Analysis for

thespruce.com favicon thespruce.com

90
Flare Score
Safe

FlareAI™ Summary

TheSpruce.com, a Dotdash Meredith property, offers how-to guides and expert advice for home improvement, cooking, and gardening. Security indicators are strong: a valid SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt ensures encrypted connections, and a domain age of over 16 years suggests stability. The site is clean on all blacklists checked and has a CLEAN Google Safe Browsing status, further boosting its trustworthiness. With a FlareScore of 90/100, the site appears safe for users.

+13.4%
than category average
Canada
Server Country
16 years
Domain Age

Score Breakdown

How we calculated the Flare Score based on positive and negative signals.

Positive Signals

Valid SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt
Established domain (16+ years old)
WHOIS information publicly available
Not found on any blacklist (1 sources checked)
Strong email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC configured)
Good website performance

Negative Signals

Missing important security headers
No contact information found

Pro Tip: A valid SSL certificate is a basic requirement for any trustworthy site, but it doesn't guarantee the site is not a scam.

SSL & Security

SSL certificate and security headers configuration

Security Score
40/100
✓ Valid SSL (40) ✗ HSTS (20) ✗ CSP (20) ✗ X-Frame (20)

SSL Certificate

Issuer
Let's Encrypt
Valid From
Apr 04, 2026
Valid Until
Jul 03, 2026
77 days remaining

How Was This Calculated?

Transparency into our FlareScore™ methodology and data sources used for this analysis.

thespruce.com Analysis

FlareScore™: 90/100 (Safe Risk)

Our analysis of thespruce.com identified 6 positive security indicators and 2 potential concerns. The FlareScore™ rating combines technical security measures, domain reputation, and content analysis.

SSL Certificate Analysis
Domain Age: 16 years 7 months
AI Content Review
24 DNS Records
Analysis Sources
  • • WHOIS: MarkMonitor Inc.
  • • SSL: Let's Encrypt
  • • DNS: 24 records analyzed
  • • Content: Visual & text analysis
Last Checked

Apr 15, 2026
1 day ago

Transparency Note: Our analysis is based on publicly available data and automated scanning. For detailed methodology and accuracy metrics, visit our methodology page.

Domain & WHOIS Information

Domain Age
16 years 7 months
Registered Sep 06, 2009
Very High Trust
Sep 2009 Expires Sep 2026
Established domain (5+ years) - High trust indicator
Registrar
MarkMonitor
Registration Date
Sep 06, 2009 (16 years ago)
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2025
Expiration Date
Sep 06, 2026 (142 days remaining)
Server Location
Canada

DNS Configuration

Domain Name System records and email security configuration

Email Security
SPF
DKIM
DMARC
Basic
2
A
2
AAAA
5
MX
11
TXT
3
NS

HTTP Headers

Key server response headers for security analysis.

Headers not available

IP Geolocation

Server location and network information

Canada
Canada
Toronto
IP Address
172.66.1.220
ISP / Hosting
Cloudflare, Inc.
Coordinates
43.6532, -79.3832
Country Code
CA

Performance Metrics

Website loading speed and performance analysis

100
Fast
Load Time
0.08s
Excellent
Page Size
0.01MB
Optimized
Requests
2
Minimal
Overall
100/100
Performance score

Excellent! This website loads quickly and provides a great user experience.

Blacklist Check

Checking if this domain is listed on major security blacklists.

Google Safe Browsing
Safe

Discovered Subdomains

Publicly accessible subdomains associated with this domain.

www.thespruce.com

Website Screenshot

thespruce.com screenshot

In-Depth Analysis

Overview

TheSpruce.com is a well-established website offering advice and inspiration for home improvement, gardening, and cooking. It serves as a resource for users seeking guidance on various lifestyle topics. Since there is no login or payment functionality, the risk to users is reduced.

Security Assessment

The website employs valid SSL encryption issued by Let's Encrypt, ensuring data transmitted between your browser and the server is protected. The certificate is valid until 2026, which is a positive indicator. The domain is over 16 years old, suggesting a level of stability and trustworthiness. Most importantly, Google Safe Browsing reports a clean record for thespruce.com, confirming it doesn't host or distribute malicious content. The use of Cloudflare as its ISP further enhances security through DDoS protection and content delivery optimization.

Trust Level

With a FlareScore of 90/100, TheSpruce.com is considered safe to use. The high score reflects its clean security record, valid SSL certificate, and the absence of reported threats.

Recommendations

While TheSpruce.com appears secure, users should still practice general online safety. Be cautious of external links within articles, and ensure your own device has up-to-date antivirus software. Although no privacy policy was detected, be mindful of the information you share if you choose to engage with any comment sections or forums associated with

User Reviews and Complaints

Share your experience with this site or ask questions. Your comments help the community.

No reviews yet.