Checklist · Career
Developer Portfolio Website Checklist
Opens with creditsA step-by-step checklist for a developer portfolio website. It covers the opening that tells visitors who you are, how to present three to five projects with problem, role, stack and outcome, live demos and code links, performance against Core Web Vitals, accessibility against WCAG 2.2, SEO and link previews, a custom domain with HTTPS, a working contact route, light analytics, and keeping the site current.
Written by Tauseef Fayyaz8 chapters, 40 checksAbout 21 minReviewed 13 October 2026What you will learn
8 chapters · about 21 min
1Opening and structureThe top of the page decides whether a visitor stays. Say who you are, what you do and what you want, then make everything else easy to find.5 checks · 3 min
2ProjectsProjects are the evidence behind everything else on the site. Show three to five strong ones, each with the problem, your role, the stack and the outcome.7 checks · 4 min
- 1Show three to five of your strongest projects, not everything
- 2Give every project its problem, your role, the stack and the outcome
- 3Link a working live demo for every project that can have one
- 4Link the source code, with a README that explains the project
- 5Add a clear screenshot or short video for each project
- 6Write a longer case study for your best project
- 7Remove unmodified tutorial clones or label them honestly
7 in this chapterOpen this chapter- PerformanceA portfolio is a sample of your work. A slow, jumpy page on mobile undercuts everything it says, so check it against Core Web Vitals.4 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
- AccessibilityAn accessible portfolio works for more visitors and shows you know how to build for real users. Check the basics against WCAG 2.2.6 checks · 3 minOpens with credits
- SEO basics and link previewsPeople will search your name and share your link. Make sure search results and link previews show the right title, description and image.5 checks · 3 minOpens with credits
- Domain, HTTPS and hostingA custom domain makes the site yours for the long term. Set it up securely and make sure it keeps working.4 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
- Contact and analyticsMake it easy to reach you without exposing private details, and measure just enough to know the site is working.5 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
- Keep it currentAn outdated portfolio suggests you stopped building. A short review every few months keeps it accurate and working.4 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
About this checklist
A developer portfolio website checklist matters because most portfolio sites fail in the same predictable ways: a vague opening line, a grid of tutorial projects with no explanation, demo links that no longer work, and a slow, hard-to-read page on mobile. Hiring managers, clients and collaborators usually give a portfolio a minute or two. In that time they want to know what you do, see real work and find a way to reach you.
This checklist walks through a portfolio site in the order a visitor experiences it. It starts with the opening section and structure, then the projects, which are the heart of any developer portfolio: three to five strong ones, each with the problem, your role, the stack and the outcome, plus a live demo and code link. Later chapters cover performance, accessibility, SEO and link previews, the domain and hosting setup, contact and analytics, and keeping the site current.
Every item says what to do, how much it matters and how to check it is done. Technical thresholds come from their sources: Core Web Vitals from web.dev, accessibility criteria from WCAG 2.2, search basics from Google Search Central, link previews from the Open Graph protocol and domain setup from GitHub Docs, all checked in October 2026. The checklist works for a site built with plain HTML, a static site generator or a framework such as Next.js, hosted on GitHub Pages or any other host.
For the profiles that point to your site, use the Sefism GitHub profile checklist and LinkedIn profile checklist alongside this one.
Common questions
How many projects should a developer portfolio have?
Three to five strong projects is usually best. Visitors rarely look past the first few, so pick the ones that best match the work you want next, put the strongest first, and give each one the problem, your role, the stack, the outcome, a live demo and a code link.
What should I write for each project in my portfolio?
Cover four things briefly: the problem and who had it, what you did (especially in a team), the main stack, and the outcome. Add a screenshot, a working demo link and a repository with a clear README. For your best project, write a longer case study with the key decisions.
Do I need a custom domain for my portfolio?
It is not required, but a domain based on your name looks more professional and stays yours if you change hosts. Register it in your own account, turn on auto-renewal, enable HTTPS and, on GitHub Pages, verify the domain to prevent takeovers.
How fast should a portfolio website load?
Aim for the good Core Web Vitals thresholds from web.dev: Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less, and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less on mobile. A simple portfolio with optimised images should meet these easily.
Can I host my developer portfolio on GitHub Pages?
Yes. GitHub Pages works well for static portfolios and supports custom domains and HTTPS. Turn on Enforce HTTPS in the Pages settings and verify your custom domain so other users cannot take it over if the site is removed.
Should I include tutorial projects in my portfolio?
Only if you extended them with your own features and decisions, and say what you added. Unmodified tutorial clones are easy to recognise and suggest you have not built anything independently. Label any you keep as course projects.
Sources (8)
Checked against these, last on 13 October 2026.
- Web Vitals, web.devweb.dev/articles/vitals
- PageSpeed Insights, Googlepagespeed.web.dev/
- How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference), WCAG 2.2, W3C WAIwww.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/
- Understanding Success Criterion 2.5.8: Target Size (Minimum), W3C WAIwww.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/target-size-minimum.html
- SEO Starter Guide, Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide
- The Open Graph protocol, Open Graph protocologp.me/
- Securing your GitHub Pages site with HTTPS, GitHub Docsdocs.github.com/en/pages/getting-started-with-github-pages/securing-your-github-pages-site-with-https
- Verifying your custom domain for GitHub Pages, GitHub Docsdocs.github.com/en/pages/configuring-a-custom-domain-for-your-github-pages-site/verifying-your-custom-domain-for-github-pages
Related on Sefism
Picked from the other libraries by shared topics.
Best practices
See all- Personal Branding Best Practices for DevelopersPersonal branding for developers without the hype: pick a focus, keep one consistent presence, show proof of work, learn in public, engage well and build a reputation that lasts.
- Content Creation Best Practices for DevelopersHow developers create useful public content: blog posts, newsletters, LinkedIn and X posts, YouTube and Shorts, choosing formats, staying consistent, repurposing, measuring and using AI honestly.
Checklists
See all- LinkedIn Profile Checklist for DevelopersCheck your LinkedIn profile section by section: photo, headline, About, Experience, Featured, Skills, custom URL, Open to Work, posting and privacy.
- GitHub Profile Checklist for DevelopersCheck your GitHub profile part by part: name, photo and bio, profile README, pinned repositories, project READMEs, licences, contribution graph, commit email and account security.
- Freelance Platform Profile ChecklistBuild a freelance profile that wins work on Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal or Contra: niche, title, overview, portfolio, rates, first jobs, proposals, reviews, and each platform's rules and fees.
Career questions
See all- What does proof of work mean for a fresher developer?Proof of work is evidence someone can check in a few minutes that you can do the job: a deployed project real people could use, readable code with tests, a pull request merged into someone else's project, or a clear write-up of a problem you solved. It replaces the experience a fresher does not have yet, so it must be easy to find and easy to verify.
- How do I get back into software engineering after a long career break?Treat it as a structured return, not a restart from zero. Refresh one modern stack, build two or three small but real projects, explain the gap honestly in one line, and apply to roles that value maturity and reliability alongside code.
- Everyone around me has internships, GitHub projects and achievements, and I have almost nothing. What should I do?Stop comparing your starting point with other people's highlights and start producing evidence of your own. In the next three months you can build one solid project, one smaller one, a clean GitHub and LinkedIn, and a targeted internship pipeline. That is enough to change your position.
Stuck on something specific?
Writing only gets you so far. If you want an answer to your situation rather than the general case, book a session and we will work through it together. Sessions are free for approved Sefism members, and a few slots open each week.
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