A new method helps you automatically check the expiry dates of your website domains, SSL certificates, and DMARC policies in bulk. This simple weekly check can prevent common and predictable website outages before they happen.
Do you manage several websites, whether for yourself, your clients, or even old campaign projects? If so, you're likely aware of the embarrassment and damage that an expired domain or an expired SSL certificate can cause. These issues, while frustrating, are entirely predictable and avoidable. The good news is there's now a straightforward and powerful solution to help you stay ahead and prevent these mishaps altogether.
Imagine getting a weekly alert that tells you, 'this domain expires in 12 days' or 'this certificate is expiring soon.' That's precisely what new tools based on Python and Node.js are offering. They're designed specifically to help website owners and technical managers scan entire lists of domains in one go.
What exactly do these tools check? They focus on three key things: First, the domain's registration expiry date, utilizing the modern RDAP technology, which is a JSON-based successor to traditional WHOIS for domain registration information. Second, they verify the expiry dates of your SSL (TLS) certificates, which secure your website's connection, pulling this data directly from the encrypted handshake process. Finally, they examine your DMARC policies, which help protect your email from spoofing, by using Google's DNS-over-HTTPS API.
This means that instead of worrying about each domain individually, you can set up a bulk check to run regularly, whether weekly or as needed, even automatically through job schedulers like cron or Continuous Integration (CI) systems. Of course, there are a few challenges, such as some country-code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) not providing expiry data, differences between subdomains and registrable domains, and potential certificate errors. But overall, these tools provide a highly effective solution to avoid those embarrassing and costly moments. They are truly worth considering for anyone managing a portfolio of domains.
Imagine getting a weekly alert that tells you, 'this domain expires in 12 days' or 'this certificate is expiring soon.' That's precisely what new tools based on Python and Node.js are offering. They're designed specifically to help website owners and technical managers scan entire lists of domains in one go.
What exactly do these tools check? They focus on three key things: First, the domain's registration expiry date, utilizing the modern RDAP technology, which is a JSON-based successor to traditional WHOIS for domain registration information. Second, they verify the expiry dates of your SSL (TLS) certificates, which secure your website's connection, pulling this data directly from the encrypted handshake process. Finally, they examine your DMARC policies, which help protect your email from spoofing, by using Google's DNS-over-HTTPS API.
This means that instead of worrying about each domain individually, you can set up a bulk check to run regularly, whether weekly or as needed, even automatically through job schedulers like cron or Continuous Integration (CI) systems. Of course, there are a few challenges, such as some country-code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) not providing expiry data, differences between subdomains and registrable domains, and potential certificate errors. But overall, these tools provide a highly effective solution to avoid those embarrassing and costly moments. They are truly worth considering for anyone managing a portfolio of domains.
