How we measure results. The scans behind every number in our case studies.
A case study is only useful if you can see where its numbers come from. This page explains what we measure, which results we publish and what we leave out.
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What we measure
Our monitoring runs automated scans of the websites we look after, on a regular schedule. Four measures appear in case studies:
- Website speed. How quickly and efficiently the site is delivered: server response, caching, compression and code efficiency.
- Security. The site's security as seen from outside: encryption, security headers and exposed files or settings.
- WordPress health. For WordPress sites, a security score read from inside the site, including update status and protection in place.
- SEO. Technical search readiness: the checks that decide whether search engines can read and rank the pages.
How a score works
Each scan runs a fixed list of checks and turns the results into a score from 0 to 100. A check is either passed, or failed or needing work. The same checks are run every time, so scores from different dates can be compared.
First scan and latest scan
A case study compares the first scan we have for a site with its latest scan, and shows both dates beside every number. Where we list checks that were fixed, each one failed or needed work in the first scan and passes in the latest scan. A scan is a snapshot of one moment, so scores can move a little between runs.
Which results we publish
A site is considered for a case study only when it has at least three completed scans over at least 60 days, at least one measure has improved by 10 points or more, and none of its measures has fallen. We then check the figures against the scan records and read the text before anything is published.
What we leave out
- Measures that did not improve. A case page shows the measures that went up, and says so.
- Anything we cannot trace to a scan record. If a number is not in our scans, it is not in the case study.
- Website addresses, logins and anything else that could expose a client's site.
What a score change does and does not show
A higher score means more checks pass. It does not prove that one action caused the change, and it does not promise the same result for another site. Each site starts from a different place.
Questions
If you want to know more about how a figure was produced, ask us. Our editorial policy explains how the rest of our content is written and checked, and the about page says who we are.
Straight answers
About our scans
How often are websites scanned?
On a regular schedule set by our monitoring. A case study uses the first and the latest scan on record for the site.
What does a score of 100 mean?
That every check in that measure passed in that scan. It does not mean nothing can ever go wrong, only that nothing failed at that moment.
Can I see the scans for my own website?
Clients see health, security and performance results in their client area. A free website audit gives you a view before you sign up.
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