Why test your site
Most attacks aren't personal. That's why every site needs checking.
Automated bots sweep the web around the clock looking for easy targets: out-of-date software, missing protections and simple mistakes. They don't care how big or important your site is, only whether it's easy.
The reality
If it's online, it's being checked already
Every public website gets visited by bots that probe for known weaknesses, harvest email addresses and copy content. The question isn't whether someone will look at your site from the outside. It's whether you'll see what they see first.
Where SiteGraded started
In the early 2000s, automated attacks searched Google for .aspx pages and injected code into thousands of sites at once. One of them hit my first ASP.NET site. Nobody had picked it out on purpose. It was simply on the list. SiteGraded exists so your site isn't one of the easy ones.
What's at stake
A weak spot costs more than you'd think
Problems rarely announce themselves. By the time something looks wrong, the damage is usually already done.
Your visitors' trust
An expired certificate puts a full-page security warning in front of every visitor. A hacked page can show them spam or send them somewhere harmful. Most people leave and don't come back.
Your search ranking
A stray noindex tag or a robots.txt mistake can quietly remove a site from Google. A site flagged for malware gets a warning in search results that drives visitors away.
Your email
Without SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, anyone can send email that appears to come from your domain. Your customers get the scam, and your real email starts landing in spam.
Your content and costs
Unprotected sites get copied by scrapers: listings, prices, photos and contact details. Heavy bot traffic also slows the site for real visitors and can raise hosting bills.
Your time and money
Cleaning up after a hacked site means restoring backups, removing malware, getting off blocklists and rebuilding trust. Finding the weak spot first is far cheaper.
Your customers' data
If your site has logins, forms or payments, a weakness doesn't just affect you. It can expose the people who trusted you with their information.
Websites drift
A site that was fine last year may not be today
You don't have to change anything for your site to become less safe. The world around it changes, and small problems pile up without anyone noticing. Checking regularly catches them while they're still small.
Plugins and themes fall behind
New holes are found in popular plugins all the time. A site that was fine last year may be running something attackers now target.
Certificates expire
Auto-renewal fails more often than you'd think, usually after a host or DNS change.
Software reaches end of life
Older PHP and server versions stop getting security fixes, even though the site keeps working.
Settings get changed
A host migration, a new plugin or a developer's quick fix can switch off a security header or leave a test file behind.
Search settings slip
A site launched with “discourage search engines” still ticked, or a sitemap that stopped updating, can cost months of traffic.
When to check
Signs it's time for a scan
- You've just launched or redesigned the site
- It hasn't been updated in a few months
- Someone else built it and you're not sure how it's set up
- It takes logins, bookings or payments
- You've recently changed hosts or domains
- You rely on search or email to bring in customers
- Traffic or rankings dropped and you don't know why
- You look after sites for clients and want proof they're in good shape
If none of these apply, a check every month or two is still a good habit.
What testing does
It shows you what anyone on the internet can see about your site, ranks the problems by how much they matter, and tells you how to fix each one, so you can act before someone else does.
What it doesn't replace
A good grade is a strong sign, not a guarantee. Keep software updated, keep backups, use strong passwords and good hosting. Testing tells you whether those habits are working.
Get started today
A healthier, safer website is just a click away.
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Only scan sites you own or have permission to test. Results come from automated, surface-level checks. A clean report is a good sign, not a guarantee.