Short answer: in the first days, test a new mouse or keyboard on purpose, in a fixed order, instead of waiting to notice a fault while you work. For a mouse, check every button, a single click for doubled events, the scroll wheel, and a press-and-hold drag. For a keyboard, check every key, repeated characters from one press, and the spacebar. Save a report of anything odd. How long you have to return it is set by the retailer, so check that policy first and treat the checklist as something to finish early, not at the end of the window.
Before you start
- Read the return terms now. The length of the window, who pays shipping, and whether opened items are accepted all vary by seller. This article does not assume any of them.
- Keep the receipt and packaging until you have finished testing.
- Use the same browser and port for every run and note whether the device is wired, wireless or a dongle, so a result can be repeated and compared.
- Test the device as you will use it. If it is a wireless device, test it after it has been in normal use, not only at the desk next to the receiver.
Mouse checklist
- Every button. Open the mouse test and press each button once: left, right, middle and any side buttons. Confirm each press and each release shows up. The guide to testing every mouse button explains the readout. Side buttons may not report to a browser on every system, so a silent side button is a reason to check further, not proof of a fault.
- Doubled clicks from one press. Run the double-click check with deliberate, separate single clicks on each button you use. A second event a few milliseconds after a click you made once is the symptom to look for; the 60-second check walks through it. Repeat on another day, because this fault can be intermittent.
- Scroll wheel. Use the scroll wheel test to scroll up and down slowly and check the direction is consistent and no steps are skipped or reversed. See scroll wheel skipping or stuttering for what the readout means.
- Hold and drag. The mouse drag test checks that a held button stays held through a drag and releases when you let go. A drag that drops partway is described in mouse drops items while dragging.
Keyboard checklist
- Every key. Open the keyboard test and press each key once, including the modifier keys and the numpad if there is one. Some keys and shortcuts are reserved by the operating system or the browser and will not reach a web page, so a missing key there needs a second check elsewhere. The guide to a dead or sticky key covers it.
- Repeated characters from one press. Type slowly and watch for a key that registers twice. The guide to a key that types twice explains how to check it.
- Spacebar. The spacebar is long and often the first to show a fault. Use the spacebar test and the guide to spacebar double typing or missing presses.
Keep proof of anything odd
If a step shows something wrong, run it again to see whether it repeats, then save the evidence. Your runs are kept in local History, where you can copy a text report or export JSON; see how to read and share your exported report. For a doubled-click fault specifically, the guide to proving chatter for a warranty or RMA claim shows what to write. Repeatable, timestamped evidence is easier for a seller to act on than a description in words.
What a browser check cannot tell you
A browser sees the input events that reach the page. It does not measure the sensor, polling rate, DPI accuracy, click latency, wireless dropouts, battery life, build quality or comfort, and it does not certify the hardware. A device can pass every step here and still be a poor fit, and an early pass does not guarantee a switch will not wear out later. The limits are laid out in how we test. Treat this checklist as a way to catch obvious faults while returning is easy, not as a full inspection.
If something fails
- Repeat the failing step once or twice to confirm it is not a one-off, and try another USB port or a fresh pairing for a wireless device.
- If it repeats, stop using the item for work and follow the seller's return or exchange process, attaching your saved report if they accept one.
- Do not try to open or repair the device before returning it; that can affect whether it is accepted.
These steps record real events observed in your browser. Results differ by browser, operating system and connection type, and a clean run does not certify the device. Check the seller's current return policy for your purchase.