6 Website Proofing Tools for Faster Sign-off

The process of proofing a website before launch typically comes with some major frustrations:

• Developers getting feedback they can barely decipher, leading to endless back-and-forth emails just to understand what actually needs to be changed
• Complete chaos when multiple stakeholders start proofing at once - imagine trying to track feedback across five different email threads while nobody really knows what's been addressed and what hasn't

After running a web agency for six years, I've learned that while a good website proofing tool can solve these headaches, not all tools are created equal. Here's what you should really be thinking about:

• Do you actually need a tool that handles 180+ different file types, or are you simply looking to proof a website?
• Do you want the feedback to go into your project management tool where your developers and team already work?
• Are you proofing a live website or a staging site? Trust me, this matters more than you might think when it comes to how you install the tool.

In this post, I'll walk you through the 6 best website proofing tools that can help you launch faster and smoother. We'll start with our own tool, Feedbucket, and I'll explain why each tool might (or might not) be the right fit for your specific needs.

1. Feedbucket

Feedbucket was built after running a web agency for many years. Web agencies constantly proof websites before launch, often juggling feedback from multiple stakeholders like clients, team members, designers, and beta testers.

Recently there was a lively discussion in TheAdminBar, a popular Facebook group for WordPress web agency owners. They were comparing different tools they used when reviewing new websites, and Feedbucket kept coming up in the conversation.

One agency owner particularly captured why the tool resonates:

We've been using Feedbucket since for a while and had no issues. It connects to many PM tools (we use ClickUp) and has two way sync so if you close a ticket in ClickUp it resolve it in Feedbucket. It's a great selling tool also - prospects live when I demo that we have a tool they can use to submit things to us from their website and it lands straight into our support queue.

While not everyone proofing websites runs an agency, the challenges remain similar whether you're an in-house team, freelancer, or agency. If it works for the people doing this day in and day out, chances are it'll work for you too.

Let's explore how we tackle those common website proofing headaches we all face.

Submit clear and understandable feedback without leaving the website

If you've ever been part of trying to launch a website, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about when I say "unclear feedback". Emails like "The button is not working" or "Can we make the image bigger?".

The inevitable follow-up questions start rolling: What button? What's happening? What browser are you using? Can you send a screenshot? Can you please share the console logs with us?

Let's be honest - expecting all stakeholders (whether clients or internal teams) to know exactly what technical information you need is probably asking too much. That's why we focused on making it dead simple to submit clear, understandable feedback with all the necessary context.

Here's how it works: you install Feedbucket with a simple script tag on your website (typically the staging site). Once installed, stakeholders can submit feedback in two ways:

1. Using annotated screenshots
2. With a video recording. With or without microphone

The best part? There's no extra software to install, no accounts to create - everything they need is right there in their browser, working on any device they're using.

While stakeholders are submitting feedback, Feedbucket quietly captures all the technical details your developers need:

• Page URL and element information
• Browser and OS details
• Device specifications
• Console logs
• Screen resolution

We designed it this way for a reason: submitting feedback should be easier than writing an email, while developers get all the context they need to understand exactly what should be changed. It's a win-win that gets everyone actually using the tool.

Check out below how easy it is to submit feedback using an annotated screenshot.

Now, we all know some issues just can't be captured in a screenshot. Take a contact form that's not working properly or an animation that isn't displaying correctly.

For these situations, stakeholders can record a quick video of the issue, with optional voice commentary. And remember - no extra software needed. Everything happens right in the browser.

It's like having Loom built right into your website, without any installation needed.

Organize all website proofing communication in one place

Getting clear feedback is crucial, but let's be honest - it's just the first step in the proofing process. The real challenge begins when the communication starts.

What happens when you need to ask a follow-up question? Or when other stakeholders need to weigh in on a potential change? This usually means long email chains with seven people cc'd, and nobody quite sure which version was the latest.

That's why we built robust communication and collaboration tools right into Feedbucket. Everyone involved in the proofing process can see all submitted feedback and follow the entire conversation - right there on the website. No more digging through email threads or wondering if you missed an important message. Everything is organized in one place, exactly where it needs to be.

We've built in all the collaboration features you need - attachments, tags, status updates, notifications - to keep everyone aligned. Having everything embedded directly on the website makes the whole process smoother since all the context and tools are right there where you're working.

Here's another common headache with website proofing: duplicate feedback. When you're working with multiple stakeholders, it's incredibly frustrating to receive the same feedback three times from different people. Why does this happen? Simple - there's usually no central place where stakeholders can see what others have already reported.

Here's how we try to reduce duplicates: When someone submits feedback, Feedbucket places a visible pin directly on the website element. Now, when another stakeholder is about to report something, they can immediately see if that element already has feedback. Instead of creating a duplicate, they can simply add their thoughts to the existing conversation.

Sync the feedback with your project management tools

Keeping all the feedback organized on the website and in one place is great. But here's the thing - your development team spends their day working in project management tools. Having them constantly switch between the website and their PM tool just kills productivity.

That's why one of our core features in Feedbucket is deep two-way sync with popular project management tools. Stakeholders can interact with feedback directly on the website, while your team keeps working in their familiar project management environment, using the same workflow they always have.

Let me break down how this two-way sync works. First, everything that happens on the website automatically syncs to your project management tool:

1. New feedback creates a task in your project management tool, complete with all contextual details
2. Comments made on the website sync directly to the corresponding task
3. When feedback is resolved on the website, it's automatically marks the task as done in your PM tool

The feedback created as a task in Asana with all details. Asana is just an example. There are lots of other other integrations.

But here's where it gets really interesting - the sync works the other way too, giving your team complete control from their project management tool.

Need to ask a follow-up question about some feedback? No need to jump over to the staging site or open another tool. Your team can simply add a comment in your project management tool starting with @feedbucket. This comment syncs right back to Feedbucket and notifies both the original submitter and anyone else involved in the conversation.

Of course, this sync is selective - comments only sync when you use @feedbucket. This means you can keep your internal team discussions in the PM tool and choose when to loop in stakeholders.

When your team completes the requested changes and marks the task as "Done" in your PM tool, everything syncs automatically - Feedbucket resolves the feedback, removes the pin from the website, and notifies everyone involved in that feedback thread.

The whole point is to let your team keep working in the tools they already use. From our experience, the best integrations are the ones that enhance your existing workflow rather than forcing you to change it.

Feedbucket pricing

• Pro Plan at $39 per month. The Pro Plan gives you unlimited projects and feedback collection, integration with existing tools, and all core features for running an efficient website proofing process.
• Business Plan at $89 per month. The Business Plan includes everything in Pro, plus advanced features like console log recording and custom branding and much more.

Try Feedbucket yourself with a 14-day, no credit card needed, free trial.

2. PageProof

PageProof is one of those online proofing tools that I talked about in the intro that can handle a ton of different file types - designs, excel, emails, audio, you name it.

Yes, they handle websites too, which is what we're focusing on here. But I've got to say something about this "do-it-all" approach. Website feedback alone (maybe throw in design feedback too) is already a complex challenge to solve well. Being the best at handling every possible file type? I have my doubts.

From what I can see, PageProof really positions itself for bigger enterprises, putting more emphasis on video, digital, and PDF proofing capabilities.

Testing it out isn't straightforward since there's no free trial, and their lowest tier starts at $249 a month - pretty steep if website proofing is your main focus.

I wanted to include at least one of these comprehensive online proofing tools to show you what's out there. Some tools claim they can handle all sorts of digital assets, but it really comes down to what you actually need.

PageProof Pricing

Unlike other tools we've covered, PageProof doesn't offer a free trial or free plan. You'll need to contact their sales team for a 10-day trial. If you decide to move forward, they have two plans at $249 and $399 a month. For most teams, their $249 monthly Team plan would be the starting point.

3. Marker.io

Marker.io gives you two ways to get started: you can either install their browser extension or add a script tag to your website.

Let me tell you where I think Marker.io really shines - internal QA testing of web applications, especially when it comes to reporting bugs to your development team. Their session replay feature is particularly impressive, capturing the 30 seconds before a bug report is submitted. For developers (and I've been there), this is gold. It dramatically reduces those frustrating "Can't reproduce" responses and speeds up the debugging process.

But here's where things get a bit tricky for website proofing specifically. The main challenge I've found is with their communication and collaboration setup. To see any submitted feedback, you need to hop over to a separate platform and create an account. Now, when we're trying to make the proofing process as smooth as possible, this extra friction is exactly what we want to avoid.

Another limitation worth mentioning is the lack of video feedback options. You know those issues that are just hard to explain in text? Well, you'll have to find another way to communicate those.

That said, I have to give credit where it's due - their integration game is strong. With over 30 different project management tool integrations, they've got you covered on that front.

Marker.io Pricing

If you're considering Marker.io, they offer three pricing tiers ranging from $59 to $399 per month. The Starter Plan at $59 monthly includes all the basic tools you need for managing client feedback. Need those extra features like session replay and console log tracking? The Team plan at $149 monthly has you covered there.

4. MarkUp.io

Here's what makes MarkUp.io interesting - it's perfect if you need to proof a live website or one you don't have direct control over.

They use a clever proxy technology that works like this: you input any URL into their system, and it generates a shareable link where everyone can collaborate. No installation needed - sounds pretty convenient, right?

But let's talk about the trade-offs, because there are some important ones. First up, if you're working with staging sites protected by Basic Auth (and let's be honest, many of us do), you'll run into some limitations.

Then there's the mobile testing situation. Since it's a proxy tool, you don't get true mobile feedback. And if you've been in this game for any time at all, you know there's a world of difference between what you see in a desktop's mobile emulator and what you get on actual mobile devices. This means you might miss some crucial mobile experience issues.

But here's what I find most problematic with proxy solutions - you're asking stakeholders to go to a completely different URL to submit feedback instead of working directly on your staging site. It's a small detail that can create unnecessary friction in the proofing process.

MarkUp.io Pricing

MarkUp.io has a free version, but it's quite basic. For any serious business use, you'll likely need their Pro plan at $29 a month. If you can work with the limitations we talked about, this makes it one of the more budget-friendly options in the website proofing tool landscape.

5. FileStage

FileStage is similar to PageProof in that it's not just focused on website proofing. You can work with videos, PDFs, images, you name it.

FileStage has done a great job building approval processes and workflows into their tool. But here's the thing - when you look at how it works, you can tell it's really designed with packaging and artwork proofing in mind.

When it comes to website proofing specifically, I've run into some hurdles. First, you need to import your website into FileStage (already an extra step), then you've got to add a Chrome extension just to submit comments. Getting this set up isn't the smoothest process, and trying to get all your stakeholders to follow these steps? Well, you can imagine how that conversation goes.

Here's how I think about FileStage: if you're only looking to proof websites, you might want to explore more specialized tools. But if your team regularly deals with all sorts of files - from packaging designs to marketing materials and websites - then FileStage's broad capabilities could actually make a lot of sense.

Filestage Pricing

They offer a free plan that could work for business use. You get access to all file types, but they cap you at 2 projects and 2 reviewer groups. Need more than that? Their Basic plan runs €59 a month, which is where most businesses end up.

6. Markup Hero

Here's an interesting option if you just need to quickly proof a website and share it with a colleague - Markup Hero, a Chrome extension that keeps things simple.

The setup is straightforward: install their browser extension, and you're ready to annotate and submit feedback on any website. Each piece of feedback gets its own shareable link you can send to others.

For quick internal feedback or bug reports, I can see this working really well. But let's be honest about the limitations - there's not much here to help manage the entire proofing process. And if you've ever tried to get an entire team to install a browser extension (I certainly have), you know it's not always smooth sailing. That's why I'd say this tool really shines in small team internal QA scenarios.

Then there's the mobile testing issue that we see with all browser extensions - you're limited to desktop views. Anyone who's spent time proofing websites knows that checking mobile functionality is crucial, and that's just not possible here.

Markup Hero Pricing

They do offer a free plan, but it comes with some catches. You'll face limitations on feedback editing time, upload numbers, and file sizes. For any serious business use, you'll probably want their Pro Plan at $4 per month per user.

We've covered 6 different website proofing tools that can help make your website launch process smoother and faster.

I'd suggest giving Feedbucket's free 14-day trial a shot, particularly because:

• Your stakeholders can submit clear, detailed feedback right on the website - no extra software or accounts needed
• Everyone stays on the same page with built-in communication tools, preventing those endless email chains we talked about
• Your development team can keep working in their familiar project management tools, maintaining their existing workflow

Want to see how it works for your team? You can start a free 14-day trial and test it out on your next project.