--- title: Heuristic Evaluation description: "Run a heuristic evaluation on any live website using Heurio's built-in guidelines — Nielsen, Dieter Rams, Shneiderman, Weinschenk & Barker, and more — directly from the Chrome extension." canonical: "https://www.heurio.co/docs/how-to-use-heurio/heuristic-evaluation" section: How to use Heurio updated: 2026-05-11 --- # Heuristic Evaluation ## How to run a heuristic evaluation with Heurio _Total time: PT15M_ 1. **Pick a heuristic guideline** — Open the Book of Guidelines in the Heurio extension and choose a built-in guideline — for example, Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics, Dieter Rams' 10 Principles, or Shneiderman's 8 Golden Rules. 2. **Lock a rule for systematic review** — Lock a specific rule (e.g. 'Visibility of System Status') so it's pre-selected on every new heurio. This is the fastest way to walk through a guideline rule by rule. 3. **Pin a heurio on each issue you find** — Click any element that violates the locked rule and create a heurio with a note, suggestion, and severity. The rule reference is attached automatically. 4. **Switch rules and continue** — Once you've reviewed the website for one rule, change the locked rule and repeat. This gives you complete coverage of the chosen guideline. 5. **Triage and export from the web app** — Open the project in heurio.app, sort by severity, assign owners, and export to PDF or CSV for stakeholders. > **TL;DR:** open the Book of Guidelines, pick a heuristic guideline (Nielsen, Dieter Rams, etc.), lock a rule, and pin a heurio on every element that violates it. Switch rules and repeat. Heurio provides built-in heuristics to evaluate live websites, helping users identify usability and design issues. This guide explains how to use Heurio for a structured [heuristic evaluation](/ux-glossary#heuristic-evaluation). ## What is a heuristic evaluation? A [heuristic evaluation](/ux-glossary#heuristic-evaluation) is a method used to assess a website's usability and design by comparing it against a set of established heuristics or principles. It's one of the cheapest and fastest ways to uncover usability issues — no participant recruiting, no test sessions. Heurio incorporates this process by offering built-in guidelines, facilitating comprehensive, consistent evaluations. Using the built-in heuristics in the [Heurio extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/heurio/pjdbofhiijhapnmpgilkeammkanglfdj). ## How to conduct heuristic evaluations with Heurio - Reference the relevant heuristics directly by selecting a built-in heuristic. - Enter your feedback, including: - **Note:** describe the issue or area requiring attention. - **Suggestion:** provide recommendations for resolving the issue or improving the element. - **Severity:** rate the impact of the issue on a 1–5 scale. - **Guideline & Rule:** select the relevant heuristic (e.g. Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics — 1. Visibility of System Status). ## Speed up the process by locking heuristics - In the Chrome extension, users can lock a specific guideline's rule by clicking on the "Book of Guidelines" button in the bottom right corner. - Select a guideline (e.g. [Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics](/nielsens-10-usability-heuristics)) and then choose the rule (e.g. 1. Visibility of System Status) you wish to lock. The locked rule will be set automatically for your next comment. - This option is useful for a comprehensive, rule-by-rule evaluation of a website, ensuring thorough coverage. ## Learn more about built-in heuristic guidelines Visit [Heurio's heuristic guidelines hub](/guidelines) for a detailed overview, or [compare guidelines side by side](/compare-heuristic-guidelines) to pick the right one for your review. Heurio's built-in guidelines streamline incorporating [heuristic evaluation](/ux-glossary#heuristic-evaluation) into the feedback process. By referencing established systems directly within the [Heurio Extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/heurio-ux-check-visual-fe/pjdbofhiijhapnmpgilkeammkanglfdj), users ensure consistent, comprehensive evaluations. The option to lock a rule facilitates a thorough, rule-by-rule review, making heuristic evaluation more accessible and efficient. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a heuristic evaluation? A heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method where reviewers judge an interface against a set of established heuristics — for example, Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics. It's fast, cheap, and uncovers most major usability issues without recruiting users. ### Which guidelines does Heurio include? Heurio ships with Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics, Dieter Rams' 10 Principles of Good Design, Shneiderman's 8 Golden Rules, Weinschenk & Barker Classification, Arhippainen's UX Heuristics, Amélie Boucher's Ergonomic Criteria, ISO 9241 Part 110, and Colombo & Pasch's Heuristics. See the full list at /guidelines. ### Can I use my own custom heuristics? Yes. Create a custom guideline in the Heurio web app with your own rules — for example, a company-wide design system checklist. See Custom Guidelines for the setup. ### How long does a heuristic evaluation take? Reviewing a typical SaaS landing page against one guideline (10 rules) usually takes 30–60 minutes. Locking a rule and walking through the site rule-by-rule keeps you focused and is faster than ad-hoc browsing. ### Can multiple reviewers evaluate the same site? Yes — and you should. Heuristic evaluations are most reliable with 3–5 reviewers because each one catches different issues. Invite teammates to the project and have each pin their own heurios; the web app shows everyone's findings together.