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Infrastructure

· 9 checks — DNS, redirects, IPv6, crawlability, URL variants, and domain intelligence rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
87
GRADE
B
FIX
0
REVIEW
4
PASS
5
INFO
0
Probed from Amsterdam, Netherlands
301 Moved Permanently
Checks
9
5 PASS 4 REVIEW
C
IPv6 Readiness
Action
No IPv6 support
REVIEW
No IPv6 support
Info::
No IPv6 (AAAA) records found
IPv6 support is increasingly important for global accessibility. About 40% of internet users have IPv6 connectivity.
No IPv6 Support
About 40% of internet users have IPv6. Consider adding AAAA records.

IPv6 support is increasingly important for global accessibility. About 40% of internet users have IPv6 connectivity.

Why this matters

No AAAA records — same impact as 'no IPv6 (AAAA) records'; IPv6-preferring clients pay extra latency falling back to IPv4.

Source: Google IPv6 stats

B
URL Variants
www/non-www, trailing slash, HTTP→HTTPS
REVIEW
www/non-www, trailing slash, HTTP→HTTPS
Critical::
Both www and non-www versions serve content
Got: Both variants return 200 Expected: One variant 301-redirects to the other
Info::
HTTP correctly 301-redirects to HTTPS

www / non-www

200https://www.softwareadvice.com/
200https://softwareadvice.com/

Inconsistent — duplicate content risk

HTTP → HTTPS

301http://softwareadvice.com/ → https://www.softwareadvice.com/

Consistent

B
TLS Certificate Expiry & Recommendations
47 days until leaf cert expires — 3 issues to address
REVIEW

Certificate validity

47
days left
0d 30d 60d 90d+

Recommended actions

  • Enable HSTS: Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
  • Enable DNSSEC on your domain for DNS spoofing protection
  • Enable OCSP stapling on your TLS server to remove a CA roundtrip and protect user privacy
B
CDN & Delivery
Cloudflare
REVIEW
Cloudflare
Info::
Site is served via Cloudflare CDN (edge: AMS)
Got: cf-ray: 9f08371f6bc5fea0-AMS
CDN Detected: Cloudflare
Provider Cloudflare Evidence cf-ray: 9f08371f6bc5fea0-AMS
A+
DNS Records
2 A records, 4 ms lookup
PASS
2 A records, 4 ms lookup
Info::
Resolves to 2 IPv4 address(es)
Got: 104.16.136.228, 104.16.137.228
Info::
No IPv6 (AAAA) records
Info::
2 nameserver(s) configured
Got: evan.ns.cloudflare.com, raphaela.ns.cloudflare.com
Info::
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.
Info::
SPF record present in TXT
Info::
DNS resolution time: 4 ms
Got: 4 ms
A104.16.136.228, 104.16.137.228
AAAA—
CNAME—
NSevan.ns.cloudflare.com, raphaela.ns.cloudflare.com
MX
1 aspmx.l.google.com
5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
5 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
10 ALT4.aspmx.l.google.com
10 ALT3.aspmx.l.google.com
TXT
8ncg1dzbshnrxpwwsr5s6cqmx010dsfx
facebook-domain-verification=6sr3jfw5v0pmvov30ffrtimkkbozy1
google-site-verification=LWX-wSMEHWaTfYcjChj_gCrrYBK6R2LqKgJ1B0P96MQ
google-site-verification=Z1YXgQWRCBRG1_9OwE9XJvctWLAL38yhdXcSjkFBHwM
google-site-verification=uNiopzvU3hMmoYLZjo00AfKPddacUCh-OHu3pjBXp9I
ps-cd-verification=f3f0786d-f607-40db-a54b-b839afd5fbb2
SPF v=spf1 include:spf1.softwareadvice.com include:spf2.softwareadvice.com ~all
CAALookup not available with standard resolver
Resolved in 4 ms

CAA record lookup requires a specialized DNS resolver. This check will be available in a future update.

Why this matters

Informational: CAA (Certification Authority Authorization) records weren't checked in this scan.

A
Redirect Chain
1 redirect(s), 361 ms total
PASS
1 redirect(s), 361 ms total
Info::
Single redirect
Got: https://softwareadvice.com → https://www.softwareadvice.com/ (301)
Info::
WWW normalization redirect

https://softwareadvice.com

18 ms · HTTP/1.1

301

https://www.softwareadvice.com/

342 ms · HTTP/1.1 FINAL

#URLStatusTimeProtocolServer
1https://softwareadvice.com30118 msHTTP/1.1cloudflare
2https://www.softwareadvice.com/200342 msHTTP/1.1cloudflare

See the visual redirect chain in the HTTP Probe tab →

A+
Crawlability
robots.txt present, sitemap with 6 URLs
PASS
robots.txt present, sitemap with 6 URLs
Info::
robots.txt is present
Got: 2360 bytes
Info::
sitemap.xml is present
Info::
sitemap.xml is valid XML
Info::
sitemap.xml contains 6 entries
Info::
Sitemap index with 6 child sitemaps
Info::
robots.txt references sitemap
robots.txt 200 OK
Size 2360 B Sitemaps referenced 1 User-agents UbiCrawler, Offline Explorer, Download Ninja, Jyxobot/1, cityreview, Domain Re-Animator Bot, Vegi, Zao, wget, grub-client, MSIECrawler, Teleport, WebReaper, Speedy, BUbiNG, Xenu, k2spider, Exabot, rogerbot, AhrefsBot, DOC, WebCopier, TeleportPro, WebZIP, HTTrack, libwww, NPBot, Zealbot, WebStripper, Fetch, psbot, Bloglines/3.1, CrazyWebCrawler-Spider, SiteSnagger, Microsoft.URL.Control, larbin, ZyBORG, *, sitecheck.internetseer.com, linko, dotbot Blocking No — crawling allowed
# robots.txt for https://www.softwareadvice.com

User-agent: *
Allow: /
Allow: /articles/feed/rss/
Allow: /articles/feed/
Allow: /articles/rss
Allow: */?page=*

User-agent: *
Disallow: /imglib/screenshot_
Disallow: /*trackback
Disallow: /*feed$
Disallow: /*feed/$
Disallow: /extranet/
Disallow: /partners/
Disallow: /contrib/flowplayer
Disallow: /*screenshots-raw/
Disallow: /includes/templates/notice_and_procedure.pdf
Disallow: /search*
Disallow: /*-profile/vs/*/*/
Disallow: /*review=
Disallow: /*reviews=
Disallow: /*sort=
Disallow: /*more=
Disallow: /*.woff$
Disallow: /*.woff2$
Disallow: /api/*
Disallow: /compare/*-*/vs/*-*/*/
Disallow: /_vercel/insights/view
Disallow: */?*
Disallow: /partner-forms/*
Disallow: /workspace/*
Disallow: /advisor-recommendations/*

# GDM ajax data and template
Disallow: /js/product_reveal_gdm_ajax.js
Disallow: /ajax/gdm_reviews_ajax_smarty.php

# Blocks crawlers that are kind enough to obey robots
User-agent: AhrefsBot
Disallow: /
User-agent: UbiCrawler
Disallow: /
User-agent: BUbiNG
Disallow: /
User-agent: DOC
Disallow: /
User-agent: Zao
Disallow: /
User-agent: sitecheck.internetseer.com
Disallow: /
User-agent: Zealbot
Disallow: /
User-agent: MSIECrawler
Disallow: /
User-agent: SiteSnagger
Disallow: /
User-agent: WebStripper
Disallow: /
User-agent: WebCopier
Disallow: /
User-agent: Fetch
Disallow: /
User-agent: Offline Explorer
Disallow: /
User-agent: Teleport
Disallow: /
User-agent: TeleportPro
Disallow: /
User-agent: WebZIP
Disallow: /
User-agent: linko
Disallow: /
User-agent: HTTrack
Disallow: /
User-agent: Microsoft.URL.Control
Disallow: /
User-agent: Xenu
Disallow: /
User-agent: larbin
Disallow: /
User-agent: libwww
Disallow: /
User-agent: ZyBORG
Disallow: /
User-agent: Download Ninja
Disallow: /
User-agent: wget
Disallow: /
User-agent: grub-client
Disallow: /
User-agent: k2spider
Disallow: /
User-agent: NPBot
Disallow: /
User-agent: WebReaper
Disallow: /
User-agent: psbot
Disallow: /
User-agent: Exabot
Disallow: /
User-agent: Speedy
Disallow: /
User-agent: dotbot
Disallow: /
User-agent: Bloglines/3.1
Disallow: /
User-agent: Jyxobot/1
Disallow: /
User-agent: cityreview
Disallow: /
User-agent: CrazyWebCrawler-Spider
Disallow: /
User-agent: Domain Re-Animator Bot
Disallow: /
User-agent: Vegi
Disallow: /
User-agent: rogerbot
Disallow: /

sitemap: https://www.softwareadvice.com/sitemap.xml
sitemap.xml 200 OK
Type Sitemap Index URLs 6 entries Valid XML Yes
Child Sitemaps:
A+
Domain Intelligence
softwareadvice.com — via CSC Corporate Domains, Inc., 21 years, 2 months old, hosted on Cloudflare
PASS
softwareadvice.com — via CSC Corporate Domains, Inc., 21 years, 2 months old, hosted on Cloudflare
Info::
Domain registered until May 24, 2027 (1 years, 1 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.
Info::
Registrar: CSC Corporate Domains, Inc.
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.
Info::
Hosting: Cloudflare
Got: AS13335
Domain expiry

315 days

May 24, 2027

SSL certificate

47 days

Issued by Google Trust Services

Domain age

21 years, 2 months

Registered May 24, 2005

DNSSEC

Not enabled

Protects against DNS spoofing

Hosting

Cloudflare

ASN AS13335

104.16.137.228

Registrar

CSC Corporate Domains, Inc.

Unlocked 2 NS records
Expiry timeline
Today
+1 year
Domain expiry SSL expiry Danger zone (≤30 days)
Recommended actions
  • Enable DNSSEC to protect visitors from DNS spoofing
  • Enable registrar lock (clientTransferProhibited) to block unauthorized domain transfers
Registrar CSC Corporate Domains, Inc.
Created May 24, 2005 (21 years, 2 months ago)
Expires May 24, 2027 (1 years, 1 months)
Last Updated July 25, 2025
Name Servers evan.ns.cloudflare.com, raphaela.ns.cloudflare.com
DNSSEC Not enabled
Hosting
IP Address 104.16.137.228
ASN AS13335 (CLOUDFLARENET - Cloudflare, Inc., US)
Provider Cloudflare
Data source: rdap (0.2s)

DNSSEC protects against DNS spoofing attacks. While not required, enabling DNSSEC adds an additional layer of security. Contact your DNS provider to enable it.

Why this matters

Without DNSSEC, an attacker who can poison your DNS can hijack your domain — and SSL certs alone don't stop them.

Learn more ▾

DNSSEC adds cryptographic signatures to DNS records, preventing forged responses from poisoning resolver caches. Without it, an attacker who controls the network path can redirect your domain to a malicious server before any HTTPS handshake happens. Most modern registrars (Cloudflare, Google Domains, Route 53) enable it with one toggle.

Source: ICANN / RFC 4033

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.

Why this matters

Without registrar lock, an attacker who phishes your registrar credentials can transfer the domain in minutes — total brand hijack.

Learn more ▾

Registrar lock (clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited, clientDeleteProhibited) requires extra verification before any transfer/update/delete. Every major registrar offers it free. Combined with 2FA on your registrar account, it's the strongest defense against domain hijacking.

Source: ICANN / domain-security best practice

A+
HTTP Probe Timing
Total 15 ms — DNS, TCP, TLS, TTFB, content transfer breakdown
PASS
DNS Lookup DNS Lookup — time to resolve the domain name to an IP address.
5 ms
TCP Connect TCP Connect — time to establish a TCP connection to the server.
1 ms
TLS Handshake TLS Handshake — time to complete the HTTPS encryption handshake.
7 ms
Time to First Byte Time to First Byte — how long the server takes to respond with the first byte of data.
15 ms
Total Time Total request time from DNS lookup through full response.
15 ms

Connection waterfall

DNS Lookup 5 ms TCP Connect 1 ms TLS Handshake 7 ms Server Processing 3 ms Content Transfer 0 ms
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

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