Server Headers Check: Security & Configuration Analyzer
Our Server Headers Check tool helps you analyze HTTP response headers to identify security vulnerabilities, evaluate server configurations, and improve website performance.
What is Server Headers Check?
A Server Headers Check tool analyzes HTTP response headers to identify security vulnerabilities, configuration issues, and optimization opportunities. It examines security headers, cache directives, server information, and other HTTP metadata to provide comprehensive insights about website security and performance configuration.
Who uses this tool: Web developers, security professionals, system administrators, DevOps engineers, compliance auditors, and website owners who want to enhance their site's security posture and performance.
How to Use This Tool
- Enter URL: Type the complete website URL (including https://) in the input field
- Configure Options: Choose whether to follow redirects automatically
- Run Analysis: Click "Analyze Headers" to initiate the security assessment
- Review Results: Examine the security rating, present/missing headers, and recommendations
- Implement Fixes: Follow the security recommendations to improve your website's configuration
Example:
Input: https://github.com
Output: Security grade A+, HSTS enabled, CSP present, X-Frame-Options configured, comprehensive security header analysis
- All Headers: View complete list of HTTP response headers and their values
- Security Headers: Focus on security-specific headers with detailed explanations
- Security Analysis: Get comprehensive security assessment with grade and score
- Cache & Performance: Analyze caching directives and performance optimization headers
Use Case:
Security auditors use the tabbed interface to systematically review different aspects of HTTP configuration, from basic headers to advanced security policies.
Understanding HTTP Headers Results
Grade A/A+ (Excellent Security)
Most or all critical security headers are properly configured. The website implements modern security best practices and provides strong protection against common attacks.
Grade B/C (Good with Improvements)
Basic security headers are present but some important protections are missing or incorrectly configured. Moderate security posture with room for enhancement.
Grade D/F (Security Concerns)
Critical security headers are missing or misconfigured. The website is vulnerable to various attacks and requires immediate security improvements.
- Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS)
- Forces HTTPS connections and prevents protocol downgrade attacks. Should include max-age, includeSubDomains, and preload directives.
- Content-Security-Policy (CSP)
- Prevents XSS attacks by controlling which resources can be loaded. A well-configured CSP significantly reduces attack surface.
- X-Frame-Options
- Prevents clickjacking by controlling whether the site can be embedded in frames. Use DENY or SAMEORIGIN values.
- X-Content-Type-Options
- Prevents MIME-type confusion attacks. Should always be set to "nosniff" for security.
- Referrer-Policy
- Controls how much referrer information is sent with requests. Affects privacy and security.
Common Use Cases
Security Auditing
Assess website security posture by analyzing HTTP security headers, identifying vulnerabilities, and ensuring compliance with security best practices.
Vulnerability Assessment
Identify missing or misconfigured security headers that could expose websites to XSS, clickjacking, MITM, and other common web attacks.
Performance Optimization
Analyze cache headers, compression settings, and performance-related HTTP directives to optimize website loading speed and bandwidth usage.
Compliance Verification
Ensure HTTP header configuration meets industry standards (OWASP, PCI DSS, NIST) and organizational security policies.
Development Testing
Test HTTP header configuration during development and deployment to catch security misconfigurations before they reach production.
Competitive Analysis
Analyze competitors' security configurations and performance optimizations to benchmark and improve your own website's setup.
Technical Details
- HTTP Request: Sends a HEAD or GET request to the target URL to retrieve response headers
- Header Parsing: Extracts and analyzes all HTTP response headers returned by the server
- Security Analysis: Compares present headers against security best practices and OWASP recommendations
- Grading Algorithm: Calculates security score based on critical header presence and configuration quality
- Recommendation Engine: Generates specific suggestions for improving security and performance
Surface-Level Analysis
Tool analyzes only HTTP response headers and cannot assess server-side security configurations, application logic, or deeper security measures.
Context Dependency
Header security effectiveness depends on proper implementation and may vary based on website architecture, content type, and specific use cases.
Dynamic Content
Results reflect headers for specific URLs and may not represent the configuration for all pages or resources on the website.
Public Analysis
Header analysis reveals publicly accessible information about server configuration but does not expose sensitive application data or internal configurations.
Implementation Guidance
Always test header changes in development environments first, as incorrect security header configuration can break website functionality or user experience.