What does a website audit check, and is it worth paying for?
Updated
An audit checks your website the way customers and search engines meet it. It covers security, speed, phones, search basics, legal notices and how customers reach you. Free tools each cover a part. A paid audit is worth it when it puts everything in one report, with a fix for each problem. It helps only if you act on it.
What a typical audit covers
- Security: whether every page loads over https, whether the certificate is valid, and the settings that protect visitors. It should also check the email records that stop people sending email as you: SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
- Speed: how long the main content takes to appear. Google's target is 2.5 seconds for the main content, and 0.2 seconds to respond to a tap. The page shouldn't jump around as it loads.
- Phones: whether pages fit the screen, text is readable without zooming, and buttons are big enough for a thumb.
- Search basics: page titles, headings, broken links, a sitemap and a robots file.
- Legal notices: a privacy notice and a cookie notice. In Ireland and the UK, also the company details the law requires.
- Getting customers: a phone number you can tap, a contact form that works, opening hours and an address.
- Visibility to AI: whether AI assistants are allowed to read the site and can tell what the business does.
What an automated audit can't tell you
- Whether your words sell. It can find a missing phone number. It can't judge whether your offer is clear.
- The full accessibility picture. GOV.UK warns that automated testing alone misses some issues. A person has to test with a keyboard and a screen reader.
- Whether you're legally compliant. It can find a missing privacy notice. It can't tell you the notice is correct.
When paying makes sense
- You don't have time to run several free tools and translate the results.
- You want one list of fixes to hand to whoever looks after your site.
- You're about to pay for changes and want a record of the site before they start.
If nobody will act on the report, save your money. Our free 10-point check covers the basics in fifteen minutes.
Common questions
How much does a website audit cost?
It ranges from free tools to paid reports and reviews by agencies. Before you pay, ask what the report covers, and whether each finding comes with the evidence and a fix.
How often should I audit my website?
Do a full check once, then again every few months or after any big change. A short monthly routine catches most problems in between.
Can an audit break my website?
An audit that only reads your public pages, the way a visitor does, can't change anything. Be wary of any tool that asks for your website login.
I got an email offering a free website audit. Is it genuine?
Some are, some aren't. Check any claim yourself before you pay to fix it. Google PageSpeed Insights and your own phone can confirm speed and phone findings in minutes. Never share your website or hosting passwords with someone who emailed you out of the blue.
Sitecomb is a digital audit for small-business websites. It checks six areas: security, privacy, quality, phones, getting customers and visibility to AI. Each finding comes with its evidence and a plain-English fix. It costs €9.99, and it never changes your site.