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Infrastructure

· 17 checks — DNS, redirects, IPv6, crawlability, URL variants, and domain intelligence rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
89
GRADE
B
FIX
1
REVIEW
6
PASS
10
INFO
0
Probed from Madrid, Spain
302 Found
Checks
17
10 PASS 6 REVIEW 1 FIX
D
CDN & Delivery
Action
No CDN detected
FIX
No CDN detected
Warning::
No CDN detected
A CDN can significantly improve load times for users around the world by caching content at edge nodes closer to them.
No CDN detected

Consider using a CDN to improve global delivery speed and reduce origin load.

B
DNS Records
4 A records, 24 ms lookup
REVIEW
4 A records, 24 ms lookup
Info::
Resolves to 4 IPv4 address(es)
Got: 151.101.193.111, 151.101.1.111, 151.101.129.111, 151.101.65.111
Info::
Has 4 IPv6 (AAAA) record(s)
Got: 2a04:4e42:600::367, 2a04:4e42:400::367, 2a04:4e42::367, 2a04:4e42:200::367
Warning::
CNAME record at zone apex
A CNAME at the zone apex can break MX and NS records. Use ALIAS/ANAME or A records instead.
Got: dualstack.guardian.map.fastly.net
Info::
No NS records found
Info::
No MX records — email not configured via DNS
Info::
No SPF record found in TXT records
SPF helps prevent email spoofing. Add a TXT record starting with 'v=spf1'.
Info::
DNS resolution time: 24 ms
Got: 24 ms
A151.101.193.111, 151.101.1.111, 151.101.129.111, 151.101.65.111
AAAA2a04:4e42:600::367, 2a04:4e42:400::367, 2a04:4e42::367, 2a04:4e42:200::367
CNAMEdualstack.guardian.map.fastly.net
NS—
MX—
TXT—
CAALookup not available with standard resolver
Resolved in 24 ms

A CNAME at the zone apex can break MX and NS records. Use ALIAS/ANAME or A records instead.

Why this matters

CNAME at the apex (example.com) breaks every other apex record (MX, TXT, NS) — DNS-protocol violation per RFC 1034.

Learn more ▾

RFC 1034 forbids CNAME alongside other records at the same name. Some DNS providers offer ALIAS / ANAME / flattened-CNAME records that work around this — use those instead. Otherwise apex-level CNAME breaks email (no MX), domain ownership verification (no TXT), and more.

Source: RFC 1034

SPF helps prevent email spoofing. Add a TXT record starting with 'v=spf1'.

Why this matters

Without SPF, receiving servers can't validate sending IPs — your domain is easier to spoof in phishing.

Learn more ▾

SPF complements DMARC. Both should be published. SPF records list authorized sending IPs (e.g., `v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all` for Google Workspace). After publishing, verify in Google Postmaster Tools or mxtoolbox.

Source: RFC 7208 (SPF)

B
DNSSEC
Unsigned (DNSSEC not deployed)
REVIEW
Unsigned (DNSSEC not deployed)
Info::
DNSSEC is not deployed
The zone is not DNSSEC-signed. Users on validating resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Quad9 9.9.9.9, growing default in mobile resolvers) get no protection against DNS spoofing for this domain. Most registrars now offer DNSSEC at a single click; consider enabling it for sites where authenticity matters (banking, healthcare, government).
B
CAA Records
No CAA records (any CA may issue certificates)
REVIEW
No CAA records (any CA may issue certificates)
Info::
No CAA records published
Without CAA records, any publicly-trusted CA can issue certificates for this domain. Adding a CAA record (`yourdomain. IN CAA 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"`) restricts issuance to CAs you authorize. Required by CAB Forum baseline since 2017; the default of 'any CA' is widely supported but is the broader attack surface for issuance fraud.
C
Reverse DNS
Action
0/8 IPs match cert SAN
REVIEW
0/8 IPs match cert SAN
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 151.101.193.111: lookup 151.101.193.111: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 151.101.1.111: lookup 151.101.1.111: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 151.101.129.111: lookup 151.101.129.111: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 151.101.65.111: lookup 151.101.65.111: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 2a04:4e42:600::367: lookup 2a04:4e42:600::367: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 2a04:4e42:400::367: lookup 2a04:4e42:400::367: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 2a04:4e42::367: lookup 2a04:4e42::367: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
Info::
PTR lookup failed for 2a04:4e42:200::367: lookup 2a04:4e42:200::367: no such host
No reverse DNS record set for this IP. Common on bare cloud-VM IPs without provider-side PTR; not a security issue.
B
TLS Certificate Expiry & Recommendations
183 days until leaf cert expires — 1 issues to address
REVIEW

Certificate validity

183
days left
0d 30d 60d 90d+

Recommended actions

  • Enable DNSSEC on your domain for DNS spoofing protection
B
Operational Status Page
No status page link detected
REVIEW
No status page link detected
Info::
No operational status page link detected
Status pages communicate planned maintenance and incidents to users -- a hallmark of operationally-mature services. Most SaaS teams publish one via Atlassian Statuspage, Instatus, BetterUptime, or a self-hosted Cachet. Smaller sites legitimately don't need one; flagged as Info, not a failure.
A+
Subdomain Takeover
No subdomain takeover risk detected
PASS
No subdomain takeover risk detected
Info::
CNAME does not point at a known takeover-able service
A+
Multi-Resolver DNS Speed
Mean 15ms across 3 resolvers (spread 26ms)
PASS
Mean 15ms across 3 resolvers (spread 26ms)
Info::
Quad9: 0ms
Got: 0ms via 9.9.9.9:53
Info::
Google: 19ms
Got: 19ms via 8.8.8.8:53
Info::
Cloudflare: 26ms
Got: 26ms via 1.1.1.1:53
A
Redirect Chain
1 redirect(s), 22 ms total
PASS
1 redirect(s), 22 ms total
Info::
Single redirect
Got: https://www.theguardian.com → https://www.theguardian.com/europe (302)
Info::
Uses 302 (temporary) redirect
If permanent, use 301 instead.
Got: https://www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com

4 ms · HTTP/1.1

302

https://www.theguardian.com/europe

18 ms · HTTP/1.1 FINAL

#URLStatusTimeProtocolServer
1https://www.theguardian.com3024 msHTTP/1.1
2https://www.theguardian.com/europe20018 msHTTP/1.1

See the visual redirect chain in the HTTP Probe tab →

If permanent, use 301 instead.

Why this matters

302 (Found) is for genuinely temporary redirects — if this redirect is permanent, switch to 301 to preserve SEO equity.

Learn more ▾

Search engines treat 302 as temporary, keeping the original URL indexed and not transferring full link equity to the destination. Use 301 (Moved Permanently) for permanent redirects (HTTP→HTTPS, www-vs-non-www, URL restructures).

Source: Google Search Central

A+
IPv6 Readiness
IPv6 reachable (0 ms)
PASS
IPv6 reachable (0 ms)
Info::
IPv6 is configured and reachable at 2a04:4e42:600::367, 2a04:4e42:400::367, 2a04:4e42::367, 2a04:4e42:200::367
Got: 0 ms connect
IPv6 Ready
AAAA Records 2a04:4e42:600::367, 2a04:4e42:400::367, 2a04:4e42::367, 2a04:4e42:200::367 Connection Reachable (0 ms)
A+
Crawlability
robots.txt present, sitemap with 515 URLs
PASS
robots.txt present, sitemap with 515 URLs
Info::
robots.txt is present
Got: 2844 bytes
Info::
sitemap.xml is present
Info::
sitemap.xml is valid XML
Info::
sitemap.xml contains 515 entries
Info::
robots.txt references sitemap
robots.txt 200 OK
Size 2844 B Sitemaps referenced 2 User-agents Mojeek, JenkersBot, *, MoodleBot, YandexAdditionalBot, Buck, DuckAssistBot, Google-CloudVertexBot, anthropic-ai, AwarioRssBot, Applebot-Extended, meta-externalagent, YouBot, NewsNow, TurnitinBot, ClaudeBot, Claude-User, AwarioSmartBot, YandexAdditional, Amzn-SearchBot, yacy, Claude-SearchBot, Mediapartners-Google, CCBot, PetalBot, PerplexityBot, FacebookBot, Arquivo-web-crawler, ImageSift, Amazonbot, AhrefsSiteAudit, Seekr, Bytespider, coccocbot-web, SeznamBot, SentiOne, scalepostAI, AhrefsBot Blocking No — crawling allowed
# This is the robots.txt file for theguardian.com

# Guardian content is made available under our terms and conditions of use.
# Any other uses are not permitted, incl. but not limited to: for large language
# models (LLMs), machine learning and/or artificial intelligence-related
# purposes; with any of the aforementioned technologies; and/or for any
# commercial purposes. Contact licensing@theguardian.com for assistance

User-agent: *
Disallow: /sendarticle/
Disallow: /Users/
Disallow: /users/
Disallow: /*/print$
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /contactus/
Disallow: /share/
Disallow: /websearch
Disallow: /*?commentpage=
Disallow: /whsmiths/
Disallow: /external/overture/
Disallow: /discussion/report-abuse/*
Disallow: /discussion/report-abuse-ajax/*
Disallow: /discussion/comment-permalink/*
Disallow: /discussion/report-abuse/*
Disallow: /discussion/user-report-abuse/*
Disallow: /discussion/handlers/*
Disallow: /discussion/your-profile
Disallow: /discussion/your-comments
Disallow: /discussion/edit-profile
Disallow: /discussion/search/comments
Disallow: /discussion/*
Disallow: /search
Disallow: /music/artist/*
Disallow: /music/album/*
Disallow: /books/data/*
Disallow: /settings/
Disallow: /embed/
Disallow: /*styles/js-on.css$
Disallow: /sport/olympics/2008/events/*
Disallow: /sport/olympics/2008/medals/*
Disallow: /f/healthcheck
Disallow: /sections
Disallow: /top-stories
Disallow: /most-read/sport
Disallow: /articles
Disallow: /global$
Disallow: /*/feedarticle/*
Disallow: /travel/2013/aug/22/been-there-readers-competition?*
Disallow: /preference/*
Disallow: /59666047/
Disallow: /print/
Disallow: /info/tech-feedback
Disallow: /production-monitoring/
Disallow: *.emailjson
Disallow: *.emailtxt
Disallow: /headline.txt
Disallow: *?*dcr=apps*

User-agent: Mediapartners-Google
Disallow:

Sitemap: http://www.theguardian.com/sitemaps/news.xml
Sitemap: http://www.theguardian.com/sitemaps/video.xml

User-agent: NewsNow
User-agent: CCBot
User-agent: TurnitinBot
User-agent: PetalBot
User-agent: MoodleBot
User-agent: FacebookBot
User-agent: Bytespider
User-agent: Mojeek
User-agent: JenkersBot
User-agent: Seekr
User-agent: YouBot
User-agent: Arquivo-web-crawler
User-agent: coccocbot-web
User-agent: SeznamBot
User-Agent: PerplexityBot
User-Agent: yacy
User-agent: anthropic-ai
User-agent: ClaudeBot
User-agent: Claude-SearchBot
User-agent: Claude-User
User-agent: AwarioRssBot
User-agent: AwarioSmartBot
User-agent: SentiOne
User-agent: ImageSift
User-agent: Applebot-Extended
User-agent: YandexAdditional
User-agent: YandexAdditionalBot
User-agent: scalepostAI
User-agent: Buck
User-agent: meta-externalagent
User-agent: Amazonbot
User-agent: DuckAssistBot
User-agent: Google-CloudVertexBot
User-agent: Amzn-SearchBot
User-agent: AhrefsBot
User-agent: AhrefsSiteAudit
Disallow: /

License: https://theguardian.com/license.xml
sitemap.xml 200 OK
Type URL Set URLs 515 entries Valid XML Yes
Sample URLs:
A+
URL Variants
www/non-www, trailing slash, HTTP→HTTPS
PASS
www/non-www, trailing slash, HTTP→HTTPS
Info::
www/non-www redirect configured correctly (preferred: www)
Info::
HTTP correctly 301-redirects to HTTPS

www / non-www

200https://www.theguardian.com/
301https://theguardian.com/

Preferred variant: www

HTTP → HTTPS

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

Consistent

A
Domain Intelligence
theguardian.com — via GoDaddy.com, LLC, 32 years, 3 months old
PASS
theguardian.com — via GoDaddy.com, LLC, 32 years, 3 months old
Warning::
Domain expires in 56 days
Consider enabling auto-renewal to prevent accidental expiration.
Got: Expires Jul 5, 2026
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: GoDaddy.com, LLC
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.
Domain expiry

48 days

July 5, 2026

SSL certificate

183 days

Issued by GlobalSign nv-sa

Domain age

32 years, 3 months

Registered July 6, 1994

DNSSEC

Not enabled

Protects against DNS spoofing

Hosting

Unknown

2a04:4e42:400::367

Registrar

GoDaddy.com, LLC

Unlocked 8 NS records
Expiry timeline
Today
+1 year
Domain expiry SSL expiry Danger zone (≤30 days)
Recommended actions
  • Renew the domain or enable auto-renewal to prevent accidental expiry
  • Enable DNSSEC to protect visitors from DNS spoofing
  • Enable registrar lock (clientTransferProhibited) to block unauthorized domain transfers
Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC
Created July 6, 1994 (32 years, 3 months ago)
Expires July 5, 2026 (1 months)
Last Updated July 5, 2025
Name Servers dns1.p04.nsone.net, dns2.p04.nsone.net, dns3.p04.nsone.net, dns4.p04.nsone.net, ns01.theguardiandns.com, ns02.theguardiandns.com, ns03.theguardiandns.com, ns04.theguardiandns.com
DNSSEC Not enabled
Hosting
IP Address 2a04:4e42:400::367
Data source: rdap (0.2s)

Consider enabling auto-renewal to prevent accidental expiration.

Why this matters

Domain expiry approaching — renew immediately and ensure auto-renew + alerting are configured.

Source: ICANN renewal policy

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 27 ms — DNS, TCP, TLS, TTFB, content transfer breakdown
PASS
DNS Lookup DNS Lookup — time to resolve the domain name to an IP address.
24 ms
TCP Connect TCP Connect — time to establish a TCP connection to the server.
0 ms
TLS Handshake TLS Handshake — time to complete the HTTPS encryption handshake.
2 ms
Time to First Byte Time to First Byte — how long the server takes to respond with the first byte of data.
27 ms
Total Time Total request time from DNS lookup through full response.
27 ms

Connection waterfall

DNS Lookup 24 ms TCP Connect 0 ms TLS Handshake 2 ms Server Processing 1 ms Content Transfer 0 ms
A+
CDN Cache Observability
Cache state: fresh (Age=0)
PASS
Cache state: fresh (Age=0)
Info::
CDN cache state observable via 1 header(s)
Got: age=0
A+
Health Check Endpoint
Health endpoint at https://www.theguardian.com/health (HTTP 200)
PASS
Health endpoint at https://www.theguardian.com/health (HTTP 200)
Info::
Public health endpoint at https://www.theguardian.com/health
Got: https://www.theguardian.com/health
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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