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https://merriam-webster.com

Infrastructure

· 9 checks — DNS, redirects, IPv6, crawlability, URL variants, and domain intelligence rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
94
GRADE
A
FIX
0
REVIEW
2
PASS
7
INFO
0
Probed from Amsterdam, Netherlands
301 Moved Permanently
Checks
9
7 PASS 2 REVIEW
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.merriam-webster.com/
200https://merriam-webster.com/

Inconsistent — duplicate content risk

HTTP → HTTPS

301http://merriam-webster.com/ → https://merriam-webster.com/

Consistent

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

Certificate validity

146
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
A+
DNS Records
4 A records, 28 ms lookup
PASS
4 A records, 28 ms lookup
Info::
Resolves to 4 IPv4 address(es)
Got: 18.238.243.67, 18.238.243.72, 18.238.243.78, 18.238.243.122
Info::
Has 8 IPv6 (AAAA) record(s)
Got: 2600:9000:2090:7800:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f200:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:8c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:da00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3600:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f400:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:ac00:c:3d32:e340:93a1
Info::
4 nameserver(s) configured
Got: ns-1084.awsdns-07.org, ns-1998.awsdns-57.co.uk, ns-323.awsdns-40.com, ns-636.awsdns-15.net
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: 28 ms
Got: 28 ms
A18.238.243.67, 18.238.243.72, 18.238.243.78, 18.238.243.122
AAAA2600:9000:2090:7800:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f200:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:8c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:da00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3600:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f400:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:ac00:c:3d32:e340:93a1
CNAME—
NSns-1084.awsdns-07.org, ns-1998.awsdns-57.co.uk, ns-323.awsdns-40.com, ns-636.awsdns-15.net
MX
1 smtp.google.com
TXT
google-site-verification=QFIo-DJEb2h-NnAkKfbngucTyIPtJLkdhiK9nI-icWo
google-site-verification=yhZNYrftQlDsh_3oIQsAxUkrnWJCsa3pgxqnlBS3aIw
SPF v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net ~all
CAALookup not available with standard resolver
Resolved in 28 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), 108 ms total
PASS
1 redirect(s), 108 ms total
Info::
Single redirect
Got: https://merriam-webster.com → https://www.merriam-webster.com:443/ (301)
Info::
WWW normalization redirect

https://merriam-webster.com

45 ms · HTTP/1.1

301

https://www.merriam-webster.com:443/

62 ms · HTTP/1.1 FINAL

#URLStatusTimeProtocolServer
1https://merriam-webster.com30145 msHTTP/1.1awselb/2.0
2https://www.merriam-webster.com:443/20062 msHTTP/1.1nginx

See the visual redirect chain in the HTTP Probe tab →

A+
IPv6 Readiness
IPv6 reachable (1 ms)
PASS
IPv6 reachable (1 ms)
Info::
IPv6 is configured and reachable at 2600:9000:2090:7800:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f200:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:8c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:da00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3600:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f400:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:ac00:c:3d32:e340:93a1
Got: 1 ms connect
IPv6 Ready
AAAA Records 2600:9000:2090:7800:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f200:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:8c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:da00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3c00:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:3600:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:f400:c:3d32:e340:93a1, 2600:9000:2090:ac00:c:3d32:e340:93a1 Connection Reachable (1 ms)
A+
Crawlability
robots.txt present, sitemap with 108 URLs
PASS
robots.txt present, sitemap with 108 URLs
Info::
robots.txt is present
Got: 708 bytes
Info::
sitemap.xml is present
Info::
sitemap.xml is valid XML
Info::
sitemap.xml contains 108 entries
Info::
Sitemap index with 108 child sitemaps
Info::
robots.txt references sitemap
robots.txt 200 OK
Size 708 B Sitemaps referenced 1 User-agents * Blocking No — crawling allowed
##############################################################################
# This is a production robots.txt
##############################################################################

User-agent: *
Disallow: /wotd-signup-message
Disallow: /wotd-signup-result
Disallow: /word-of-the-day/manage-subscription
Disallow: /interstitial-ad
Disallow: /my-saved-words/dictionary/starclick/
Disallow: /lapi
Disallow: /assets/mw/static/old-games/
Sitemap: https://www.merriam-webster.com/sitemap-ssl/sitemap_index.xml

##############################################################################
# This is a production robots.txt
##############################################################################
sitemap.xml 200 OK
Type Sitemap Index URLs 108 entries Valid XML Yes
Child Sitemaps:
A+
Domain Intelligence
merriam-webster.com — via CSC Corporate Domains, Inc., 27 years, 6 months old
PASS
merriam-webster.com — via CSC Corporate Domains, Inc., 27 years, 6 months old
Info::
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.
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.
Domain expiry

209 days

February 8, 2027

SSL certificate

146 days

Issued by Amazon

Domain age

27 years, 6 months

Registered February 8, 1999

DNSSEC

Not enabled

Protects against DNS spoofing

Hosting

Unknown

2600:9000:2090:3600:c:3d32:e340:93a1

Registrar

CSC Corporate Domains, Inc.

Unlocked 4 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 February 8, 1999 (27 years, 6 months ago)
Expires February 8, 2027 (9 months)
Last Updated February 4, 2026
Name Servers ns-1084.awsdns-07.org, ns-1998.awsdns-57.co.uk, ns-323.awsdns-40.com, ns-636.awsdns-15.net
DNSSEC Not enabled
Hosting
IP Address 2600:9000:2090:3600:c:3d32:e340:93a1
Data source: rdap (0.0s)

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 142 ms — DNS, TCP, TLS, TTFB, content transfer breakdown
PASS
DNS Lookup DNS Lookup — time to resolve the domain name to an IP address.
31 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.
4 ms
Time to First Byte Time to First Byte — how long the server takes to respond with the first byte of data.
142 ms
Total Time Total request time from DNS lookup through full response.
142 ms

Connection waterfall

DNS Lookup 31 ms TCP Connect 1 ms TLS Handshake 4 ms Server Processing 105 ms Content Transfer 0 ms
A
CDN & Delivery
AWS CloudFront (Miss from cloudfront)
PASS
AWS CloudFront (Miss from cloudfront)
Info::
Site is served via AWS CloudFront CDN (edge: AMS58-P1)
Got: x-amz-cf-id: 7i8XSo4rSdZtP7SqMhodWB7annGw2aD_FSDreFcZUae0bE9FN5IEvQ==
Info::
CDN cache status: Miss from cloudfront
CDN Detected: AWS CloudFront
Provider AWS CloudFront Cache Status Miss from cloudfront Evidence x-amz-cf-id: 7i8XSo4rSdZtP7SqMhodWB7annGw2aD_FSDreFcZUae0bE9FN5IEvQ==
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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