How to test your mouse
- Move the pointer into the test area. Click the left, right and middle (wheel) buttons one at a time. Each button on the picture lights up while you hold it and turns green once it has worked, and its counter goes up by one per click.
- If your mouse has side buttons, press Back and Forward. The page stops them from navigating away while you’re in the box.
- Click the left button slowly, about once a second, twenty times. The Double-click faults box should stay at None. Repeat for the right button.
- Roll the wheel up and down a few notches and check that both counters move. Tilt the wheel or scroll sideways on a touchpad to test horizontal scrolling.
- Move the mouse fast in circles for a few seconds to read its polling rate.
- Finally, try the CPS test: click the big box as fast as you can until the timer reaches zero.
What the results mean
- Every button counts once per click: the switches and the connection are working.
- A button doesn’t respond: the switch may be dead, or the button is remapped in software. Test it on another computer to tell the two apart.
- One click counts as two: the classic worn-switch fault. The test flags any two presses of the same button less than 80 ms apart. See how to fix a double-clicking mouse.
- Clicks are sometimes missed, or a drag lets go by itself: also a sign of a failing switch, or of a weak wireless connection.
- The wheel counts the wrong direction or jumps: the wheel’s encoder is dirty or worn. Natural (reversed) scrolling on Mac or Windows also flips the arrows, which is not a fault.
How to fix a mouse that double-clicks
Inside each mouse button is a tiny switch with a metal spring. Over millions of clicks the spring weakens or its contacts oxidize, so a single press makes the contact bounce and the computer sees two clicks. You can try these steps in order:
- Rule out software first. On Windows, open Control Panel › Mouse and check that the double-click speed isn’t set to the slowest end, and that ClickLock is off. On a Mac, check System Settings › Accessibility › Pointer Control.
- Update or reinstall the mouse software. Some gaming mice have a debounce time setting. Raising it slightly (for example from 2 ms to 8 ms) can hide a mildly worn switch.
- Clean the button. With the mouse unplugged, blow compressed air around the edges of the button and click it firmly a few dozen times.
- Check the warranty. Many mouse makers offer two years or more, and a double-click fault is a common warranty claim.
- Replace the switch. If you’re comfortable with a soldering iron, the switches are standard parts and cheap to replace. Optical switches, used in many newer gaming mice, don’t suffer from this fault.
What is mouse polling rate?
Polling rate is how many times per second the mouse reports its position to the computer, measured in hertz (Hz). An office mouse usually reports 125 times a second, so the pointer position is up to 8 ms old. Gaming mice commonly report at 500 Hz or 1000 Hz (every 1 ms), and some newer ones go up to 4000 Hz or 8000 Hz. A higher rate makes movement smoother and slightly more responsive, but it also uses more processor time and, on wireless mice, more battery.
This test counts the movement reports your browser receives. Chrome and Edge expose every report, so the figure is close to the true rate. Firefox and Safari group movement into one update per screen refresh; where they allow it, the test recovers the individual reports, but the result may still be capped near your monitor’s refresh rate. For the most accurate figure, use Chrome or Edge, plug the mouse straight into the computer, and move it quickly. Because the measurement is taken from real movement, the reading naturally varies by a few percent.
About the clicks-per-second test
The CPS test counts how many times you press the left button in 5 or 10 seconds and divides by the time. It is popular with Minecraft and other PC players who practise jitter and butterfly clicking. A sudden jump in your score with no change in technique can actually point to a double-clicking switch, so if your CPS looks too good to be true, run the double-click check above. Your best score for each length is stored only in this browser. For 1, 30 and 60 second rounds, live CPS and a per-second chart, try the full CPS test.
Mouse not working at all?
- Wired mouse: try a different USB port, preferably one directly on the computer rather than a hub or keyboard port.
- Wireless mouse: replace or charge the battery, make sure the switch underneath is on, and move the USB receiver to a port closer to the mouse. Metal desks and USB 3 devices next to the receiver can cause interference.
- Bluetooth mouse: remove it from your Bluetooth devices and pair it again.
- Pointer jumps or drifts: clean the sensor window underneath and use a mouse pad. Glass and glossy surfaces confuse many optical sensors.
Is this test private?
Yes. Everything runs in your browser. The page only sees the clicks, scrolls and movement you make on it, nothing is sent to a server, and it can’t see anything outside this tab.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my mouse is double-clicking?
Click the left button slowly, one click at a time, inside the test area. If the double-click counter goes up even though you clicked once, the switch registered two presses less than 80 ms apart, which is faster than a person can click on purpose. A few in a row confirm the fault.
Why don’t the Back and Forward buttons register?
Some mice need their own software to send the standard Back and Forward signals, and some apps remap them to other keys. Check the mouse software (for example Logitech Options+, Razer Synapse or SteelSeries GG) and set the side buttons to Back and Forward. A few browsers on macOS also ignore these buttons unless the driver sends them.
Why is the polling rate lower than my mouse’s rating?
Move the mouse quickly and continuously in circles; a slow or still mouse sends fewer reports. Wireless mice may lower the rate to save battery, and a USB hub or front-panel port can limit it. Browsers other than Chrome and Edge can only see movement reports batched to your screen’s refresh rate, so they show a lower number.
What is a good clicks-per-second score?
Most people reach about 6 to 8 clicks per second with normal clicking. Jitter clicking, where you tense your arm to vibrate your finger, often reaches 10 to 14, and butterfly clicking with two fingers can go higher. The score depends on the person far more than on the mouse.
Does the scroll test work with a touchpad?
Yes. Two-finger scrolling on a touchpad counts as wheel movement, including sideways scrolling. Touchpads send many small scroll events, so the counters rise much faster than with a notched wheel.
Is this mouse test safe and private?
Yes. The test only reads the clicks, scrolls and movement you make on this page. Nothing is installed, recorded or sent to a server. Your best clicks-per-second score is saved in your own browser only.