What This Template Is For
Browser compatibility testing confirms that your product renders correctly and functions properly across the browsers and devices your users actually use. CSS differences, JavaScript API availability, font rendering, and touch event handling all vary between browsers. A feature that works in Chrome may break in Safari. A layout that looks correct on desktop may overlap on tablet.
This template structures cross-browser testing into a browser support matrix, device coverage plan, feature-specific test scenarios, and a known-issues tracker. It prevents the common failure mode where QA tests exclusively in Chrome, the team ships, and support tickets flood in from Safari and Firefox users.
Use this alongside the test strategy template to integrate browser coverage into your overall quality approach. The Technical PM Handbook covers how PMs evaluate non-functional requirements including cross-platform support. For tracking issues found during browser testing, use the bug report template with a "Browser" environment field. Teams that run visual regression testing can automate many of the visual checks in this template.
How to Use This Template
- Pull your analytics data to determine which browsers and devices your users actually use. Do not guess. Your browser matrix should cover 95%+ of your user sessions.
- Define three support tiers: Tier 1 (full support, manual + automated testing), Tier 2 (functional support, spot-check testing), and Tier 3 (best-effort, known limitations accepted).
- For each release, identify which features need browser-specific testing. Not every change needs a full browser sweep. A backend API change does not need cross-browser testing. A CSS layout change does.
- Run automated cross-browser tests in CI for Tier 1 browsers. Tools like Playwright, BrowserStack, and Sauce Labs support multi-browser test execution.
- Supplement automated tests with manual checks for visual rendering, animation smoothness, and interaction patterns that automated tests miss.
- Track known browser-specific issues in the compatibility tracker. Some issues are acceptable trade-offs. Document them so the team stops re-investigating the same problems.
The Template
Plan Overview
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Product / Feature | [Name] |
| Test Plan Owner | [Name] |
| PM | [Name] |
| Analytics Source | [e.g., GA4, Mixpanel] |
| Analytics Period | [e.g., Last 90 days] |
| Total User Sessions | [Number] |
| Last Updated | [Date] |
Browser Support Matrix
Populate from your analytics. Sort by session percentage descending.
Desktop Browsers
| Browser | Version(s) | OS | User Share | Support Tier | Automated | Manual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Latest 2 | Windows, macOS | [e.g., 52%] | Tier 1 | Yes | Yes |
| Safari | Latest 2 | macOS | [e.g., 18%] | Tier 1 | Yes | Yes |
| Firefox | Latest 2 | Windows, macOS | [e.g., 8%] | Tier 1 | Yes | Yes |
| Edge | Latest 2 | Windows | [e.g., 12%] | Tier 1 | Yes | Yes |
| Safari | 15.x | macOS | [e.g., 3%] | Tier 2 | No | Spot check |
| Firefox ESR | Current | Windows | [e.g., 1%] | Tier 3 | No | Best effort |
Mobile Browsers
| Browser | Version(s) | OS | User Share | Support Tier | Automated | Manual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safari | Latest 2 | iOS 17+ | [e.g., 28%] | Tier 1 | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome | Latest | Android 13+ | [e.g., 22%] | Tier 1 | Yes | Yes |
| Samsung Internet | Latest | Android | [e.g., 5%] | Tier 2 | No | Spot check |
| Chrome | Latest | iOS | [e.g., 4%] | Tier 2 | No | Spot check |
| Firefox | Latest | Android | [e.g., 1%] | Tier 3 | No | Best effort |
Device Coverage
| Device Type | Model / Resolution | OS | Browser | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | 1920x1080 | Windows 11 | Chrome, Edge, Firefox | P0 |
| Desktop | 2560x1440 | macOS Sonoma | Safari, Chrome | P0 |
| Laptop | 1366x768 | Windows 11 | Chrome | P1 |
| Tablet | iPad Air (820x1180) | iPadOS 17 | Safari | P1 |
| Tablet | Galaxy Tab S9 (800x1280) | Android 14 | Chrome | P2 |
| Phone | iPhone 15 (390x844) | iOS 17 | Safari | P0 |
| Phone | iPhone SE (375x667) | iOS 17 | Safari | P1 |
| Phone | Pixel 8 (412x915) | Android 14 | Chrome | P0 |
| Phone | Galaxy S24 (360x780) | Android 14 | Samsung Internet | P2 |
Feature Test Scenarios
For each feature under test, define browser-specific scenarios. Focus on areas where browsers diverge: CSS layout, form controls, media playback, clipboard API, drag-and-drop.
| Scenario ID | Feature | Test Description | Expected Behavior | Browsers to Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC-001 | [e.g., Drag and drop] | [Drag item from list A to list B] | [Item moves, list updates, animation plays] | [All Tier 1] |
| BC-002 | [e.g., File upload] | [Upload 10MB file via drag or click] | [Progress bar shows, file appears in list] | [All Tier 1 + Samsung Internet] |
| BC-003 | [e.g., Date picker] | [Select date range using custom picker] | [Calendar renders, range highlights, dates set] | [All Tier 1, especially Safari] |
| BC-004 | [e.g., Sticky header] | [Scroll down on long page] | [Header sticks to top, no z-index overlap] | [All Tier 1 + iOS Safari] |
| BC-005 | [e.g., CSS Grid layout] | [View dashboard at 1920px, 1366px, 768px] | [Grid reflows correctly at each breakpoint] | [All Tier 1] |
| BC-006 | [e.g., Copy to clipboard] | [Click copy button on code block] | [Text copied, toast confirmation shown] | [All Tier 1, especially Firefox] |
CSS and Layout Checks
| Check | Description | Chrome | Safari | Firefox | Edge | iOS Safari | Android Chrome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flexbox layouts | Containers align correctly | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Grid layouts | Columns/rows render as designed | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Sticky positioning | Elements stick at correct scroll points | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Overflow scrolling | Horizontal/vertical scroll areas work | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Font rendering | Fonts load, fallbacks display correctly | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Custom scrollbars | Styled scrollbars render or degrade gracefully | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Animations/transitions | Smooth, no jank, respect prefers-reduced-motion | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Dark mode | Colors, contrast, images render correctly | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Print stylesheet | Print output is usable (if applicable) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
JavaScript API Compatibility
Check that APIs used by the product are supported across target browsers.
| API / Feature | Chrome | Safari | Firefox | Edge | Polyfill Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g., Clipboard API] | Yes | Partial (HTTPS only) | Yes | Yes | No |
| [e.g., ResizeObserver] | Yes | Yes (16.4+) | Yes | Yes | No |
| [e.g., Intl.DateTimeFormat] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| [e.g., WebSocket] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| [e.g., CSS Container Queries] | Yes | Yes (16+) | Yes (110+) | Yes | [Fallback needed for older Safari] |
| [e.g., View Transitions API] | Yes | No | No | Yes | [Progressive enhancement only] |
Known Issues Tracker
Track browser-specific issues that are accepted, have workarounds, or are deferred.
| Issue ID | Browser | Description | Impact | Workaround | Status | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KI-001 | [e.g., Safari 16] | [Date input shows native picker instead of custom] | [Visual inconsistency, functionality preserved] | [None needed] | [Accepted] | [Affects <2% of users] |
| KI-002 | [e.g., Firefox] | [Smooth scroll behavior slightly different timing] | [Cosmetic, no functional impact] | [None] | [Accepted] | [CSS spec interpretation difference] |
Exit Criteria
Browser compatibility testing is complete when:
- ☐ All Tier 1 browsers pass all P0 test scenarios
- ☐ All Tier 1 browsers pass CSS and layout checks
- ☐ JavaScript API compatibility verified for all target browsers
- ☐ No critical or major issues open for Tier 1 browsers
- ☐ Tier 2 browsers spot-checked with no blocking issues
- ☐ Known issues documented and accepted by PM
- ☐ Mobile device testing completed on P0 devices
- ☐ Responsive breakpoints verified on all target viewport sizes
Filled Example: SaaS Project Management Tool
Browser Support Matrix (from GA4, last 90 days)
| Browser | Version | OS | User Share | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome 120+ | Latest 2 | Windows, macOS | 54% | Tier 1 |
| Safari 17+ | Latest 2 | macOS | 16% | Tier 1 |
| Edge 120+ | Latest 2 | Windows | 11% | Tier 1 |
| Safari iOS | Latest 2 | iOS 17+ | 9% | Tier 1 |
| Chrome Android | Latest | Android 13+ | 5% | Tier 1 |
| Firefox 121+ | Latest 2 | Windows, macOS | 3% | Tier 2 |
| Samsung Internet | Latest | Android | 1.2% | Tier 3 |
Total Tier 1 coverage: 95%
Key Findings
Kanban drag-and-drop: Works correctly in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Safari macOS has a 200ms delay on drag start due to different pointer event handling. iOS Safari does not support HTML5 drag-and-drop; touch events require the mobile-drag-drop polyfill. Android Chrome works with touch events natively.
Rich text editor: Contenteditable rendering differs between Chrome (uses Real-time cursors (WebSocket): All Tier 1 browsers support WebSocket. Safari occasionally drops connection on background tab (Page Visibility API handling differs). Fix: reconnect on Created by: Tim Adair Last Updated: 3/5/2026 Version: 1.0.0 License: Free for personal and commercial use Browse our full library of PM templates, or generate a custom version with AI. Subscribe to get new templates, frameworks, and PM strategies delivered to your inbox. Join 10,000+ product leaders. Instant PDF download. Want full SaaS idea playbooks with market research?visibilitychange event.Key Takeaways
About This Template
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decide which browsers to support?+
How often should I run full browser compatibility testing?+
Should I test in real browsers or emulators?+
What about Internet Explorer?+
How do I handle browser-specific CSS bugs?+
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