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HSTS Preload: Definition, Use Cases, and Examples

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TL;DR:

HSTS Preload is a domain list baked into browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). All requests to preloaded domains ALWAYS use HTTPS, even on the first visit. Submit at hstspreload.org — requires HSTS header with includeSubDomains; preload; max-age ≥ 31536000. Ultimate HTTPS protection.

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What is HSTS Preload

HSTS Preload is a domain list baked into browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). All requests to preloaded domains ALWAYS use HTTPS, even on the first visit. Submit at hstspreload.org — requires HSTS header with includeSubDomains; preload; max-age ≥ 31536000. Ultimate HTTPS protection.

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Related guides

HeadersCSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, etc.
SSL/TLSEncryption and certificate
ConfigurationServer settings and leaks
Grade A-FOverall security score

Why teams trust us

OWASP
guidelines
15+
security headers
<2s
result
A–F
security grade

How it works

1

Enter site URL

2

Security headers analyzed

3

Get grade A–F

What Does the Security Analysis Check?

The tool checks HTTP security headers, SSL/TLS configuration, server info leaks, and protection against common attacks (XSS, clickjacking, MIME sniffing). A grade fromA to F shows overall security level.

Header Analysis

Checking Content-Security-Policy, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, and more.

SSL Check

TLS version, certificate expiry, chain of trust, HSTS support.

Leak Detection

Finding exposed server versions, debug modes, open configs, and directories.

Report with Recommendations

Detailed report explaining each issue with specific steps to fix it.

Who uses this

Security teams

HTTP header audit

DevOps

config verification

Developers

CSP & HSTS setup

Auditors

compliance checks

Common Mistakes

❌
Missing Content-Security-PolicyCSP is the primary XSS defense. Without it, script injection is much easier.
❌
Missing HSTS headerWithout HSTS, HTTPS-to-HTTP downgrade attacks are possible. Enable Strict-Transport-Security.
❌
Server header exposes versionServer: Apache/2.4.52 helps attackers find exploits. Hide the version.
❌
X-Frame-Options not setSite can be embedded in iframe for clickjacking. Set DENY or SAMEORIGIN.
❌
Missing X-Content-Type-OptionsWithout nosniff, browsers may misinterpret file types (MIME sniffing).

Best Practices

✓
Start with basic headersMinimum: HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy. Takes 5 minutes.
✓
Implement CSP graduallyStart with Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only, monitor violations, then enforce.
✓
Hide server headersRemove Server, X-Powered-By, X-AspNet-Version from responses.
✓
Configure Permissions-PolicyRestrict camera, microphone, geolocation access — only what is actually used.
✓
Check after every deploySecurity headers can be overwritten during server configuration updates.

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Security check history and HTTP security header monitoring.

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How-to

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need HSTS Preload?

See the use-case section above. For a quick check, use our online form.

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