it frustrating?

What To Do With Your Answers

Now that you've worked through these questions, you likely have a clearer picture of where your platform excels and where it's holding you back. Here's how to move forward:

Create three priority tiers. Divide your identified issues into critical (directly impacting revenue or legal compliance), important (affecting significant portions of your audience), and nice-to-have (incremental improvements).

Calculate the cost of inaction. For each major gap, estimate what it's costing you in lost readers, revenue, or team productivity. A platform that requires 15 extra hours of manual work weekly costs you roughly £30,000+ annually in staff time alone.

Set a timeline. Some improvements you can make immediately, others require vendor support or platform migration. Be realistic but don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

Consider your options. Sometimes fixing gaps means working with your current vendor on improvements. Sometimes it means adding supplementary tools. And sometimes, honestly, it means recognising that your platform has reached the end of its useful life for your needs.

The Bottom Line

Your publishing platform should be an asset that helps you grow, not a limitation you work around. If you found yourself answering "no" or "I don't know" to more than 15 of these questions, it's time for a serious conversation about whether your current platform is serving your future.

The digital publishing landscape in 2026 demands platforms that are accessible, insightful, interactive, fast, commercially capable, and genuinely reader-friendly. Anything less isn't just suboptimal—it's putting you at a competitive disadvantage.

When did you last audit your platform? The answer should be "right now."