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Infrastructure

· 9 checks — DNS, redirects, IPv6, crawlability, URL variants, and domain intelligence rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
83
GRADE
B
FIX
1
REVIEW
2
PASS
6
INFO
0
Probed from Madrid, Spain
301 Moved Permanently
Checks
9
6 PASS 2 REVIEW 1 FIX
D
URL Variants
Action
www/non-www, trailing slash, HTTP→HTTPS
FIX
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
Critical::
HTTP version does not redirect to HTTPS
Got: HTTP 301 Expected: 301 redirect to HTTPS

www / non-www

200https://www.irishtimes.com/
200https://irishtimes.com/

Inconsistent — duplicate content risk

HTTP → HTTPS

301http://irishtimes.com/ → http://www.irishtimes.com/

HTTP version does not redirect to HTTPS

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
TLS Certificate Expiry & Recommendations
342 days until leaf cert expires — 4 issues to address
REVIEW

Certificate validity

342
days left
0d 30d 60d 90d+

Recommended actions

  • Prefer TLS 1.3 — TLS 1.2 is acceptable but TLS 1.3 removes RSA key exchange and improves latency
  • 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
A+
DNS Records
4 A records, 37 ms lookup
PASS
4 A records, 37 ms lookup
Info::
Resolves to 4 IPv4 address(es)
Got: 151.101.130.174, 151.101.194.174, 151.101.66.174, 151.101.2.174
Info::
No IPv6 (AAAA) records
Info::
8 nameserver(s) configured
Got: ns-528.awsdns-02.net, ns-cloud-a3.googledomains.com, ns-cloud-a1.googledomains.com, ns-cloud-a4.googledomains.com, ns-387.awsdns-48.com, ns-cloud-a2.googledomains.com, ns-1440.awsdns-52.org, ns-1768.awsdns-29.co.uk
Info::
1 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: 37 ms
Got: 37 ms
A151.101.130.174, 151.101.194.174, 151.101.66.174, 151.101.2.174
AAAA—
CNAME—
NSns-528.awsdns-02.net, ns-cloud-a3.googledomains.com, ns-cloud-a1.googledomains.com, ns-cloud-a4.googledomains.com, ns-387.awsdns-48.com, ns-cloud-a2.googledomains.com, ns-1440.awsdns-52.org, ns-1768.awsdns-29.co.uk
MX
10 irishtimes-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
TXT
google-site-verification=_bmMdy91pvMquv_acEInFP1XIqSqNbuM77KAj_GVTho
apple-domain-verification=XhnDcE0YrDAPQozP
CKsXNje4uFWCU3U+gWWedhYbiKllZTbLm9t7VAdQcjSTnw7mo0rydeq6kMZ00xMFHy3/yDZL7+Wx6QlD...
SPF v=spf1 mx ip4:95.83.234.0/25 include:spf.protection.outlook.com ip4:94.130.79.24...
8qSuzXg+ddtmaVm0r1LZ6KaUfoOKEN4nW1zSRWYtQR0=
_228a4bj3xhwomgxr0i4p1e0watz28dp
google-site-verification=CF2anBGnVbMW0Mp2EtCYgmNkLQlbpTDSucrGRvzS3XY
facebook-domain-verification=n9azgexpxv03k5s2oyunuyczvfgk2o
MS=ms26781645
globalsign-domain-verification=995AF123E1C444EA1731F29D67C53A30
_wbl87wyohfa7jt0qlw73d2nvlnt1oem
jetbrains-domain-verification=35s7lntrjrw2w29o80246mnxh
CAALookup not available with standard resolver
Resolved in 37 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), 177 ms total
PASS
1 redirect(s), 177 ms total
Info::
Single redirect
Got: https://irishtimes.com → https://www.irishtimes.com/ (301)
Info::
WWW normalization redirect

https://irishtimes.com

5 ms · HTTP/1.1

301

https://www.irishtimes.com/

172 ms · HTTP/1.1 FINAL

#URLStatusTimeProtocolServer
1https://irishtimes.com3015 msHTTP/1.1Varnish
2https://www.irishtimes.com/200172 msHTTP/1.1openresty

See the visual redirect chain in the HTTP Probe tab →

A+
Crawlability
robots.txt present, sitemap with 100 URLs
PASS
robots.txt present, sitemap with 100 URLs
Info::
robots.txt is present
Got: 2810 bytes
Info::
sitemap.xml is present
Info::
sitemap.xml is valid XML
Info::
sitemap.xml contains 100 entries
Info::
robots.txt references sitemap
robots.txt 200 OK
Size 2810 B Sitemaps referenced 6 User-agents ChatGPT-User, GPTBot, Googlebot-News, * Blocking No — crawling allowed
# Block ChatGPT crawler
User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Disallow: /

# Block ChatGPT crawler
User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Googlebot-News
Disallow: /sponsored/

User-agent: *
Disallow: /blogimageupload/
Disallow: /captcha/
Disallow: /content/
Disallow: /cmlink/
Disallow: /cm/
Disallow: /error/
Disallow: /errorpages/
Disallow: /logger/
Disallow: /mailapi/
Disallow: /membership/
Disallow: /mobile/
Disallow: /newspaper/archive/
Disallow: /photosales/index.cfm?fuseaction=
Disallow: /poll/
Disallow: /polopolydevelopment/
Disallow: /redirect/
Disallow: /rta-logging/reader-history.php
Disallow: /search/
Disallow: /search-results/
Disallow: /search/archive.html
Disallow: /search/search-7.4195619
Disallow: /search/search-7.1213540
Disallow: /search/search-7.2285082
Disallow: /status/
Disallow: /zephr/feature-decisions
Disallow: /zephr/features
Disallow: /polopoly_fs/

Sitemap: https://www.irishtimes.com/arc/outboundfeeds/sitemap/
Sitemap: https://www.irishtimes.com/arc/outboundfeeds/sitemap-days/
Sitemap: https://www.irishtimes.com/arc/outboundfeeds/sitemap-news-index/
Sitemap: https://www.irishtimes.com/arc/outboundfeeds/sitemap-section-index/
Sitemap: https://www.irishtimes.com/arc/outboundfeeds/sitemap-section/
Sitemap: https://www.irishtimes.com/arc/outboundfeeds/video-sitemap/

# CSS, JS, Images
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.css$
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.css?
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.js$
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.js?
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.gif
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.jpg
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.jpeg
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.png
Allow: /subscribe/core/*.svg
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.css$
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.css?
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.js$
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.js?
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.gif
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.jpg
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.jpeg
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.png
Allow: /subscribe/profiles/*.svg

# Directories
Disallow: /subscribe/core/
Disallow: /subscribe/profiles/

# Files
Disallow: /subscribe/README.md
Disallow: /subscribe/composer/Metapackage/README.txt
Disallow: /subscribe/composer/Plugin/ProjectMessage/README.md
Disallow: /subscribe/composer/Plugin/Scaffold/README.md
Disallow: /subscribe/composer/Plugin/VendorHardening/README.txt
Disallow: /subscribe/composer/Template/README.txt
Disallow: /subscribe/modules/README.txt
Disallow: /subscribe/sites/README.txt
Disallow: /subscribe/themes/README.txt

# Paths (clean URLs)
Disallow: /subscribe/admin/
Disallow: /subscribe/comment/reply/
Disallow: /subscribe/filter/tips
Disallow: /subscribe/node/add/
Disallow: /subscribe/product/add/
Disallow: /subscribe/block/add/
Disallow: /subscribe/node/add/
Disallow: /subscribe/product/add/

Disallow: /myaccount/register
Disallow: /myaccount/logout

Disallow: /subscribe/media/oembed
Disallow: /subscribe/*/media/oembed
sitemap.xml 200 OK
Type URL Set URLs 100 entries Valid XML Yes
Sample URLs:
A+
Domain Intelligence
irishtimes.com — via Network Solutions, LLC, 29 years, 2 months old, hosted on Fastly
PASS
irishtimes.com — via Network Solutions, LLC, 29 years, 2 months old, hosted on Fastly
Info::
Domain registered until Jul 2, 2027 (1 years, 2 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: Network Solutions, 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.
Info::
Hosting: Fastly
Got: AS54113
Domain expiry

355 days

July 2, 2027

SSL certificate

342 days

Issued by GlobalSign nv-sa

Domain age

29 years, 2 months

Registered July 3, 1997

DNSSEC

Not enabled

Protects against DNS spoofing

Hosting

Fastly

ASN AS54113

151.101.130.174

Registrar

Network Solutions, LLC

Unlocked 8 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 Network Solutions, LLC
Created July 3, 1997 (29 years, 2 months ago)
Expires July 2, 2027 (1 years, 2 months)
Last Updated May 21, 2018
Name Servers ns-1440.awsdns-52.org, ns-1768.awsdns-29.co.uk, ns-387.awsdns-48.com, ns-528.awsdns-02.net, ns-cloud-a1.googledomains.com, ns-cloud-a2.googledomains.com, ns-cloud-a3.googledomains.com, ns-cloud-a4.googledomains.com
DNSSEC Not enabled
Hosting
IP Address 151.101.130.174
ASN AS54113 (FASTLY - Fastly, Inc., US)
Provider Fastly
Data source: rdap (0.3s)

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 39 ms — DNS, TCP, TLS, TTFB, content transfer breakdown
PASS
DNS Lookup DNS Lookup — time to resolve the domain name to an IP address.
36 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.
39 ms
Total Time Total request time from DNS lookup through full response.
39 ms

Connection waterfall

DNS Lookup 36 ms TCP Connect 0 ms TLS Handshake 2 ms Server Processing 1 ms Content Transfer 0 ms
A+
CDN & Delivery
Fastly (HIT)
PASS
Fastly (HIT)
Info::
Site is served via Fastly CDN
Got: x-served-by: cache-toj-leto2350020-TOJ
Info::
CDN cache status: HIT
CDN Detected: Fastly
Provider Fastly Cache Status HIT Evidence x-served-by: cache-toj-leto2350020-TOJ
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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