Website Preview (home page screenshot)

1. Overview of the Website Preview

The Website Preview block displays a large screenshot of your home page, as loaded by DNSprobe from the Internet. It reflects what an external visitor would normally see when they browse your site.

Why this matters

If the preview shows the wrong website, an empty page or an unexpected error, it is a strong indication that DNS, SSL, proxy or firewall settings are not aligned with what you expect. Being able to see the result from an external vantage point is often the fastest way to spot a misconfiguration.

What is actually tested

DNSprobe primarily checks that the hostname resolves, that a connection can be established over HTTP/HTTPS, and that the page renders successfully in a browser engine. The preview does not try to click links, fill forms or navigate the site; it is focused on loading the initial page correctly.

2. How DNSprobe captures the preview

To generate the preview, DNSprobe performs a few internal steps that are invisible to you but important to understand.

Simplified capture process

1. 1. Resolve the domain to its current IP address using the configured resolver.
2. 2. Open an HTTP or HTTPS connection to the site (preferably HTTPS when available).
3. 3. Use a headless browser to load the home page, allowing HTML, CSS and JavaScript to render.
4. 4. Capture a screenshot of the final rendered page and display it in the report, along with the loading time.

Technical limits of the preview

• The preview may be blocked by WAF rules, geo-IP filters, rate limiting or bot protection that does not like automated browsers.
• Password-protected areas, client certificates, VPN-only sites or intranet URLs cannot be previewed from the public Internet.
• Very slow sites, heavy third-party scripts or chained redirects can sometimes cause timeouts or partial rendering in the screenshot.

3. How to interpret what you see

Once the preview is visible, you can use what is shown on screen to validate several aspects of your configuration.

Cookie banners and consent pop-ups

Seeing your cookie banner, privacy notice or consent pop-up in the preview is normal; DNSprobe loads the page like a first-time visitor. If the banner never appears, it might indicate that your script is blocked or that your CMP is misconfigured.

Redirects and landing pages

If the screenshot shows a redirection target (for example a maintenance page, a parking page or a generic hosting page), DNSprobe is following the same redirects your visitors receive. This helps you confirm whether HTTP→HTTPS redirection, canonical domains and CDN frontends are configured as intended.

Login pages and admin interfaces

When the preview lands on a login form or an administration panel, it usually means the root URL redirects there automatically. From a security standpoint this can be acceptable, but you should verify that public visitors are still able to access your real home page.

4. Troubleshooting common preview issues

If the Website Preview does not look as expected, the hints below can help you identify where the problem comes from.

• Blank or broken image: check that the site answers over HTTPS, that your SSL certificate is valid and that there is no firewall rule blocking DNSprobe’s IP range.
• Completely different website: your domain may still be pointing to an old server, a previous provider or a temporary parking page. Verify the A/AAAA records and any proxy or CDN configuration.
• CAPTCHA, challenge page or WAF error: many security solutions challenge automated traffic. You may need to whitelist DNSprobe or relax rules for basic GET requests on the home page.
• Preview only shows a generic error message while the site works for you locally: a local hosts file, VPN or split-DNS could be making your workstation see a different server than the public Internet.

As soon as your DNS, SSL and redirection paths are aligned, the Website Preview becomes a very simple visual confirmation that everything is wired correctly.

5. Privacy and limitations

The preview feature loads your site just long enough to capture an image of the home page. It is not intended for deep content inspection or tracking.

• Only the public URL you requested is loaded; DNSprobe does not try to access private sections, admin panels or hidden paths.
• No credentials are entered and no account is created during the preview. If your site requires a login, the screenshot will simply show the login form.
• Screenshots are generated for diagnostic purposes only. Depending on your installation, they may be cached for a short time, but they are not used for analytics or marketing.

If you host very sensitive content, you may want to restrict which URLs can be probed and ensure that only public pages are tested from the outside.