Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, contact us and we'll happily answer it.
Getting started
What do I need to run a scan?
A free account and a verified email address. There is nothing to install, no plugin, and no code to add to your site — you paste a web address and we do the rest.
Do I need to be technical to understand the report?
No. Every finding is written in plain language and says what the problem is, why it matters, and the specific change that fixes it. If you would rather not do the work yourself, the report is written so you can hand it straight to whoever looks after your site.
Can I try a scan without signing up?
No, and this is deliberate. Every scan opens a real browser, renders your page three times, and calls a paid AI model, so an anonymous scan button would be an open invitation to run up someone else's bill. The free plan is the trial instead: create an account, verify your email, and scan.
How scanning works
What does a full scan actually check?
Ten categories: accessibility, performance, SEO, security headers, broken links, an AI critique of the visual design, responsive layout, HTML validity, AI visibility, and content freshness.
See what each category checksHow long does a scan take?
Most finish in a few minutes. Broken-link checking and the performance audit are the slow parts, so a page with hundreds of links takes longer. You do not have to wait on the page — we email you when it is done, if you want us to.
Does SyteCheck scan my whole site?
No. A scan reviews the one page you give it, in depth, rather than crawling everything shallowly. Most people scan their homepage first and then the two or three pages that actually earn them money.
Will scanning slow down or damage my site?
No. A scan only reads your page — it never submits forms, signs in, or changes anything. Requests are paced so a scan looks like a handful of ordinary visitors rather than a burst of traffic.
What happens if a firewall or bot protection blocks the scan?
We stop, and we tell you. A firewall, CDN, or bot-protection rule that turns us away is an instruction rather than an obstacle to get around, so we do not rotate through other addresses or disguise where the request came from — the refused checks are reported as blocked and left out of your score entirely, rather than guessed at or counted against you. The same principle runs through the rest of a scan: visits to any one site are spaced apart no matter who asked for them, the individual checks are staggered instead of arriving all at once, and a server that answers "too many requests" is backed off and then left alone, even when that means reporting partial coverage. We would rather hand you an honest, incomplete report than be a bad internet neighbor.
I keep seeing blocked results in my scans. What can I do?
Add us to your system's "allowlist". Because we scan from our own fixed addresses rather than hiding behind a rotating pool, there is something concrete to allow: the New Scan page lists the exact IP addresses our scanner connects from, and adding them as an exception in your firewall, WAF, CDN, or security plugin usually brings the blocked categories straight back on the next scan. If the site belongs to a client, this is an ordinary request to make of whoever manages their hosting or protection service, and it is worth making once rather than fighting every scan. If allowlisting is not possible, the report you get is still sound — blocked categories are left out of the score rather than counted as failures, so nothing is being marked against a site we were simply not allowed to look at.
Can I scan a site I don't own?
Only with the owner's permission. Our terms restrict scanning to sites you own or have been given explicit permission to audit — which covers the normal case of auditing a client's site, or a prospect's with their agreement.
Terms of ServicePlans and billing
What is the difference between a free scan and a paid one?
Free answers "how does my site come across?" — the AI visual critique, SEO fundamentals, and content freshness. Paid (scans done through a subscription, or one-off) answers "what is going well and what should I fix or improve?": every category, the full technical findings, and PDF export.
PricingCan I pay for a single, full scan rather than buying a plan?
Yes. The one-off option is a single scan with full findings and PDF export, and it is priced accordingly. You can buy more at any time, and they work with or without a plan. One-off scans do not count against plan limits.
How are payments processed? Are they secure?
Payment is handled entirely by Paddle, the merchant of record for every SyteCheck purchase: they take the payment, issue your invoice, and account for any sales tax or VAT due in your country. Your card details are entered on Paddle's own checkout and never touch our servers — we never see or store a card number, so a breach of our systems could not expose your payment details. Paddle is a PCI DSS Level 1 certified provider, supports 3-D Secure authentication, and screens transactions for fraud, which is exactly why we let an established specialist handle the money rather than building it ourselves. Your card statement will show Paddle, and your receipts come from them.
Can I cancel at any time?
Yes, from the billing page in your account, with no phone call and no retention script. Your plan stays active until the end of the period you have already paid for, and then reverts to free.
Do you offer refunds?
Yes, within defined limits — including a 14-day window on a renewal you did not intend. The refund policy sets out exactly what is covered.
Refund PolicyYour data
How long do you keep my scans?
It depends on your plan, and the current periods are published in the privacy policy. If you cancel a paid plan we keep your older scans for a short grace period rather than deleting them the same night, and we tell you the date.
Privacy PolicyCan I delete my account and everything in it?
Yes. Deleting your account from the account page erases your record and everything attached to it, including screenshots, and it is immediate rather than a queued request.
Still deciding?
The free plan costs nothing and takes just a few minutes to try. That will answer more than this page can.
Free plan, no credit card. Verify your email and scan your first page.