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Methodology v7 — the 34-check registry

Methodology v7 · 34 checks (25 scored + 9 informational) · census as of July 28, 2026

This is the versioned, citable registry of every check in the Defaults.Exposed grading methodology. Each check has a permanent canonical ID and a stable URL — cite /methodology/v7/<check-id> and it will keep meaning the same thing. Prevalence figures are computed from the census of 275,666,275 graded domains and refresh with each census; the check definitions themselves are frozen for v7.

Machine-readable: checks.json · Human explainer: how we grade the internet · Headline statistics: /data · Licence: open data

How checks become a grade

25 of the 34 checks carry points; 9 are informational and never move the grade. Every check returns pass, fail, or N/A — the no-data rule: when a check couldn't be determined (timeout, SERVFAIL, redacted source) it is excluded from that domain's scoring denominator rather than counted as a failure. "Determined absent" (no DMARC record, no HTTPS) is a real fail. Grade bands are locked for comparability: A+ ≥ 95% · A ≥ 90% · B ≥ 80% · C ≥ 70% · D ≥ 60% · F below 60%.