🔒 Security Headers Checker

Frequently Asked Questions About Website Security Headers

What are security headers and why do I need them? +
Security headers are HTTP response headers that help protect your website from various security threats like XSS attacks, clickjacking, and data injection. They instruct browsers on how to handle your website's content securely, providing an essential layer of defense against common vulnerabilities.
How does this security headers checker work? +
Our tool analyzes your website's HTTP response headers and checks for the presence of critical security headers. It grades your site from A+ (excellent) to F (poor) based on which security headers are implemented and configured correctly.
What is Content Security Policy (CSP)? +
Content Security Policy is one of the most important security headers. It helps prevent XSS attacks by allowing you to specify which sources of content are allowed to be loaded on your webpage. This includes scripts, stylesheets, images, and other resources.
What is HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)? +
HSTS forces browsers to use HTTPS connections only, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks and protocol downgrade attacks. Once enabled, browsers will automatically redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS for your domain.
How do I implement security headers on my website? +
Security headers can be implemented through your web server configuration (Apache .htaccess, Nginx config), through your application code, or via security plugins if you're using WordPress. The method depends on your hosting setup and technical expertise.
Do security headers improve SEO? +
Yes, indirectly. Security headers contribute to a better user experience by protecting visitors from attacks and building trust. Secure sites may also receive preference in search rankings, and faster loading times (often a result of proper security configuration) are a confirmed ranking factor.
What does X-Frame-Options protect against? +
X-Frame-Options prevents your website from being embedded in iframes on other sites, protecting against clickjacking attacks where malicious sites trick users into clicking hidden elements by overlaying your site within a frame.
Is X-XSS-Protection still necessary? +
X-XSS-Protection is now deprecated in favor of Content Security Policy. Modern browsers have disabled this header due to potential security issues it could create. Focus on implementing a strong CSP instead.
What is Referrer Policy and why is it important? +
Referrer Policy controls how much referrer information is shared when users navigate away from your site. This helps protect user privacy and prevents sensitive information in URLs from being leaked to third-party sites.
How often should I check my security headers? +
Check your security headers monthly or whenever you make significant changes to your website. Also check after server updates, plugin installations, or configuration changes that might affect your security posture.
Can security headers break my website? +
If configured incorrectly, some security headers (especially CSP) can break website functionality. Always test changes in a staging environment first and implement headers gradually. Start with less restrictive policies and tighten them over time.
What's the difference between security headers and HTTPS? +
HTTPS encrypts data in transit between your server and users' browsers. Security headers are additional instructions that tell browsers how to handle your content securely once received. Both are essential and work together to provide comprehensive web security.