Web Site Browser Test List
In order that public information is fully accessible, you must ensure that your websites comply with the latest version of the NZ Government Web Guidelines, and that they are built using best practice.
This list represents the minimal set of browsers you must support to ensure a high likelihood that your web site will be accessible to most Internet users:- Internet Explorer 5.5, on Windows 2000
- Internet Explorer 6.0, on Windows XP
- Mozilla Firefox 1.0.X (or 1.5.X), on Windows XP or Linux
If your website works correctly with these browsers (that represent about 90% of Internet users) and it is standards compliant, then you can be fairly certain it will work well with most other modern browsers. This does not preclude testing with other browsers, to ensure maximum compatibility.
We are fully aware that Internet Explorer 5.5 does offer some challenges for standards compliance. However, it still represents a large group of users. We recommend that wherever possible, any work-arounds required for this browser be implemented within the scope of the appropriate standards. In cases where this is not possible, preference should be given to the standard.
It is important to note that for older browsers the desirable behaviour is that the website degrades gracefully, but that the information remains accessible. Adherence to the standards will aid in this goal.
