What Security and Performance Checks Does WebDNA Perform?

WebDNA runs two separate core modules for this: Security checks SSL status and common header security practices, while Performance gives a quick overview of page weight and load metrics. Both are part of the six core modules listed for v1.0.0, so they run as distinct reports rather than one combined score.

Security module: what it looks at

The Security module covers two areas:

• SSL status — whether the site is served over a secure connection.
• Common header security practices — the HTTP response headers that sites typically set to harden themselves.

WebDNA's own description stops at "common header security practices," so treat the output as a checklist of what is present or absent, not as a pass/fail audit. If you need to know exactly which headers are evaluated, run a scan on a site you control and compare the results against the headers you know you've configured.

How to read the SSL result

SSL status is a binary signal: either the site presents a valid secure connection or it doesn't. A single check like this won't tell you about certificate chain issues, expiry windows, or mixed content — for those you'd need a dedicated TLS scanner. Use WebDNA's SSL line as a first filter, then dig deeper only if something looks off.

How to read the header results

Header security is where the practical value sits. Common hardening headers are easy to forget after a redesign or a move between hosts, and a quick external check surfaces that. The useful workflow is:

1. Run WebDNA on the site.
2. Note which security headers are reported as missing.
3. Compare against what your server or CDN config is supposed to send.
4. If they disagree, the header is likely being stripped or overridden somewhere in the chain.

Performance module: what it looks at

The Performance module provides a quick overview of page weight and load metrics. That phrasing matters — it's a snapshot, not a lab-grade measurement.

• Page weight tells you how much the page is pulling down: HTML, CSS, JS, images, fonts.
• Load metrics give a rough sense of how long that takes to arrive.

Because it's an overview, expect it to be useful for comparison and triage rather than for precise optimization work. The most reliable way to use it is comparatively: scan a page, make a change, scan again, and look at the direction of movement rather than the absolute number.

A concrete example

Say you're evaluating a marketing landing page that feels slow. Running WebDNA's Performance module gives you a page weight figure and load metrics. If the weight is dominated by images, that points you toward compression and responsive image sizing. If the weight is modest but load metrics are poor, the bottleneck is more likely server response time or render-blocking scripts. Either way, the module tells you where to look next — it doesn't tell you what to fix.

Security vs. Performance: which module answers which question

Limits worth knowing before you rely on it

• Neither module is described as producing a score or grade, so don't expect a single number to cite.
• The Security module checks common header practices — unusual or custom headers are outside its stated scope.
• The Performance module is explicitly a "quick overview," so treat its numbers as directional.
• Both modules are part of the same six-module scan, meaning you get them alongside Branding, Tech Stack, SEO & Social Preview, and Typography in one pass.

If your goal is a fast external sanity check on a site's transport security and page weight, these two modules cover it. If you need a compliance-grade security audit or a reproducible performance benchmark, use them as a starting point and follow up with dedicated tooling.