# BeaverCheck Audit Report — https://researchgate.net **Date:** April 16, 2026 **URL:** https://researchgate.net **Overall Grade:** C (73/100) **Report:** https://beavercheck.com/results/0eca0526-5c1e-43b5-85af-c62b4ce52394 ## Top Findings 1. **[CRITICAL]** Content-Security-Policy header is missing — Security > Security Headers 2. **[CRITICAL]** No Content-Security-Policy header found — Security > Content Security Policy 3. **[CRITICAL]** 1 link(s) with no accessible text — Accessibility > Link & Button Quality 4. **[CRITICAL]** No
landmark found — Accessibility > Landmark Structure 5. **[WARNING]** 63 third-party resources (100% of weight) — Performance > Page Weight Inventory --- ## Lighthouse Scores | Category | Score | |----------|-------| | Performance | 50 | | Accessibility | 81 | | Best Practices | 81 | | SEO | 100 | --- ## Security ### Security Headers (D — 40/100) *4 of 10 headers properly configured* - **[PASS]** Strict-Transport-Security is properly configured - **[WARNING]** X-Content-Type-Options header is missing — This header prevents MIME-type sniffing, which can lead to XSS attacks. Set it to 'nosniff'. - **[WARNING]** X-Frame-Options header is missing — This header prevents clickjacking by controlling who can embed your page in a frame. Set it to DENY or SAMEORIGIN. - **[WARNING]** Referrer-Policy header is missing — Controls how much referrer information is sent with requests. Set to 'strict-origin-when-cross-origin' or stricter. - **[WARNING]** Permissions-Policy header is missing — Controls which browser features (camera, microphone, geolocation) are allowed. Set it to restrict unused features. - **[CRITICAL]** Content-Security-Policy header is missing — CSP is the most important header for preventing XSS attacks. See the CSP section for detailed analysis. - **[PASS]** Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy is properly configured - **[WARNING]** Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy header is missing — COEP prevents loading cross-origin resources without explicit permission. Required for SharedArrayBuffer and high-resolution timers. - **[PASS]** X-Powered-By header is not present - **[PASS]** Server header is present without version info ### Content Security Policy (F — 0/100) *No enforcing CSP policy found* - **[CRITICAL]** No Content-Security-Policy header found — CSP is the most effective defense against XSS attacks. Add a Content-Security-Policy header to restrict resource loading. ### TLS & Certificates (A+ — 100/100) *TLS 1.3, 7 checks passed* - **[PASS]** TLS 1.3 is used - **[PASS]** Strong cipher suite is used - **[INFO]** HTTP/2 is not negotiated — HTTP/2 provides multiplexing and header compression for better performance. - **[PASS]** Certificate is valid (expires in 34 days) - **[PASS]** Certificate chain has 3 certificates - **[PASS]** Certificate uses modern signature algorithm - **[PASS]** Certificate covers 2 domain(s) - **[PASS]** Certificate is issued by a trusted CA ### Cookie Security (A+ — 100/100) *No cookies set — no cookie security risks* - **[PASS]** No cookies set — no cookie security risks --- ## Advanced Security ### Subresource Integrity (A+ — 100/100) *No external resources* - **[PASS]** No external resources to protect ### JS Library Vulnerabilities (A+ — 100/100) *No known vulnerabilities* - **[PASS]** No known JavaScript library vulnerabilities detected ### Information Leakage (A+ — 100/100) *No exposures* - **[PASS]** security.txt is present — good practice - **[PASS]** No sensitive files exposed ### Email Security (A+ — 100/100) *DMARC: reject* - **[PASS]** DMARC policy is reject — strongest protection ### Permissions-Policy (D — 40/100) *No header set* - **[WARNING]** No Permissions-Policy header — Consider adding a Permissions-Policy header to restrict browser feature access from embedded content. ### CORS Configuration (B — 80/100) *No CORS headers* - **[PASS]** No CORS headers present — secure default --- ## Performance ### Page Weight Budget (C — 69/100) *1.6 MB transferred, 64 requests* - **[INFO]** Page weighs 5.3 MB (1.6 MB transferred) - **[WARNING]** JavaScript is 1.2 MB — consider code splitting or lazy loading — Large JavaScript bundles delay interactivity. Split code by route or defer non-critical scripts. - **[INFO]** 64 HTTP requests - **[INFO]** Estimated 0.33 g CO2 per page load ### Third-Party Impact (D — 50/100) *100% third-party, 0 ms blocking* - **[WARNING]** Third-party code accounts for 100% of page weight (1.6 MiB of 1.6 MiB) - **[PASS]** Third-party blocking time is low (0 ms) ### Text Compression (A+ — 100/100) *All text resources are compressed* - **[PASS]** All text resources are compressed ### Image Optimization (C — 60/100) *6 images, 0 KB saveable* - **[WARNING]** https://www.researchgate.net/images/footer-hiring@... is missing width/height — may cause layout shift — Set explicit width and height to prevent CLS. - **[WARNING]** https://c5.rgstatic.net/m/419438641133902/images/i... is missing width/height — may cause layout shift — Set explicit width and height to prevent CLS. - **[WARNING]** https://www.researchgate.net/images/footer-adverti... is missing width/height — may cause layout shift — Set explicit width and height to prevent CLS. ### JS Execution Cost (F — 20/100) *4100ms total JS execution* - **[WARNING]** https://c5.rgstatic.net/javascript/bundles/bootstr...: 833ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** Unattributable: 604ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** https://a.researchgate.net/static/array.js: 494ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** https://www.researchgate.net/: 376ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** https://ads.pubmatic.com/AdServer/js/pwt/161519/67...: 371ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** Third-party scripts: 4100ms (100% of total) ### Font Loading (A+ — 100/100) *3 fonts (64 KB)* - **[INFO]** 3 font(s) use font-display: swap (FOUT risk but functional) ### JS Bundles (F — 20/100) *27 scripts, 599 KB unused* - **[WARNING]** https://c5.rgstatic.net/javascript/bundles/common_...: 193 KB unused (70%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://ads.pubmatic.com/AdServer/js/pwt/161519/67...: 119 KB unused (70%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-4P31...: 66 KB unused (41%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://sdk.privacy-center.org/sdk/ccd75f3fd1e3bfd...: 64 KB unused (63%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://c5.rgstatic.net/javascript/bundles/common_...: 57 KB unused (47%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[INFO]** Total unused JavaScript: 599 KB ### Resource Caching (A+ — 100/100) *All resources properly cached* - **[PASS]** No caching issues found ### Critical Rendering Path (A+ — 100/100) *No render-blocking resources* - **[PASS]** No render-blocking resources detected ### Resource Hints (A+ — 100/100) *No optimization needed* - **[PASS]** No resource hint issues ### Page Weight Inventory (F — 35/100) *64 resources · 1.6 MB · 599 KB savings available* - **[WARNING]** Page weight 591 KB over 1MB target - **[INFO]** ~599 KB of savings available - **[WARNING]** 63 third-party resources (100% of weight) - **[INFO]** 1 resources over 200KB ### Render-Blocking Resources (A+ — 100/100) *No render-blocking resources detected* - **[PASS]** No render-blocking resources detected in ### Third-Party Resources (A+ — 100/100) *No third-party resources detected* --- ## Content Quality ### Links (A+ — 100/100) *1 links checked, 1 healthy, 0 broken* - **[PASS]** 1 of 1 links are healthy ### Mixed Content (A+ — 100/100) *No mixed content detected — all resources use HTTPS.* - **[PASS]** No mixed content detected — all resources use HTTPS ### Open Graph (F — 0/100) *No Open Graph tags found — social sharing previews will be generic.* - **[WARNING]** No Open Graph meta tags found — Without og:title, og:description, and og:image, social media platforms will generate a generic preview when your page is shared. ### Structured Data (C — 40/100) *No structured data (JSON-LD) found.* - **[INFO]** No structured data (JSON-LD) found — Adding structured data helps search engines understand your content and can enable rich results. --- ## Infrastructure ### DNS Records (A+ — 100/100) *2 A records, 11 ms lookup* - **[PASS]** Resolves to 2 IPv4 address(es) - **[PASS]** Has 2 IPv6 (AAAA) record(s) - **[PASS]** 2 nameserver(s) configured - **[PASS]** 5 mail exchanger(s) configured - **[INFO]** CAA records not checked — CAA record lookup requires a specialized DNS resolver. This check will be available in a future update. - **[PASS]** SPF record present in TXT - **[PASS]** DNS resolution time: 11 ms ### Redirect Chain (A — 90/100) *1 redirect(s), 93 ms total* - **[PASS]** Single redirect - **[INFO]** WWW normalization redirect ### IPv6 Readiness (A+ — 100/100) *IPv6 reachable (2 ms)* - **[PASS]** IPv6 is configured and reachable at 2606:4700:4401::ac40:92f7, 2606:4700:4403::6812:2909 ### Crawlability (B — 80/100) *robots.txt present, no sitemap* - **[PASS]** robots.txt is present - **[INFO]** No sitemap.xml found — A sitemap helps search engines discover and index your pages more efficiently. - **[INFO]** robots.txt does not reference a sitemap — Add a 'Sitemap:' directive to robots.txt so search engines can discover your sitemap. ### URL Variants (B — 75/100) *www/non-www, trailing slash, HTTP→HTTPS* - **[CRITICAL]** Both www and non-www versions serve content - **[PASS]** HTTP correctly 301-redirects to HTTPS ### Domain Intelligence (A+ — 100/100) *researchgate.net — via Mesh Digital Limited, 18 years, 5 months old* - **[PASS]** Domain registered until Feb 8, 2027 (9 months remaining) - **[INFO]** DNSSEC is not enabled — DNSSEC protects against DNS spoofing attacks. While not required, enabling DNSSEC adds an additional layer of security. Contact your DNS provider to enable it. - **[PASS]** Registrar: Mesh Digital Limited - **[WARNING]** Registrar lock is NOT enabled — The domain can be transferred without an unlock step. Enable registrar lock (clientTransferProhibited) in your registrar's control panel to protect against unauthorized or accidental transfers. --- ## Compliance ### WCAG Compliance (A+ — 100/100) *No testable criteria* ### Cookie Consent & Privacy (B — 80/100) *No consent signals detected* - **[WARNING]** No privacy policy link detected — A privacy policy page is recommended for transparency and may be legally required. - **[INFO]** No terms of service link detected - **[INFO]** No cookie consent banner detected - **[INFO]** This is an automated check, not legal advice — BeaverCheck detects technical indicators of consent management. This does not constitute a legal compliance assessment. Consult a privacy professional for GDPR/CCPA compliance. ### Language & i18n (A — 90/100) *Lang attribute present* - **[PASS]** attribute is present - **[PASS]** value is valid - **[INFO]** No Content-Language HTTP header - **[INFO]** Language signals are inconsistent — The attribute and Content-Language header should agree. ### Readability & Typography (A+ — 100/100) *Font sizes and tap targets checked* ### Viewport Configuration (A+ — 100/100) *Viewport properly configured* - **[PASS]** Viewport meta tag is present - **[PASS]** width=device-width is set - **[PASS]** User zooming is allowed ### Third-Party Trackers (C — 55/100) *2 trackers detected* - **[INFO]** 2 third-party trackers detected — Found 2 analytics, 0 advertising, 0 marketing, 0 tag manager trackers. - **[WARNING]** Trackers detected but no cookie policy found — This page loads 2 trackers but no cookie policy was detected. GDPR requires disclosure when using tracking cookies. - **[WARNING]** Trackers detected but no privacy policy found — Most data protection regulations require a privacy policy when collecting user data via trackers. ### Cookie & Tracker Inventory (A+ — 100/100) *0 cookies · 2 trackers · 0 pre-consent* - **[INFO]** 2 third-party tracker(s) detected on page --- ## Legal ### Legal Page Ecosystem (F — 0/100) *0 of 7 expected legal pages detected* - **[WARNING]** Privacy Policy not detected — No link matching common Privacy Policy URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Privacy Policy, especially those collecting user data. - **[WARNING]** Terms of Service not detected — No link matching common Terms of Service URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Terms of Service, especially those collecting user data. - **[INFO]** Cookie Policy not detected — No link matching common Cookie Policy URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Cookie Policy, especially those collecting user data. - **[INFO]** Accessibility Statement not detected — No link matching common Accessibility Statement URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Accessibility Statement, especially those collecting user data. - **[INFO]** DMCA / Copyright Notice not detected — No link matching common DMCA / Copyright Notice URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a DMCA / Copyright Notice, especially those collecting user data. - **[INFO]** Refund / Returns Policy not detected — No link matching common Refund / Returns Policy URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Refund / Returns Policy, especially those collecting user data. - **[INFO]** Acceptable Use Policy not detected — No link matching common Acceptable Use Policy URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Acceptable Use Policy, especially those collecting user data. ### Copyright Notice (A+ — 100/100) *© 2008-2026 ResearchGate GmbH* - **[PASS]** Copyright notice is up to date — Copyright notice is up to date: © 2008-2026 ResearchGate GmbH - **[PASS]** Copyright holder: ResearchGate GmbH ### Regulatory Indicators *0 regulatory indicator(s) detected* - **[INFO]** This is a technical scan, not a legal assessment — BeaverCheck detects technical indicators that may suggest regulatory relevance. This is not a compliance audit and should not be relied upon for legal decisions. Consult qualified legal counsel for compliance assessments. - **[INFO]** No specific regulatory indicators detected — No strong signals for GDPR, CCPA, ADA, PCI, HIPAA, or COPPA were found. This does not mean these regulations don't apply — it means we didn't detect common technical indicators. ### Third-Party Data Sharing *0 third-party service(s) detected* - **[INFO]** Data inventory for transparency purposes — This inventory identifies third-party services that receive data from your site visitors. Under regulations like GDPR (Article 30), maintaining records of data processing activities is commonly considered a best practice. This automated scan provides a starting point — it may not capture all data flows. - **[INFO]** No recognized third-party data-sharing services detected — This page does not appear to load external tracking, analytics, or advertising scripts. ### Compliance Badges (C — 55/100) *0 compliance badge(s) detected* - **[INFO]** No compliance badges detected — No recognized compliance certification badges or seals were found. This is common — many sites do not display compliance badges. --- ## Availability ### CDN & Delivery (B — 80/100) *Cloudflare* - **[PASS]** Site is served via Cloudflare CDN (edge: GRU) ### HTTP Caching (F — 30/100) *No cache headers* - **[WARNING]** No Cache-Control header found — Browsers will use heuristic caching, which can be unpredictable. Set explicit cache headers. ### Transport Security (A+ — 100/100) *HTTP/3, HSTS, and TLS version analysis* - **[PASS]** HTTP/3 (QUIC) supported — The server advertises HTTP/3 via Alt-Svc for faster connections on mobile networks. - **[PASS]** HSTS enabled (includeSubDomains, preload) - **[PASS]** HSTS preload enabled - **[PASS]** TLS 1.3 in use (fastest handshake, 1-RTT) --- ## Accessibility ### Landmark Structure (D — 40/100) *No landmarks* - **[CRITICAL]** No
landmark found — Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in
. - **[WARNING]** No