Documentation

Everything you need to catch visual regressions before your users do.

Getting started

Driftcheck compares a live URL against a reference screenshot and scores the visual difference. No code installation required — just a URL.

  1. Create an account — Sign in with your Google account at driftcheck.app/login.
  2. Run your first check — Go to New check and enter the URL of the page you want to monitor.
  3. Upload a reference — Provide a reference screenshot (your design file export or a known-good screenshot). Driftcheck compares the live page against this.
  4. Review the result — Get a diff score, severity rating, and a side-by-side visual showing exactly what changed.
Free plan includes 5 checks per month. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited checks, trend history, and full accessibility reports.

How to run a check

Every check needs two things: a live URL and a reference screenshot.

Live URL

Enter the full URL of the page as it exists today — including https://. Driftcheck will capture a fresh screenshot at the moment you run the check.

Reference screenshot

The reference is the “expected” state. This can be:

  • An export from Figma or Sketch
  • A screenshot taken when the design was last approved
  • Any PNG or JPEG you trust as the baseline

Re-running a check

From the dashboard, click Re-run on any row to run a new check against the same URL. The previous reference is preserved so your baseline stays consistent.

Understanding results

Each check produces a diff percentage — the proportion of pixels that changed between the reference and the live screenshot. This maps to a severity level:

SeverityDiff rangeMeaning
Clean0 – 2.9%No meaningful drift detected
Warning3 – 7.9%Minor visual differences — worth reviewing
Critical8%+Significant drift — likely a regression

Sharing a report

Every check result has a public URL (e.g. driftcheck.app/report/abc123) you can share with your team or include in a PR comment. No login required to view a shared report.

Drift trend chart

The trend chart on your dashboard shows how drift percentage has changed across your last 10 checks for a given URL. This helps you spot gradual regressions before they become critical. Pro feature.

Connecting Jira

Driftcheck integrates with Jira so you can file drift findings as issues without leaving the results page.

  1. Go to Settings — Navigate to Settings → Connected accounts.
  2. Click “Connect Jira” — You'll be redirected to Atlassian to authorise Driftcheck.
  3. Select your workspace — Choose the Jira site you want to link. You can only connect one site at a time.
  4. Create issues from results — On any check result page, click the Jira button to file an issue. The title, diff score, and screenshot URL are pre-filled.

Disconnecting

To unlink Jira, go to Settings → Connected accounts and click Disconnect. This revokes the OAuth token and removes the integration immediately.

FAQ

What counts as a “check” against my quota?
Each time you submit a URL for comparison, that counts as one check. Re-running an existing check also counts as one.
Can I compare pages that require login?
Not yet. Driftcheck currently captures public URLs only. Authenticated page support is on the Pro roadmap.
What file formats can I use as a reference?
PNG and JPEG are supported. For best results use a PNG export from your design tool at the same viewport width as the live page.
How is the diff percentage calculated?
Both images are normalised to the same dimensions, then compared pixel-by-pixel. The percentage is the number of differing pixels divided by the total pixel count.
Can I use Driftcheck in CI/CD?
An API for automated checks is on the roadmap. For now, checks are run manually from the dashboard or via the New check page.
How do I upgrade to Pro?
Head to driftcheck.app/pricing and choose the Pro plan. You can also upgrade directly from the dashboard when you hit your monthly limit.