Certificate & scoring
How we score websites — and certify the good ones
Every test produces a 0–100 score from transparent checks. Sites that score B or better can show it with a verifiable Web-PSQC certificate.
Grades
| Grade | Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 95–100 | Excellent — nothing important left to fix |
| A | 90–94 | Very good |
| B | 80–89 | Good — a few improvements available |
| C | 70–79 | Fair — fix the listed problems |
| D | 60–69 | Needs work |
| F | below 60 | Poor — serious problems |
How a test is scored
Most tests are a list of checks. Each check passes (full points), needs work (half) or fails (none), and carries an impact weight: high ×3, medium ×2, low ×1. The test score is the weighted share of points earned. A few tests use an established score instead: Core Web Vitals uses Lighthouse's performance score, SSL/TLS uses testssl.sh's SSL Labs-method rating, and accessibility deducts points per axe-core rule violated (15 critical, 8 serious, 4 moderate, 2 minor).
How the overall score is weighted
| Test | Category | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Global load speed | Performance | 14 |
| Core Web Vitals (Lighthouse) | Performance | 14 |
| Mobile experience | Performance | 8 |
| SSL/TLS security (testssl.sh) | Security | 10 |
| TLS configuration (SSLyze) | Security | 6 |
| Security headers | Security | 8 |
| Accessibility (WCAG) | Quality | 8 |
| Browser compatibility | Quality | 5 |
| Responsive layout | Quality | 5 |
| SEO essentials | SEO | 12 |
| Meta tags & link previews | SEO | 10 |
| Structured data | SEO | 6 |
| Crawlability: robots.txt & sitemap | SEO | 8 |
| Site crawl & broken links | SEO | 8 |
| Google presence | SEO | 6 |
| AI crawler access | AI visibility | 10 |
| AI answer readiness | AI visibility | 8 |
| What AI says about you | AI visibility | 6 |
Tests that cannot be scored for a site (for example, no answer from a data source) are left out and the remaining weights are rescaled.
Certificates
- Single-test certificate ($19): for one finished test of yours graded B (80) or better, issued within 3 days of the test.
- PSQC comprehensive certificate ($59): for a full 18-test audit of a domain you have verified, graded B (80) or better overall, at most 3 days old. It shows the overall score and the scores for performance, security, quality, SEO and AI visibility.
- Each certificate has a unique code, a public verification page, a QR code and a downloadable PDF, and is valid for 12 months. Payment is one-time, through PayPal.
How to get one
- Create a free account or sign in, then run the test while signed in (tests you ran just before signing in are added to your account).
- On your report, choose Get a certificate, or open Certificates in your dashboard: results that qualify are listed there.
- Pay with PayPal or a card. The certificate is issued immediately and its PDF is ready about a minute later.