The short version: we cut every address you check down to its hostname in your browser, hold that hostname in memory for about a minute for rate limiting, and never write it to disk. We show ads from Google, which use cookies only after you agree where the law requires it. You can change that choice any time from “Cookie settings” at the bottom of every page.
Who we are
Site Checker Lab (sitecheckerlab.com) is run by DEV2REV, Porto, Portugal. We are the data controller for the limited data described here. You can reach us at hello@sitecheckerlab.com.
What you type into a check
Your browser removes the path, query string, fragment and any login details from what you type before anything is sent. Only the hostname, for example shop.example.com, is sent to our checking service at api.sitecheckerlab.com. That service runs on a server we rent from UpCloud in New York, USA, and requests reach it through Cloudflare.
To answer, the service connects to the hostname itself and looks it up in public DNS resolvers and in the domain's registry, so those parties see the hostname too, but not who asked.
The checking service holds the hostname in memory for about a minute, to share results between identical checks and to enforce rate limits. It is never written to disk, and our request logs record the type of check but not the hostname.
Shared links
If you press Copy link, the hostname is written into the link, for example /report/example.com. Anyone you send it to can see the hostname, and it may appear in their browser history and in our hosting logs when the link is opened.
Data collected automatically
Like any website, our host Cloudflare receives technical information when you load a page:
- IP address, browser type and device type
- The page requested, the referring page and the time of the request
The checking service uses your IP address to count checks for rate limiting, in memory only and for at most an hour. We use logs only to keep the site running and secure, and they are deleted within 30 days. We count visits with Umami, an analytics tool we host ourselves. It sets no cookies and does not store IP addresses. A shared link such as /report/example.com is counted as /report/, so checked hostnames never reach it. Visit counts are kept for up to 24 months, because we have a legitimate interest in knowing how the site is used.
Cookies and advertising
We show ads through Google AdSense to keep the site free. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies lets it and its partners show you ads based on those visits.
- You can turn off personalised advertising in Google's Ads Settings.
- Google explains how it uses data from partner sites at How Google uses information from sites that use its services.
- Visitors in the UK, EEA and Switzerland see a consent banner from Google’s Privacy & messaging tool, a Google-certified consent platform. Advertising cookies are set only after you agree. Without consent, you may still see non-personalised or limited ads.
We also store one small preference in your browser: your light or dark theme choice. It is not a tracking cookie and never leaves your device.
Affiliate links
Some links to monitoring services are affiliate links, and links to registrars and hosting providers will be once those partnerships are approved. If you click one, the provider may set its own cookie to record that you came from us, so we can earn a commission if you sign up. We don't receive your name or payment details. See our affiliate disclosure.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, including under the GDPR, UK GDPR and US state privacy laws, you can ask to access, correct or delete personal data we hold, object to processing, or withdraw consent. Because we hold so little, most requests are about advertising cookies, which you can change in Cookie settings.
Where we rely on consent, the legal basis is consent. For server logs and rate limiting, it is our legitimate interest in running a secure, fair service. You can complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
This site is not aimed at children under 16 and we do not knowingly collect their data.
Changes and contact
If this policy changes, we will update the date at the top of this page. Questions or requests go to hello@sitecheckerlab.com or the contact page.