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How do I test an Arabic right-to-left (RTL) site?

Updated October 12, 2026

The short answer

Testing an Arabic site goes beyond reading the text. Check that the whole layout is mirrored: menus, arrows, icons and column order. Check that numbers, phone numbers, emails and prices keep their correct order, that text mixed with English does not scramble, that forms accept Arabic input, and that search finds words with different letter forms. Then try the English version to confirm switching languages breaks nothing.

People also ask this as
  • how to test an Arabic RTL website
  • RTL testing checklist
  • common right-to-left layout bugs
  • why are numbers reversed on my Arabic site

Common RTL bugs and where to find them

PlaceWhat to look for
Arrows and icons'Next' points left and 'back' points right
Numbers and phonesThe phone number and price are not reversed and the plus sign does not jump to the end
Mixed textA sentence with an English name or an order number stays readable
Tables and chartsThe first column starts on the right and the time axis runs the expected way
FormsEmail and password fields type left to right, the rest right to left
Messages and notificationsError messages, emails and texts arrive in Arabic, not English

How to run the check

  1. 1
    Walk every page in Arabic

    Look for any element stuck to the wrong side or any clipped text.

  2. 2
    Enter real Arabic data

    Long names, addresses with numbers, and text with diacritics and hamzas.

  3. 3
    Try search and sorting

    Search with and without the hamza and confirm sorting follows the Arabic alphabet.

  4. 4
    Switch language mid-flow

    Do you stay on the same page with the cart intact?

  5. 5
    Check on a phone

    Side menus and swipe gestures should open from the right.

People also ask

How do I test my website before launch?

Test your website before launch in three passes. First, walk through the key flows end to end as if you were a customer: sign-up, ordering and a test payment. Second, open it on a real phone and in two different browsers. Third, review the text, links, forms and error messages. Write down every problem with steps to reproduce, and fix whatever stops a customer from finishing first.

Read the full answer
How do I make a mobile app in Arabic (RTL)?

A proper Arabic app is not a translated English one. The whole layout must mirror right to left: menus, back arrows, the navigation bar and the order of items in each row, while numbers, phone numbers and emails stay left to right. You also need a clear Arabic font and text written in Arabic from the start. The easiest route is to build Arabic-first and add English second.

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Is my site ready to launch? What should I check?

Your site is ready when a new customer can finish the main task on a phone without help, a test payment succeeds and a declined one fails correctly, Arabic and English both work, there are no broken links or leftover placeholder text, the site runs on your domain with a security certificate, and you have a backup and a way to roll back. Everything else can improve after opening.

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AI QA agent or human tester: which should I choose?

Neither replaces the other. An agent never tires or forgets, so it repeats routine flows such as sign-up and ordering after every change, at any hour. A human tester judges taste and context, tries things nobody planned, and notices that wording is off or a step is confusing. A small team starts with an agent for the repetitive checks and brings in a person before big releases.

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Terms used in this answer

Right-to-leftRTLInternationalizationi18nQuality assuranceQAResponsive design

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