Enterprise Frontend Checklist

Security

Required

HTTPS Everywhere
Enforce secure HTTPS connections for all web traffic to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and data theft.
Strict Content Security Policy (CSP)
Implement CSP headers to prevent XSS attacks by controlling which resources can be loaded.
Secure Cookies and Session Management
Use Secure, HttpOnly, and SameSite flags to protect cookies from theft and manipulation.
Input Validation & Sanitization
Validate and sanitize all user inputs to prevent injection attacks and data corruption.
Authentication & Authorization
Implement robust authentication using OAuth/OpenID Connect and proper role-based access control.

Suggested

Subresource Integrity (SRI)
Verify third-party resources haven't been tampered with using cryptographic hashes.
Certificate Pinning
Enhance HTTPS security by specifying which certificates are trusted.
Security Header Best Practices
Implement headers like X-Frame-Options and X-XSS-Protection to enhance security.

Accessibility

Required

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance
Meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines level AA requirements for inclusive web experiences.
Semantic HTML
Use proper HTML elements to convey meaning and structure to assistive technologies.
Keyboard Navigation
Ensure all interactive elements can be accessed and used with keyboard only.
ARIA Landmarks and Roles
Add ARIA attributes to enhance accessibility for screen reader users.
Color Contrast
Maintain minimum contrast ratios of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

Suggested

Automated Accessibility Testing
Use tools like Axe or Lighthouse to automatically detect accessibility issues.
Manual Screen Reader Testing
Test with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver to ensure screen reader compatibility.
Captioning & Transcripts
Provide text alternatives for all audio and video content.

Performance

Required

Performance Budget & Monitoring
Set and track performance metrics like page load time and Time to Interactive using tools like Lighthouse.
Efficient Bundling
Optimize JavaScript bundles using code splitting, tree shaking, and minification techniques.
Caching Strategies
Implement effective HTTP caching and service workers for offline support and faster load times.
Image Optimization
Use responsive images, WebP format, and lazy loading to reduce bandwidth and improve load times.
CDN
Utilize Content Delivery Networks to serve static assets from edge locations for reduced latency.

Suggested

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) or Static Site Generation (SSG)
Improve initial page load and SEO by pre-rendering content on the server.
Preloading & Prefetching
Optimize resource loading by preloading critical assets and prefetching likely-to-be-needed resources.
Performance Profiling Tools
Use Chrome DevTools, Web Vitals, and other profiling tools to identify and fix performance bottlenecks.

Design & UX

Required

Corporate Brand Guidelines
Strictly follow company color palettes, typography, and design standards for brand consistency.
Responsive/Mobile-First Design
Design interfaces that adapt seamlessly across all device sizes and screen orientations.
Consistent UI Patterns
Maintain consistent component design and behavior throughout the application.
Localization & Internationalization
Support multiple languages and regional formats with proper translation management.

Suggested

Design System / UI Library
Create or use a comprehensive design system to ensure consistency and reusability.
Micro-Frontend Architecture
Consider micro-frontends for large applications requiring independent team deployment.
Dark Mode / High-Contrast Themes
Implement alternative color schemes for better accessibility and user preference.

Scalability

Required

Modular Code Structure
Organize code into reusable, maintainable modules following separation of concerns principles.
Version Control & Branching Strategy
Implement GitFlow or trunk-based development with clear branching and merging policies.
Automated Testing
Maintain comprehensive test coverage with unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
Continuous Integration (CI)
Automate builds, tests, and code quality checks for every code change.

Suggested

Monorepo or Polyrepo Strategy
Choose and implement a repository strategy that best suits your team structure and deployment needs.
Containerization
Use Docker for consistent development and deployment environments.
Feature Flagging
Implement feature flags for controlled rollouts and A/B testing capabilities.
Automated Code Review & Quality Checks
Use tools like SonarQube and ESLint to maintain code quality standards.

Monitoring

Required

Error & Crash Reporting
Implement real-time error tracking with tools like Sentry or Datadog for quick issue detection.
Usage Analytics
Track user behavior and application usage patterns with enterprise analytics solutions.
Logging & Alerting
Set up comprehensive logging and automated alerts for system issues.

Suggested

Real User Monitoring (RUM)
Monitor actual user experiences with metrics like FCP and LCP from real sessions.
Synthetic Monitoring
Regularly test critical user flows from different regions to ensure availability.
Heatmaps & Session Replay
Use tools like FullStory or Hotjar to understand user behavior patterns.

Privacy

Required

Privacy Regulations (GDPR, CCPA)
Ensure compliance with privacy laws including data protection, user rights, and data processing requirements.
Consent Management
Implement cookie consent and data collection preferences with clear opt-out options.
Encryption of Sensitive Data
Use strong encryption for PII and sensitive data both in transit and at rest.

Suggested

Regular Audits & Penetration Testing
Conduct periodic security assessments and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.
Data Retention Policies
Define and enforce data lifecycle policies including storage duration and deletion procedures.

Team & Process

Required

Clear Documentation
Maintain comprehensive documentation covering architecture, APIs, and development processes.
Agile / Scrum / Kanban
Follow established project management methodologies with regular sprints and iterations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Foster collaboration between developers, designers, QA, and stakeholders throughout development.

Suggested

Design-Development Handoff Tools
Use tools like Figma or Zeplin to streamline design-to-development workflow.
Automated Deployments / CD
Implement continuous delivery pipelines for reliable and efficient deployments.
Peer Reviews & Pair Programming
Encourage collaborative development practices to improve code quality and knowledge sharing.

DevOps & Infrastructure

Required

Infrastructure as Code
Use tools like Terraform or CloudFormation to manage infrastructure through version-controlled code.
Multi-Region Strategy
Implement deployment strategies across multiple regions for high availability and disaster recovery.
Blue-Green Deployments
Use zero-downtime deployment strategies to minimize service interruption.
Cloud Provider Best Practices
Follow cloud-native architecture patterns and provider-specific best practices.

Suggested

Chaos Engineering
Implement controlled failure testing to improve system resilience.
Infrastructure Monitoring
Use comprehensive monitoring solutions for infrastructure health and performance.
Cost Optimization
Implement cloud cost monitoring and optimization strategies.

Modern Architecture

Required

Micro-Frontend Architecture
Implement micro-frontend patterns for scalable and maintainable frontend applications.
API Gateway Integration
Use API gateways for routing, authentication, and request handling.
Backend for Frontend (BFF)
Implement BFF pattern for optimized frontend-specific API endpoints.
Event-Driven Architecture
Use event-driven patterns for real-time features and loose coupling.

Suggested

GraphQL Implementation
Consider GraphQL for flexible and efficient data fetching.
Edge Computing
Leverage edge computing for improved performance and reduced latency.
Serverless Architecture
Use serverless functions for scalable and cost-effective computing.

AI/ML Integration

Required

AI Feature Integration
Implement AI-powered features like search, recommendations, and personalization.
ML Model Management
Establish processes for model versioning, deployment, and monitoring.
AI Analytics
Track AI/ML feature performance and user interaction metrics.
Ethical AI Guidelines
Follow ethical AI principles and bias prevention practices.

Suggested

A/B Testing Framework
Implement robust A/B testing for AI feature optimization.
AI Performance Monitoring
Monitor AI model performance and resource usage in production.
Automated Model Updates
Implement automated model retraining and deployment pipelines.

Developer Experience

Required

Developer Portal
Maintain a comprehensive developer portal with documentation and resources.
Internal Tools
Develop and maintain tools for improved developer productivity.
Documentation Automation
Implement automated documentation generation and validation.
Development Environments
Provide standardized development environments using containers.

Suggested

Code Generation Tools
Use code generators for boilerplate and repetitive tasks.
IDE Integration
Provide IDE plugins and extensions for improved workflow.
Development Metrics
Track and optimize development velocity and quality metrics.

Sustainability

Required

Green Hosting
Use environmentally conscious hosting providers and regions.
Carbon Footprint Monitoring
Track and optimize application carbon footprint.
Energy Efficiency
Implement energy-efficient code practices and optimizations.
Resource Optimization
Optimize resource usage for minimal environmental impact.

Suggested

Sustainable CI/CD
Optimize CI/CD pipelines for energy efficiency.
Green Development Practices
Follow sustainable development guidelines and best practices.
Environmental Impact Reports
Generate regular reports on environmental impact metrics.

Cost Management

Required

Budget Planning & Monitoring
Implement comprehensive budget tracking and forecasting for all frontend-related costs.
Cloud Cost Optimization
Monitor and optimize cloud resource usage, implement auto-scaling policies, and use cost-effective service tiers.
ROI Metrics
Track and measure return on investment for major features and infrastructure investments.

Suggested

Cost Attribution
Implement cost attribution per feature/team for better resource allocation and accountability.
Resource Usage Analytics
Deploy tools to analyze and optimize resource consumption patterns.

Vendor Management

Required

Vendor Evaluation Framework
Establish criteria for evaluating and selecting third-party services and dependencies.
Lock-in Prevention
Implement strategies to prevent vendor lock-in through abstraction layers and portable solutions.
SLA Monitoring
Track vendor performance against SLAs and maintain compliance documentation.

Suggested

Vendor Diversification
Maintain relationships with multiple vendors for critical services to reduce risk.
Regular Vendor Reviews
Conduct periodic reviews of vendor performance, costs, and strategic alignment.

Technical Debt

Required

Debt Assessment
Regular assessment and documentation of technical debt across the application.
Modernization Strategy
Develop and maintain a clear plan for addressing technical debt and modernizing legacy components.
Legacy Integration
Maintain clear interfaces and documentation for legacy system integration points.

Suggested

Debt Metrics
Track and visualize technical debt metrics to inform prioritization.
Refactoring Budget
Allocate dedicated time and resources for addressing technical debt.

Innovation Pipeline

Required

Technology Radar
Maintain a structured approach to evaluating and adopting new technologies.
R&D Framework
Establish guidelines and processes for research and development initiatives.
POC Guidelines
Define clear criteria and processes for proof of concept development and evaluation.

Suggested

Innovation Time
Allocate dedicated time for teams to explore and experiment with new technologies.
Innovation Metrics
Track and measure the impact and success of innovation initiatives.

Crisis Management

Required

Incident Response Plan
Maintain detailed procedures for handling and escalating various types of incidents.
Communication Protocols
Establish clear communication channels and procedures for crisis situations.
Recovery Objectives
Define and maintain RTO/RPO targets and recovery procedures for critical systems.

Suggested

Crisis Simulation
Regularly conduct crisis simulation exercises to test response procedures.
Post-Mortem Framework
Implement structured approach to incident analysis and learning.