Editorial standards
How we test and review
How srvScripts picks sources, what each testing level means, what our tools can and cannot tell you, how reviews and affiliate links work, and how we correct mistakes.
Sources we rely on
- Official vendor documentation, release notes and changelogs first (cPanel, DirectAdmin, CloudLinux, Microsoft, Asterisk and so on), then standards such as RFCs.
- Third-party articles only to find a lead; we check the claim against an official source before we repeat it.
- Guides that change servers list their official sources, with the date we checked them, near the end of the page.
How much we have tested
Every script release carries one of these levels. We say what was actually done, not what we hope is true:
| Level | What it means | Scripts today |
|---|---|---|
| Production-tested | Used on real servers we operate, on the versions named on the page. | 1 |
| Lab-tested | Run on a test server or test tenant we control, on the versions named on the page. | 39 |
| Fixture-tested | Run against prepared test data (for example a fake backup tree), not a live system. | 3 |
| Syntax-checked, not run yet | Parsed and linted only. Treat it as untested and try it on a non-production server first. | 5 |
| Documentation-checked | Written from official documentation; we did not run it. | 0 |
48 published scripts, counted live from each release page. The level always refers to the version shown on that page.
Each script page also shows its version, licence, SHA-256 checksum, requirements, the systems it was tested on and a changelog. When a script changes, it gets a new version number, so the checksum always matches the file you download. Guides that were run on our lab servers say so near the top, with the versions used; other guides are written from official documentation.
Every free script is also published on GitHub, where automated checks run on every change: ShellCheck for Bash, PSScriptAnalyzer and Pester tests for PowerShell, a checksum check for every file, and regression tests that run scripts against known inputs and expected results. A new version is only tagged as a release after all of these checks pass. See the latest results on GitHub Actions.
What our online tools can and cannot tell you
- Server-side checks run from our server in one location. A timeout is reported as inconclusive, not as a failure.
- Our server does not send web requests to itself, so srvscripts.com shows as “not tested” in those tools.
- Scores add up only the checks that ran, and show how much of the check completed. They do not predict inbox placement, uptime or security beyond what was measured.
- Browser-only tools (key matchers, decoders, generators) process your input on your device; each tool page says where it runs.
Reviews
- Each review says how it was made. Most are documentation-based: they compare published plans, prices and limits, linked under Sources with the date we checked them.
- A documentation-based review cannot tell you call quality, support speed or reliability; we only describe those after testing and say so.
- Ratings use the same weighted criteria on every review, shown on the page.
Affiliate links
- Some product links are affiliate links (marked rel=”sponsored”). If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
- A commission never changes a rating or a recommendation, and products without a partner programme are reviewed the same way.
- Pages with affiliate links carry a short disclosure. See the affiliate disclosure.
AI tools
Our AI tools draft explanations from what you paste. In diagnose-only mode they suggest read-only checks and no changes. AI answers can be wrong: read every command before running it and test on a non-production server first. We remove secrets we recognise before anything is sent, but please do not paste passwords or private keys.
Corrections
- Every guide, script, tool and review ends with a “Something wrong or out of date?” form. Reports go straight to the editor.
- When we fix a page we change its “Updated” date. High-risk guides carry a maintenance record with the date of the last review and the next one.
- When a fix changes what a guide told you to do, the guide says what changed.
Put it to work
Spotted something we got wrong? Use the form at the end of the page in question, or contact us. Security issues: see how to report them privately. If srvScripts saves you time, you can also support the site.