About Web Audits
webaudits.org is a non-profit Open Data and Open Source initiative dedicated to evaluating websites based on efficiency, sustainability, accessibility, and security.
ECOS stands for Efficient, Clean, Open, and Safe. These areas overlap with general web development best practices and impact user experience in various ways. Central to this project are the synergy effects that arise when optimizing these individual sectors.
For example, efficiently programmed web apps tend to rely on less code, resulting in faster loading speeds. They require less processing power, consume less electricity, and achieve a better energy balance. Generally, this leads to lower hosting costs, while the improved user experience increases visibility in search engines — and so on.
Combining the ECOS criteria into a single analytical framework reflects these interconnections. It provides website owners and developers with an objective and transparent starting point for optimizations. The cross-section of collected data allows individual results to be contextualized and provides an overview of the current state of the web landscape. Ideally, this initiative helps raise awareness that improving efficiency, sustainability, accessibility, or security is not a trade-off but a shared benefit.
Given the central role of the internet as a source of information, a platform for services, social contact, and exchange — as well as its associated global energy consumption — the importance of such technical optimizations should not be underestimated.
Contribute to the Project
Are you interested in contributing in one way or another? Various possibilities are available:
- Development: Code contributions via Pull Requests on GitHub, reporting bugs (Issues), or conducting reviews.
- Conceptual Design: Further development of the evaluation methodology and the operationalization of technical indicators.
- Localization: Translating the platform and documentation into additional languages.
- Cooperation: Collaborating with other projects, especially services that provide data on web infrastructure.
- Funding: Contributions to cover infrastructure costs or to compensate for time and effort.
- Organization & Outreach: Administrative support and promoting the project through marketing and public relations.