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How to vet a Filipino web designer in 30 minutes

A 30-minute async vetting protocol for hiring a Filipino web designer today — six 5-minute steps and a 10-point scoring checklist.

Hiring 11 min read

Most buyers vet web designers badly because they vet emotionally. They look at the portfolio, like the vibe of the conversation, accept the proposal, and sign. The result is the wrong vendor about a third of the time, and the cost of that mistake is usually the entire project budget plus a rebuild.

A disciplined vetting protocol fixes this in 30 minutes — async, with no phone calls, no Zoom, and nothing that requires the designer’s calendar to align with yours. Below is the protocol I’d run if I were hiring myself. It’s structured as six 5-minute steps and a 10-point scoring checklist. The whole thing fits in a single sitting.

The short answer

In 30 minutes, async, you can vet a Philippine web designer with confidence. Spend 5 minutes on their live work and PageSpeed scores, 5 on schema and SEO basics, 5 on their proposal or contract template, 5 on public reviews and case studies, 5 on a written test exchange, and 5 scoring them against a 10-point checklist. Anyone scoring 8+ goes on the shortlist. Anyone below 6 — even with a great portfolio — is a probable mismatch at the price they’re quoting.

The protocol is async by design. Phone or video calls add scheduling friction, reveal less about actual work quality, and bias you toward whoever is most likable rather than most competent.

Why async vetting beats a sales call

Sales calls reward salesmanship, not engineering discipline. A designer who is great on a call may have a junior actually doing the work. A designer who is shy on a call may be the senior who will deliver the best site you’ve ever had.

Reading someone’s actual work — their live sites, their contract template, their written replies to specific questions — strips out the personality variable and leaves the signal that matters. It also respects everyone’s time: the designer keeps building instead of pitching, and you keep evaluating instead of being sold to.

A few specific reasons to go async-only on vetting:

  • Live sites tell the truth. Marketing copy is always optimistic. Their own portfolio site’s mobile PageSpeed score is not.
  • Written replies are searchable later. When you compare three candidates a week from now, you can read their written answers side by side. You can’t replay calls.
  • Time-zone friction is eliminated. PH freelancers and overseas buyers often work in different time zones. Async protocol means nobody waits.
  • Sales pressure is removed. A 30-minute call creates social pressure to be polite and noncommittal; written exchanges let you ask hard questions without the awkward pause.

The protocol below is what I’d want a prospective client to do to me before signing.

Minute 0–5: Open their live sites and run PageSpeed

Pick three of their most recent portfolio links. Open each in a new tab. Don’t read the case study text yet — just look at the live site.

What you’re checking on each site, in order:

  1. Does it load in under 2 seconds on your connection? If it’s slow on a Manila fiber connection, it’s worse for the average mobile visitor.
  2. Does mobile rendering work? Open Chrome DevTools (right-click → Inspect → toggle device toolbar) and switch to a 375px width. Are the images sized correctly? Does the navigation collapse cleanly? Does the form work?
  3. Does the contact form actually submit? Fill it out with a test message. If you get an error or no confirmation, that’s a real-world quality signal.
  4. Run PageSpeed Insights. Go to pagespeed.web.dev, paste the URL, run the test. Mobile score above 75 is “competent.” Above 90 is “this designer cares about performance.” Below 50 is a red flag — they shipped a slow site for a paying client and either don’t know or don’t care.

Do this for three of their sites. Score: did at least two of three pass mobile PageSpeed above 75 and render correctly? Yes = 2 points. One of three = 1 point. None = 0 points.

This single test filters more than half of underqualified Philippine web designers in five minutes.

Minute 5–10: Check schema, SEO basics, and source code

Now look under the hood of one of their portfolio sites — pick the most recent.

View the page source (right-click → View Page Source, or Ctrl+U on Windows / Cmd+U on Mac). Look for:

  1. A populated <title> tag that reads as a real page title, not “Home” or the theme default.
  2. A <meta name="description"> tag that’s 140–160 characters and reads like real copy.
  3. Open Graph tags (og:title, og:description, og:image) for social sharing.
  4. Structured data / schema markup, usually in a <script type="application/ld+json"> block. Look for an Organization or LocalBusiness schema, or BlogPosting on article pages. If there’s no JSON-LD anywhere, the designer is shipping sites that aren’t AEO-ready.
  5. A linked sitemap.xml. Visit [their-portfolio-url]/sitemap.xml directly. Should return real XML listing the site’s URLs.
  6. A robots.txt. Visit [their-portfolio-url]/robots.txt. Should return basic directives, not a 404.

If the site has clean meta tags, real schema markup, and working sitemap/robots — that’s a designer who builds for SEO, not just for “looks nice.” Score: yes to four of six = 2 points; two or three of six = 1 point; one or none = 0 points.

This is also where you learn whether the designer’s claims about “SEO included” map to actual implementation. Many do not.

Minute 10–15: Read their proposal or contract template

A serious designer publishes process and contract artifacts publicly or sends them on request without resistance. Look for:

  1. A documented process page on their site, or a process PDF they’ll share. Should describe phases, durations, and deliverables.
  2. A contract template they’ll share before pricing discussions. The template should include: scope, timeline, payment schedule, revision rounds, IP assignment under RA 8293, termination terms, post-launch warranty.
  3. A pricing page or at least published tier ranges. Not every designer publishes prices; the ones who do have made the buyer-friendly choice.
  4. A care plan or post-launch service description. Should be specific about what’s included monthly: backups, updates, security, content edits.

If they don’t have a public process, ask via email or contact form: “Can you send me your standard process document and contract template?” Time how long it takes them to respond. Anything under 24 PH business hours is fine. Anything over 48 hours is a flag — that’s the responsiveness you’ll get during the project.

Read the contract for these specific clauses:

  • IP assignment that explicitly transfers copyright on final payment.
  • Defined revision rounds with what counts as a revision.
  • Termination terms covering both parties’ exit rights.
  • Late payment and late deliverable consequences specified.
  • Confidentiality clause.
  • Governing law (should be Republic of the Philippines if both parties are PH-based).

Score: documented process + clear contract template + specific care plan = 2 points. Two of three = 1 point. None or vague = 0 points.

For what a real PH web design contract should look like, see what a proper web design contract looks like in PH.

Minute 15–20: Check public reviews, case studies, and references

This is where you stress-test the social proof.

  1. Google the designer’s name and business name. Look for Google Business Profile reviews. A real PH business has DTI/SEC registration you can verify on dti.gov.ph and sec.gov.ph.
  2. LinkedIn check. Find their LinkedIn profile. Look for endorsements and recommendations from named clients. Cross-reference: are the testimonial names on their site real people you can find on LinkedIn?
  3. Visit one of their case study clients’ websites. Confirm the business is real, currently trading, and that the case study claims (e.g., “increased conversion 35%”) are at least plausible against the visible site.
  4. Search for the designer in PH web design Facebook groups, LinkedIn posts, or community forums. Are they active under their real name? Do other PH builders recognize them?
  5. If they list named references, send a short email to one: “I’m considering hiring [designer] for a project. They listed you as a reference. Would you be willing to share what the engagement was like in 2–3 sentences?” Real references reply within a day or two. Faked references either don’t reply or reply with vague platitudes.

Score: live verifiable reviews + LinkedIn presence + reachable references = 2 points. Two of three = 1 point. None = 0 points.

Minute 20–25: Send a specific written test message

You’re not asking them to do free work. You’re asking them one specific question that exposes whether they think rigorously and write clearly.

Pick a question from this menu, customized to your project:

  • For a service business: “I have a 7-page service site with a contact form, GCash payment for one productized service, and a blog. What would you quote, and what’s specifically excluded from that scope?”
  • For an e-commerce build: “I’m launching a 30-product Shopify store with PayMongo + GCash + Maya checkout. What hosting/Shopify plan would you recommend, what’s a realistic timeline, and what are the three biggest risks you’d flag at this scope?”
  • For a content-heavy site: “I have a 40-page WordPress site that’s slow on mobile (PageSpeed score 35). What’s your typical approach to fixing performance, and what’s the smallest scope of work that would get me above 80?”

Send via email or contact form. Watch for:

  1. Response time. Within one PH business day = green flag. 2+ days = the responsiveness you’ll get during the project.
  2. Specificity of the answer. A senior pro will respond with concrete numbers, named stack choices, specific risks, and a follow-up question or two. A vague pro will respond with “Great question! Let’s hop on a call to discuss.” That’s the answer.
  3. Written quality. Are paragraphs structured? Is technical language used correctly? Are the recommendations defensible?
  4. Honesty. A senior pro will say “I’d need more detail to quote, but here’s a range and what would change it.” A weaker pro will quote a specific number without enough information, just to win the deal.

Score: clear, specific, sent within one PH business day = 2 points. Late or vague but substantive = 1 point. Pushed to a call without a written reply = 0 points.

(If the designer’s only response to a specific written question is “let’s schedule a call,” that’s a red flag. Serious work happens in writing.)

Minute 25–30: Score against the 10-point checklist

By now you have data on each candidate. Score them on this list. Each item is worth 1 point if cleanly satisfied, 0 if not. Half-points are fine for “almost there.”

The 10-point checklist:

  1. Live, clickable portfolio with at least three sites launched in the last 12 months.
  2. Mobile PageSpeed score above 75 on at least two of three portfolio sites tested.
  3. Schema markup and clean meta tags present in source code on portfolio.
  4. Documented process available in writing (page, PDF, or detailed email).
  5. Standard contract template available before pricing discussions.
  6. Core Web Vitals targets explicitly committed in scope.
  7. Payment terms structured as 50/50 or milestone — not 100% upfront.
  8. IP assignment clause referencing RA 8293 in the contract.
  9. Verifiable client references or public reviews tied to real businesses.
  10. Responded to written test question within one PH business day with specific, defensible recommendations.

Scoring interpretation:

  • 9–10 points: Strong shortlist. Senior pro who’s already done most of the work for you. Ask for a quote.
  • 7–8 points: Probable shortlist with one or two clarifications. Ask about the missing items before signing. Often the gap is administrative (e.g., they have a contract but didn’t send it; they have schema but on different pages).
  • 5–6 points: Borderline. Hire only for a small, clearly-scoped project. Pay milestone, not 50/50. Don’t trust them with anything above ₱50,000.
  • Below 5: Walk away. The Philippine market is large enough that you can find someone who scores 8+ at the same price point. The cost of finishing with a 4/10 candidate is the project plus the rebuild.

What this protocol won’t tell you

The protocol is strong on competence signals and weak on personality fit. After 30 minutes of asynchronous evaluation, you’ll know whether the designer is technically capable and commercially reasonable. You won’t know whether you’ll enjoy working with them.

That gap is fine. Personality fit reveals itself in the first week of an actual engagement. Competence has to be filtered upfront because you can’t undo a bad hire on a custom site without paying for two of them.

If you find a candidate who scores 9/10 on competence but feels stiff in writing — hire them anyway. The site they ship will be better than the site shipped by a 5/10 candidate who is your favorite person.

What I’d do at each score band

If I were vetting a designer for my own business and saw three candidates:

  • Candidate A: 9/10. Sign within the week. Pay the rate they quoted. Don’t negotiate them down — that score earned the rate.
  • Candidate B: 7/10 with great rapport. Ask three specific clarifying questions about the missing items. If they answer well, sign. If they dodge, drop them.
  • Candidate C: 4/10 but cheapest. Don’t hire. The math of “₱40,000 cheaper but 30% chance of project failure” never works out. Take the cost into account: a failed project is the full budget lost, not the savings gained.

For the affirmative version of this protocol — the questions to ask explicitly — see questions to ask before hiring a Philippine web designer. For the negative version — the warning signs to actively avoid — see 12 red flags when hiring a web designer in the Philippines.

If you’ve run this 30-minute protocol on two or three candidates and want a second pair of eyes on the results, send me your project details along with their scores and any proposals you’ve received. I’ll reply within one PH business day with what I’d do, including which candidate I’d pick if it’s not us. Sometimes the right call is a different freelancer; sometimes it’s an agency. Sometimes the honest answer is to keep looking.

For pricing context that frames most of these decisions, How much does a website cost in the Philippines? (2026 guide) covers what reasonable answers in the price column look like across tiers.

Sources and notes:

  • The protocol and checklist reflect publicly observable Philippine web design practice and the patterns webdesigner.ph uses to evaluate subcontractors and partners as of the publication date.
  • PageSpeed Insights thresholds (>75 mobile = competent, >90 = excellent) reflect Google’s published ranges as of the publication date.
  • RA 8293 is the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines; consult counsel for the exact mechanics of copyright assignment in commissioned work.
  • Nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice. For contract review, consult a Philippine-licensed attorney.

Related reading:

Frequently asked questions

How can I quickly vet a Philippine web designer?
In 30 minutes, async, you can run a six-step protocol: 5 minutes opening their previous live sites and running PageSpeed Insights, 5 checking schema and SEO basics, 5 reading their proposal or contract template, 5 checking public reviews and case studies, 5 exchanging written messages on a specific question, and 5 scoring them against a 10-point checklist. Score 8+ to shortlist.
What should I check on a web designer's previous work?
Open three of their recent live sites. Run each through Google PageSpeed Insights — mobile scores above 75 are good, above 90 are excellent. Check that mobile rendering doesn't break. Click the contact form to confirm it works. View the page source for proper structured data (schema.org markup). Check the meta description and title tag. Five minutes total per site.
Do I need a meeting to vet a Philippine web designer?
No. A serious web designer today can be fully vetted asynchronously through their portfolio, contract template, public reviews, and a written exchange on a specific scope question. Synchronous meetings add scheduling friction and reveal less than reading their actual work. The protocol in this article is async-only by design and takes 30 minutes.
What's the most important thing to check when vetting a PH web designer?
Their actual launched work. A designer's previous live sites tell you more than any conversation. If their own portfolio site is slow on mobile, has broken links, or scores poorly on Core Web Vitals — they will not build you a site that's better than theirs. Performance and design discipline on their own properties is the strongest leading indicator of what you'll get.
How can I tell if a Filipino web designer's reviews are real?
Cross-reference. Real reviews link to real people whose LinkedIn or business profiles you can find. Search the named businesses on Google to confirm they exist and are actively trading. Check Google Business Profile reviews if the designer has a registered business. Look for the designer's contributions in Facebook groups or LinkedIn posts under their actual name. If named clients can't be found anywhere else, the reviews are decorative.
What does a 10-point vetting checklist for a PH web designer look like?
The 10 points: live recent portfolio (1), mobile PageSpeed score above 75 on their work (1), schema markup present (1), written contract template (1), Core Web Vitals committed in scope (1), 50/50 or milestone payment terms (1), explicit IP assignment clause (1), defined revision policy (1), verifiable client references (1), responds clearly and specifically to a written test question (1). Score 8+ to shortlist; below 6, walk away.

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