Frequently Asked Questions

Each scan runs 20 checks across six categories: Performance (page speed, Core Web Vitals, image optimisation), SEO (meta tags, headings, canonical URLs, robots directives), Security (HTTPS, security headers, mixed content, cookie flags), Accessibility (WCAG contrast, alt text, ARIA roles), Mobile (viewport, tap targets, font sizes), and Best Practices (deprecated APIs, console errors, HTTPS redirects). See How it works for the full category breakdown.

Our own checks complete in under 30 seconds. The full Lighthouse performance audit (which requires a real browser render) usually finishes within 60–90 seconds. You will receive an email with the complete PDF report once all stages are done.

We run Google Lighthouse in a controlled server-side environment on a consistent connection profile. Scores match what you would see in Chrome DevTools to within a few points. Lighthouse scores are inherently variable (±5–10 points) due to real-world network conditions - we always report the actual numeric score so you can track trends over time rather than chasing a single number.

No. We can only scan publicly accessible URLs. If your site is behind a login, staging password, or IP allowlist, the scanner will not be able to reach it. Contact us if you need a workaround for a staging environment.

Most Cloudflare-protected sites scan without issues. If your WAF is configured to block automated scanners, you may need to add our scanner IP to your allowlist. We honour robots.txt and do not perform any intrusive or destructive testing. Contact hello@nel404labs.co.za for the current scanner IP address.

Yes. The Agency tier (R1 199/year) includes white-label branding: your logo, your colour scheme, your domain in the report header. The report PDF arrives ready to forward to your client - no Nel404 Labs branding visible to them.

Full Report Unlock - R99 once-off: A single on-demand report for one URL. No subscription. Good for a one-time audit.

Studio - R499/month: Unlimited on-demand scans + one scheduled monthly re-scan per domain. Email delivery of PDF reports. Priority email support.

Agency - R1 199/year: Everything in Studio, plus white-label branding, multi-site dashboard, and scheduled scans for up to 50 sites. Best value for web designers with multiple clients.

We process payments through PayFast, which supports: Credit & debit card (Visa/Mastercard), EFT (instant bank transfer), Instant EFT (via Ozow), and Mobicred. All prices are in ZAR. No foreign currency fees.

A payment confirmation is issued automatically via PayFast. Nel404 Labs is currently a sole proprietorship and is not VAT-registered - prices shown are the total you pay, with no VAT added on top. If you require a formal invoice for accounting purposes, email hello@nel404labs.co.za with your order ID.

The Agency annual plan covers up to 50 sites and works out to R100/domain/year - already a significant discount over per-site pricing. If you manage more than 50 sites, contact us at hello@nel404labs.co.za for a custom quote.

Yes. No lock-in contracts. You can cancel your monthly Studio subscription at any time and you will not be billed for the following month. See our refund policy for details on pro-rata refunds.

Yes, within 14 days. The exact terms depend on the tier - see the full Refund Policy page.

No. Scan results are stored only on our servers, hosted in South Africa. We do not sell data, share reports with third parties, or use your URLs for any purpose other than generating your report. See the full Privacy Notice.

Report data is retained for 30 days, after which it is automatically purged from our servers. You can request earlier deletion by emailing hello@nel404labs.co.za.

We process only the information necessary to deliver the service (the URL you submit and your email address for report delivery). We are committed to compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). See our Privacy Notice for full details including your data subject rights.

On the Studio and Agency plans, you can enable automatic monthly re-scans for your domains. We run the full scan on the same day each month, generate a fresh PDF report, and email it to you (and optionally your client). This means you always have an up-to-date health snapshot without having to remember to log in.

Our infrastructure runs on South African servers. Scan data never leaves SA. This makes us a POPIA-friendly alternative to USD-priced tools hosted in the US or EU.

API access is planned for the Agency tier. It is not yet live - see API documentation for the upcoming spec. If API access is critical for your workflow, email us and we will notify you when it launches.