30+ Web Developer Interview Questions and Answers

What is web development, and what is the job role of a web developer?

Web development is the process of creating a website or web application. It involves many aspects, including web design, programming, database management, and server administration.  

Web developers require a wide range of skills to build and maintain a website or web application. These include the ability to write code in various programming languages, design, and implement databases, and manage server-side applications. There are three main types of web developers: front end, back end, and full stack.

In addition to these technical skills, web developers must also have soft skills such as strong interpersonal and communication skills with clients and team members; and strong problem-solving abilities.  

Once you’re ready to start preparing for your interview with a candidate, take a look at some of our common web developer interview questions and answers.

Common web developer interview questions

Common interview questions for a web developer focus on the candidate’s general background and experience. These web application developer interview questions will help you get a better understanding of how they work. So there you go—5 frequently asked web developer interview questions.

Tell me about your experience at X. What project did you work on that became successful despite any challenges you faced?

Asking about a candidate’s background in a specific area is a way to gauge both their technical skills and their ability to work on a team. They should be able to describe a project they worked on in detail, discussing both the successes and challenges of the project. 

You’ll want to listen to how they handle difficult situations and whether they are able to take constructive feedback. This question will also give you insight into what kind of developer they are, whether they prefer to work alone or on a team, and if they are more focused on the back-end or front-end of development.

What is your process for designing and building a website?

This interview question will give you insight into how a web developer will organize your code. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as every web developer has their own process for designing and building a website. However, some common elements of the process include meeting with the client to discuss their needs and goals, designing a wireframe or mockup of the site, and then coding and testing the site before launch. 

How would you approach solving a problem with a website?

This question is to learn more about the candidate’s troubleshooting skill set. The best way a candidate would answer this is to walk you through the steps they would take to identify and solve the problem. An example of a solid answer would be something like this:

Example: First, I would need to identify the source of the problem. This could involve looking at the website’s code, checking the server logs, or running a network trace. Once I’ve identified the source of the problem, I would then need to come up with a solution. This could involve fixing a bug in the code, changing the server configuration, or adding additional hardware. Finally, I would need to test the solution to make sure it actually solves the problems.

What do you think makes a great web developer?

While there is no single right answer, there are a few key qualities that make a great web developer:

• Problem-solving: able to identify and solve problems quickly and efficiently
• Creative: thinks outside the box and comes up with creative solutions to problems
• Detail-oriented: pays attention to detail and strives for perfection in their work
• Strong communication: communicates clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Time management: manages time and prioritizes tasks to meet deadlines

How do you keep up with the latest development trends?

It’s important for web developers to keep up with the latest development trends so they can be sure they’re using the most up-to-date techniques. They know what the latest tools and technologies are and how they can be used to improve the quality of their work. 

There are a few ways to stay in the know, such as reading blogs and articles from industry leaders, attending conferences and webinars, and following development-focused social media accounts. By keeping up with the latest trends, they can ensure that their work is always up-to-date and relevant.

Junior and Middle-level web developer interview questions

Whether you’re seeking to hire junior-level developers eager to learn and grow or middle-level developers with experience and expertise, conducting effective interviews is essential. We’ll explore some key interview questions tailored for junior- and middle-level web developers to help you identify the best candidates for your company.

What programming languages are you proficient in?

For this answer, you will want to make sure the candidate is comfortable with the languages that are most commonly used on the web. These include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.

Have you had any experience coding in frameworks? If so, which ones?

In addition to coding languages, you will want to inquire about any frameworks the candidate is familiar with. For example, Angular and Foundation are popular front-end frameworks, while Laravel and Ruby on Rails are popular back-end frameworks.

Do you have any experience working with databases such as MySQL?

A fresher might have yet to work with databases but should at least have some knowledge of them. If the candidate has worked with databases, ask them about a time when they had to solve a difficult query.

Do you have any experience working with content management systems (CMS)? If so, which ones?

The candidate should list any experience they have working with content management systems, as well as any specific CMSs they are familiar with. They should also highlight any particular skills they have in using CMSs, such as the ability to create custom themes or plugins.

Do you have any experience with eCommerce platforms?

Experience with eCommerce platforms is important for a web developer as many businesses are now conducting transactions online. A good candidate will be able to discuss their experience with popular eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce. They should be able to discuss the pros and cons of each platform and explain why they would or would not recommend a particular platform for a specific project.

What are your thoughts on adaptive vs. responsive design?

A web developer should be well-versed in the difference between adaptive and responsive design principles and techniques. Responsive design is a method of creating web pages that look good across a wide range of devices and screen sizes. In responsive design, content is fluid and flexible and adapts to the user’s environment. They should be able to explain how responsive design works, how to implement it, and why it is important.

On the other hand, adaptive design takes a different approach. Rather than creating one design that attempts to fit all devices, adaptive design creates multiple versions of a website, each of which is designed specifically for a particular screen size, browser, or platform. This allows for a much more customized and user-friendly experience, as each version of the site is designed specifically for the devices it will be used on. However, it can also be a more time-consuming and expensive process, as each different version of the site must be created and maintained.

Senior web developer interview questions

General web technology interview questions range in difficulty from easy to advanced. On the other hand, senior web development interview questions aim to reveal a candidate’s abilities to lead a team, as well as their problem-solving skills.

Have you ever led a team of developers to complete a project? If so, describe the experience.

A senior web developer should have experience leading and managing a team, as well as experience with the development process from start to finish. Asking a candidate about their experience leading a team of developers will give you insight into their management style and how they handle projects. 

It is important to find a candidate who is able to complete projects on time and within budget. Asking a senior web developer about their experience with the development process will give you an idea of their knowledge and understanding of the software development cycle.

What are some techniques you use to optimize your code?

There are many code optimization techniques that web developers can use, depending on the language and platform they are working with. Some common techniques include using caching to improve performance and security, minifying code to reduce file sizes, and using a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute files more efficiently.

How do you test your code and know when it’s ready for production?

A senior web developer should have a solid understanding of both automated and manual testing techniques. They should be able to identify which tests are appropriate for each situation and explain why. A good web developer will also have a process for testing their code before it goes live so that they can be confident that it will work as expected.

You find a bug you are unable to fix. What do you do?

This is one of the web developer interview questions that reveal the candidate’s problem-solving abilities as well as their willingness to take responsibility for their work. The best answer will show that the candidate is proactive, resourceful, and willing to work with the client to find a solution. The candidate should also demonstrate their problem-solving abilities by suggesting a few potential solutions to the problem.

Describe the relationship between front-end and back-end development.

Front-end development is responsible for the visual aspects of a website or application, while back-end development handles the functionality. Both are necessary for a website or application to work properly. Front-end developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the user interface and user experience, while back-end developers use languages like Python, PHP, and Ruby to power the website or application.

What is your experience with version control systems, such as Git or SVN? 

A senior web developer should be very familiar with version control systems and be able to explain how they work and why they are important. They should also be able to demonstrate how to use them to manage code changes and resolve conflicts.

Explain what is the difference between cookies and local storage.

Cookies are smaller and mostly used for reading on the server side, while local storage is larger and can hold information on the client side.

Web developer technical interview questions

These technical web developer interview questions are designed to help you identify the most qualified candidates for the job. By asking these web dev interview questions, you can gauge a candidate’s knowledge of the latest web development technologies and their ability to put them to use in a real-world setting.

What is W3C and its purpose?

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community that develops standards for the World Wide Web. The Consortium consists of member organizations that contribute to the development of Web standards. W3C’s mission is “to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability.” W3C standards are developed through a consensus process involving input from industry, academia, government, and the public.

What is continuous integration, and what are the benefits of using it?

Continuous integration is a development technique whereby developers regularly merge their code changes into a shared code base. This practice can help to avoid conflict between code changes and can also help to ensure that the code base remains stable. The benefits of using continuous integration include:

• Reduced conflict between code changes
• Increased code stability
• Faster feedback on code changes
• Reduced time spent on code reviews
• Increased developer productivity

How are localStorage and sessionStorage objects different?

In general, localStorage is used to store data that you want to persist across sessions, while sessionStorage is used to store data that you want to keep around only for the current session.

What is a service-oriented architecture?

A service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a software development approach that focuses on building reusable services. Services are small, self-contained units of code that can be reused by other applications. An SOA can make development faster and easier because services can be reused. Services can also be deployed independently, making SOA a good choice for distributed systems.

Explain NPM

NPM (Node Package Manager) is a package manager for JavaScript that helps developers share and reuse code. It also makes it easy to update and manage dependencies in your project. A package is a collection of code, data, and metadata that is used to add functionality to your project. NPM is installed along with Node.js and is available on all major platforms (Windows, macOS, and Linux).

What is CORS, and why does it matter?

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) is a mechanism that allows resources on a web page to be requested from another domain outside the domain from which the page is loaded. It is a very important security feature that prevents malicious actors from being able to access sensitive data from other domains.as a web developer, it is important to be aware of CORS and how it works in order to be able to properly secure data and prevent cross-domain attacks.

What are the different types of HTTP requests supported by RESTful Web services?

There are four types of HTTP requests supported by RESTful Web services: GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Each type of request corresponds to a different CRUD operation:

• GET — Retrieve a resource
• POST — Create a resource
• PUT — Update a resource
• DELETE — Delete a resource

Can you explain the difference between span and div tags in HTML5?

Both <div> and <span> are used to define parts of a web page. A div is a block-level element and is used to group larger chunks of text together. Span is an inline element and is usually used for a small chunk of text.

Explain AJAX

Web application interview questions can include questions about the candidate’s experience with AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), as well as their understanding of the benefits and limitations of using AJAX. Web developers use the AJAX technique to build interactive web applications. It allows web developers to create web applications that are responsive and fast. AJAX is a client-side scripting method that sends asynchronous HTTP requests to the server using JavaScript. Requests are usually made to retrieve data from a server, and the data is then used to update the page without reloading it.

List out a few ways you can reduce web page load time.

There are many factors that affect the page loading time of a website. However, there are some methods that can be used to reduce it:

• Optimize Image Size and Format
• Optimize Dependencies
• Avoid Inline JS and CSS files
• Optimize Caching
• Avoid render-blocking scripts
• Avoid URL Redirects
• Reduce the number of HTTP Requests as well as removing unnecessary widgets
• Minify CSS and JavaScript
• Reduce Cookie Size
• Reduce server response time

Name the new form elements in HTML5

The five new form elements in HTML5 are:

• <datalist> — an element that provides an autocomplete feature on <input> elements. It is very useful when you want to provide suggestions to the user while they are inputting data.
• <meter> — used to represent a scalar measurement within a known range or a fractional value. This is useful for things like showing progress bars or displaying how close a user is to reaching a goal.
• <progress> — used to represent the progress of a task. It can be used to track the progress of a user through a process or the progress of a task that is being completed.
• <output> is used to represent the result of a calculation or the result of a user action. Output can be used to display the results of a user action or to display the results of a calculation.
• <keygen> — used to generate a key for use in encryption. Keygen can also be used to generate a key for use in a digital signature.

What is a pseudo-class?

Pseudo-classes are keywords that are added to selectors to specify a unique state of the chosen element(s). For example: hover can be used to apply a style to an element when the user hovers over it with the mouse. 

Types of pseudo-classes:

• Links: These are used to style links. They can be used to make sure links are visible when they have been visited.
• Dynamic: These are used to style elements that are in a certain state. For example, an element can be styled when it is being hovered over by the mouse, when it has focus, or when it is disabled. 
• Structural: These are used to style elements based on their position in the document. 
• Others: Elements can be styled depending on the language or what label is not currently present.

What is pagination? How can it be implemented in web development?

Questions about web development such as this one can help you gauge a candidate’s understanding of common development subjects. Pagination is a process of dividing content into smaller, more manageable pieces. It is commonly used in web development to help improve the user experience by breaking up long pages of content into smaller, easy-to-navigate sections. There are a few different ways that pagination can be implemented in web development, but a common method is to use a server-side scripting language like PHP to generate the HTML for each page on the fly.

What is the difference between HTML and XHTML? 

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and XHTML (eXtensible HyperText Markup Language) are both web standards used for structuring and displaying content on the web. HTML is the standard markup language for most websites, while XHTML is a stricter, more well-defined version of HTML.

Explain what long polling is in web development.

Long polling is a mechanism in which the client repeatedly asks the server for new information via regular HTTP requests, and the server stalls its response when there is no new information to report. Once the data is available, the client receives a complete response. This is how the process works:

1. A request is sent to the server.
2. The server does not disconnect until there is a message to send.
3. When a message appears, the server responds to the request with it.
4. The browser immediately sends a new request.

List some advantages of HTTP/2 over HTTP 1.1.

Some advantages of HTTP/2 over HTTP 1.1 include:

• faster and more efficient, thanks to its binary format and multiplexing capabilities
• uses less bandwidth and fewer resources, making it more environmentally friendly
• more secure, with features like server push and request prioritization
• more resilient, with built-in error handling that can help prevent downtime
• more flexible, with support for new features like server-sent events and web sockets

If you’re looking for a web developer who can take advantage of the latest and greatest technology, then you’ll want to make sure they’re well-versed in HTTP/2. Ask your candidates about their experience with HTTP/2, and whether they think it’s an improvement over HTTP 1.1. It would help if you also asked them about the advantages and disadvantages of HTTP/2, to get a sense of their critical thinking skills.

Wrapping Up

Asking these web development interview questions for web developers will help you gauge their technical abilities, problem-solving skills, and attitudes. With this information, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision about which candidate is the best fit for your company. Ultimately, these web developer questions aim to get a sense of the candidate’s experience, skills, and comfort level with various web development concepts. By asking the right web development interview questions, you can better understand whether the candidate is a good fit for the job.

If you need top web developers, let us offer you our dedicated web developers for your project and business needs. At JayDevs, we have talented, skilled, and pre-vetted developers and designers. Head over to the Hire Developers or Contact Us page to know more!