What each issue actually means for your business — and exactly how to fix it. No jargon, no developer required. This is the same plain English you get inside SiteSprout when we scan your site.
Files are blocking the page from loading quickly
Files are making visitors wait before they can see anything on your page — like someone blocking the door before letting customers in.
Images are too large for phone screens
Images on your site are being served at full size even on small phone screens.
Images could be compressed for faster loading
Images on your page are larger file sizes than they need to be, slowing load times and costing mobile visitors extra data.
Images use an older, heavier format
Your images use older formats (JPG or PNG) instead of the modern WebP format, which can be 25–35% smaller at the same visual quality.
Main content loads too slowly
Your main content — like your hero image or headline — takes too long to appear on screen.
Outside tools are slowing your site down
A significant portion of your page's load time comes from outside tools you've connected — like chat widgets, review badges, ad scripts, or social media buttons.
Page content appears too slowly
Your page takes longer than it should to look visually complete.
Page files are not compressed for faster delivery
Text content on your page isn't being compressed before it's sent to visitors' browsers, adding unnecessary load time on every visit.
Page is slow to respond to clicks and taps
Your page looks loaded but freezes before responding to clicks or taps.
Page layout shifts around while loading
Buttons, text, and images shift around while your page is loading.
Page takes too long to become usable
Your page takes a long time before menus, buttons, and forms start working.
Page takes too long to show first content
The first few seconds of your page look completely blank to visitors.
Scripts take too long to start up
The JavaScript on your page takes a long time to start up and parse.
Text disappears while custom fonts are loading
Custom fonts are blocking your page from showing any text at all until they finish loading.
Visitors are sent through extra detours
Your pages send visitors through one or more detours before reaching the destination.
Your pages download styling they never use
Your pages download styling rules that they never actually apply.
Your pages have too many elements
Your page has an unusually large number of HTML elements.
Your pages load code that never runs
Your pages load JavaScript code that never runs.
Your scripts are not compressed
Your JavaScript files haven't been compressed to their smallest form.
Your server is slow to respond
Your web server is taking a long time to start sending your page.
Your stylesheets are not compressed
Your CSS stylesheets haven't been compressed to remove spaces, comments, and formatting.
Language targeting tags are missing or incorrect
International language or region settings are misconfigured.
Page is missing a preferred URL tag
There's a configuration issue that can confuse Google about which version of a page to rank.
Page is missing a search engine description
Your page is missing the short description that appears beneath your link in Google search results.
Page is missing a title
Your page has no title, so search results and browser tabs show a blank or generic label.
Rich search result info has errors
Your page is missing the extra behind-the-scenes information that helps Google display richer search results — like star ratings, prices, FAQs, or event dates — directly in search.
Search engines may be blocked from parts of your site
Your site's instructions to Google's crawler have errors.
Some links cannot be followed by search engines
Some links on your site can't be followed by Google's crawler, meaning those destination pages won't show up in search results even if they have great content.
Some links have vague or unhelpful wording
Some links on your page just say "click here" or "read more" — Google and screen readers can't tell where they lead.
This page is blocked from appearing in search results
This page is actively blocking search engines from indexing it.
A button's spoken label doesn't match its visible text
A button or link's spoken label (what a screen reader reads) doesn't match the words people see on screen.
A list is not structured correctly for screen readers
A list on your page isn't structured correctly, so screen readers don't announce it as a list or count the items.
A screen-reader component is in the wrong place
A screen-reader component is placed outside the container it belongs in, so assistive technology can't interpret it correctly and visitors may get lost.
A screen-reader component is missing the parts it needs
A component built for screen readers (like a menu or tab list) is missing the inner parts it needs to work correctly, so screen readers may announce it in a broken or confusing way.
A screen-reader element is missing required labels
An interactive element is missing screen-reader labels it's required to have.
A screen-reader label has an invalid value
A screen-reader label on your page has an invalid value, so assistive technology can't make sense of it and may skip or misread the element.
A screen-reader label is used in the wrong place
A screen-reader label is attached to an element that isn't allowed to have it.
A scrolling area can't be reached by keyboard
A scrolling area on your page can't be reached or scrolled using the keyboard.
An embedded box is missing a name for screen readers
An embedded box on your page (like a map, video, or booking widget) has no name that screen readers can announce.
Clickable items are nested inside each other
Clickable elements are nested inside each other (for example, a button inside a link).
Dropdown menus are missing labels
Dropdown menus on your forms don't have visible labels or accessible names.
Hard for screen readers to navigate page sections
Your page content isn't organized into proper landmark sections.
Heading structure is out of order
Headings on your page skip levels (like jumping from a main heading straight to a small sub-heading).
Hidden content can still be reached by keyboard
Content that's hidden from screen readers can still be reached with the keyboard.
Images are missing descriptions for screen readers
Images are missing text descriptions.
Keyboard navigation order may confuse users
Keyboard navigation is disrupted on parts of your page.
Lists are not formatted correctly for screen readers
A list on your page isn't built correctly.
No quick way to skip to the main content
Your page doesn't offer a way to skip repeated navigation and jump straight to the main content.
Page language is not declared
Your page doesn't declare what language it's written in.
Page sections aren't clearly separated for screen readers
Major sections of your page (like navigation, main content, and footer) aren't clearly distinguished for screen readers, so visitors who jump between sections can't tell them apart.
Some buttons have no readable label
Buttons on your page have no text label.
Some form fields are missing labels
Form fields — like contact forms or sign-up boxes — are missing labels.
Some links are only set apart by color
Some links in your text are only set apart by color — there's no underline or other visual cue.
Some links have no readable label
Some links on your page have no visible label.
Some tap targets are too small for touch screens
Some clickable buttons or links on your site are too small to tap accurately on a phone.
Some text is hard to read due to low color contrast
Some text is hard to read because it doesn't stand out enough from the background.
Two elements share the same ID, which confuses screen readers
Two elements on the page share the same ID, which screen readers rely on to connect labels to controls.
Hidden technical errors found on this page
Your page has hidden technical errors running in the background.
No protection against email impersonation (no DMARC)
Your domain has no DMARC record — the rule that tells Gmail and Outlook what to do with email that fails authentication.
Page is missing mobile display settings
Your page isn't configured correctly for mobile devices.
Page returned an error when loaded
A page returned an error code like "404 Not Found" or "500 Server Error.
Page uses outdated web features that may stop working
Your site uses web features that major browsers are phasing out.
Tracking tools load before visitors can consent
Analytics and tracking tools on this page start collecting visitor data the moment the page opens — before anyone has had a chance to agree to be tracked.
Your DMARC is set to monitor only
Your domain has DMARC, but the policy is set to "monitor only" (p=none), so it watches without actually stopping anything.
Your email senders are not verified (no SPF)
Your domain has no SPF record — the setting that tells Gmail and Outlook which servers are allowed to send email using your domain name.
Your site has broken links
Your site has links that lead to pages that no longer exist or return errors.
Your SPF record lets anyone send as your domain
Your SPF record ends in "+all", which tells the world that ANY server is allowed to send email as your domain.
SiteSprout scans your site, tells you in plain English exactly what is wrong, shows you how to fix it, and keeps watch so nothing breaks silently.
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