Lighter websites6 min read
A One-Hour Checklist for a Lighter Website
One hour, one page, six steps: measure, fix the biggest images, prune plugins and embeds, trim fonts, check caching, then re-check and compare.
Read articleFree website carbon checkerBeta
DIGITAL sustainability
WITHOUT THE FLUFF.
Find out roughly how much carbon one page view on your website produces, whether your host is listed as green, and what would make the biggest difference.
Your report
Three clear answers, then what to do next
Emissions per page view
An estimate of the CO₂e produced each time someone loads the page, from its measured size.
A carbon grade
A+ to F, using the published ratings that come with the Sustainable Web Design Model.
Green hosting status
Whether The Green Web Foundation lists your host as green. We say so plainly when it doesn't.
Up to three practical improvements
Each one comes from something we measured on your page, such as unused scripts or oversized images.
How grades work
Lighter pages earn better grades. A+ means up to 0.040 g of CO₂e per page view; F means more than 0.359 g.
How it works
Open method, no guesswork
Measure
Google PageSpeed Insights loads your page and records how much data it transfers.
Check
We look your host up in The Green Web Foundation's dataset.
Estimate
We apply the open Sustainable Web Design Model v4 and suggest what would help most.
If a page can't be measured, we say so and save nothing. We never fill in a guess.
How it worksWebsite badges
Show your result, honestly
Two free badges link to your public report and show the date of the check. The hosting badge only says green when your host is listed as green.
Get a website badge
Insights
Practical reading on lighter websites
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers here. The full list is on the FAQ page, and you can always email us.
Is it free?
Yes. Checking a page, reading the report and using the carbon and hosting badges are free.
How accurate is the estimate?
It is a modelled estimate from the measured size of the page's initial, uncached load (the heavier of mobile and desktop) and the published averages in the Sustainable Web Design Model v4. The test doesn't scroll, so images that load later aren't counted. It is good for comparing pages and tracking change, not an audit.
Do I need to give my email?
No. Email is optional and only used to send you the report, plus updates if you opt in.
What if my page can't be measured?
We show an error and save nothing. We never fill in a guessed page weight or give a grade without a measurement.