Tutorials · site checks
Automate repetitive site checks with simple scripts
A small, dependable checking loop for links, required files, page metadata and a build that can be repeated on any machine.
The useful version of a web practice is the one that can be repeated by someone else. This note keeps the scope tight, names the trade-offs and ends with a way to check the result. Continue with the site checks index or meet the Sites To Use editorial desk behind the notes.
List the checks a person repeats
Automation begins with a visible routine. Write down what you already inspect by hand: the build exit code, required service files, internal links, image paths and a few page-level promises. Keep the list narrow enough that a failure points to a next action.
A check should answer one question. When several unrelated assumptions hide behind one green result, the signal becomes difficult to trust.
Make failure readable
Return a non-zero exit code when a required condition fails, and print the file or URL beside the reason. Stable ordering matters too: deterministic output makes a later comparison useful and avoids hiding a new error in a reshuffled report.
Keep a small JSON report for machines and a human-readable summary for review. Both should come from the same findings.
Run it at the boundary
The most useful place for a site check is just after the build and before a handoff. Run the same command locally and in continuous integration, with the same inputs. If an exception is intentional, document it in the inventory rather than weakening the general rule.
