Check a store ↗
PRACTICAL SAFETY GUIDES

How to check a website before you trust it

Clear instructions for shopping, signing in, downloading files and sharing personal information online.

ONLINE SHOPPING

Before paying an unfamiliar online store

  1. Check that the domain exactly matches the advertised brand.
  2. Compare the legal company name and address with an official business register.
  3. Read delivery, return, complaint and refund terms before checkout.
  4. Confirm that the payment beneficiary belongs to the seller.
  5. Prefer card or a recognised payment service with dispute protection.
PHISHING

Recognise impersonation and fake login pages

  1. Open the official service from a saved bookmark, not a message link.
  2. Look for extra words, substitutions or unusual endings in the domain.
  3. Never approve an unexpected login, payment or recovery prompt.
  4. Do not rely on the padlock alone; phishing sites can also use HTTPS.
  5. Report suspected impersonation through the public report page.
BUSINESS IDENTITY

Verify who operates a website

  1. Find the company name, registration number and physical address.
  2. Check whether contact email uses the same domain.
  3. Compare telephone numbers and addresses across official sources.
  4. Check whether invoices and bank details identify the same entity.
  5. Pause if ownership information is missing or inconsistent.
TRUST SCORE

Interpret a mixed assessment

  1. Start with the overall trust tier.
  2. Review the weakest component instead of focusing only on the total.
  3. Treat low Transparency as important before purchases or registrations.
  4. Read current risk flags and the assessment date.
  5. Re-run the check if the website has recently changed.

Check the website while the details are in front of you.

Paste the domain into Web Safety Index and compare the report with what you independently verified.

Run a free check →