What it answers
- Manual checks
- Did this one URL look fine when I opened it this morning?
- CloakScan
- Does Googlebot receive a different page than a visitor?
For freelancers
Watch client sites without a plugin
You keep a handful of WordPress sites alive. You cannot install a security plugin on each one, and you cannot curl them every Monday. CloakScan is the outside check you can send as a PDF.
No plugin · 5 sites on Starter · Same engine as agencies
Visitor vs Googlebot crawl
- Manual checks
- You check in your browser. Google is not in the room.
- CloakScan
- Every scan compares a real browser with a Googlebot identity.
Plugin or client access
- Manual checks
- You ask for wp-admin, or you skip the site.
- CloakScan
- Never. Paste a URL. No plugin, no DNS, no credentials.
Five client sites, every week
- Manual checks
- A Monday checklist you will miss the week you are busy.
- CloakScan
- Yes. 6h, 24h, or 7-day cadence, with email and in-app alerts.
Google index spam
- Manual checks
- You remember to run a site: search. Or you don’t.
- CloakScan
- Yes. Index inspection for pharma, casino, adult, and crypto URLs.
What you send the client
- Manual checks
- A screenshot from your laptop, or a long email.
- CloakScan
- Dated score, dual screenshots, verdict, and monthly PDF.
When something changes
- Manual checks
- The client tells you rankings dropped.
- CloakScan
- You get the alert first, with the evidence attached.
Plan fit
- Manual checks
- Free, until a missed cloaking incident costs a retainer.
- CloakScan
- Starter: 5 sites, same engine as the agency plans.
| Capability | Manual checks | CloakScan |
|---|---|---|
| What it answers | Did this one URL look fine when I opened it this morning? | Does Googlebot receive a different page than a visitor? |
| Visitor vs Googlebot crawl | You check in your browser. Google is not in the room. | Every scan compares a real browser with a Googlebot identity. |
| Plugin or client access | You ask for wp-admin, or you skip the site. | Never. Paste a URL. No plugin, no DNS, no credentials. |
| Five client sites, every week | A Monday checklist you will miss the week you are busy. | Yes. 6h, 24h, or 7-day cadence, with email and in-app alerts. |
| Google index spam | You remember to run a site: search. Or you don’t. | Yes. Index inspection for pharma, casino, adult, and crypto URLs. |
| What you send the client | A screenshot from your laptop, or a long email. | Dated score, dual screenshots, verdict, and monthly PDF. |
| When something changes | The client tells you rankings dropped. | You get the alert first, with the evidence attached. |
| Plan fit | Free, until a missed cloaking incident costs a retainer. | Starter: 5 sites, same engine as the agency plans. |
“Manual checks” here means the usual freelancer ritual: open the site, maybe curl a Googlebot string, maybe run site: in Google. Useful once. Not a watch on five retainers.
Pick the right tool
Do the one-off yourself. Let CloakScan keep the week.
Stay manual when
You are looking at one URL, once
- A single incident, and you already have the tab open.
- You want raw headers in the terminal, not a client PDF.
- The site is yours, and you will remember to re-check.
Choose CloakScan when
The sites are retainers, not a hobby
- You maintain 2–5 client sites and cannot install a plugin.
- A ranking drop should find you first, not the client.
- You need a dated report that looks like work, not a screenshot.
Why the Monday check fails
Cloaking does not wait for your next login
A freelancer check is usually a browser tab. Googlebot is not in that tab. A plugin the client refused is not installed. The week you skip the ritual is the week a pharma injection ranks under their domain.
CloakScan sends both identities, renders both, and keeps the screenshots. Starter is 5 sites — enough for a typical retainer stack — with the same dual crawl the agency page uses. If you already cleaned a WordPress install, run an index check before you tell the client it is over.
If you still like the terminal: CloakScan vs curl.
Before you pick
Common questions
Is this only for agencies?
No. Starter is built for freelancers with a small client stack: 5 websites, the same dual crawl, alerts, and PDF. You do not need a studio seat or a 25-site plan.
Do I need wp-admin on the client site?
No. CloakScan works from the outside. Paste the URL. There is no plugin to justify, and no credentials to store.
Can I send the report to a client?
Yes. Every scan can become a dated PDF with score, screenshots, and next actions. That is the difference between a Slack screenshot and a retainable deliverable.
What if I only have two or three sites?
Starter still fits. You are paying to stop doing the Monday curl-and-browser ritual, not to fill 5 slots. Unused seats do not change the scan quality.
Start with Starter
Five client sites. No plugin. A PDF you can send.
Start a 15-day trial on Starter, paste the first URL, and stop doing the Monday check by hand.