Comparing Two Scans

Side-by-Side Scan Comparison

The Compare feature lets you place two scans side by side to see precisely what changed between them. This is one of the most powerful tools in AdGateScore for understanding the impact of your optimization work.

How to Compare Two Scans

There are two ways to start a comparison:

• From scan results: On any scan results page, click the "Compare" button in the toolbar. You will be prompted to select a second scan from your history to compare against.
• From scan history: On the History page, select two scans using the checkboxes, then click "Compare Selected" to open the comparison view.

The comparison view places both scans side by side with clear visual indicators showing improvements, regressions, and unchanged areas.

What the Comparison Shows

The comparison page is organized into several sections:

Score Overview: Both overall scores are displayed at the top with the difference highlighted. Green indicates improvement and red indicates a decline. You can immediately see whether your changes had a net positive or negative effect.

Module Breakdown: Each of the five scoring modules is shown side by side with score differences. This tells you exactly which areas improved and which ones did not. For example, you might see that your Performance score jumped from 62 to 78 while your Content Quality score stayed at 71.

Network Readiness Changes: The comparison highlights any networks where your readiness status changed. If you went from "Close" to "Ready" for Mediavine, that change is prominently displayed. Similarly, if you regressed on any network, you'll see that clearly.

Fix Resolution: The comparison shows which fix recommendations were resolved between the two scans and which new ones appeared. This is useful for confirming that your optimization work actually addressed the intended issues.

Practical Comparison Strategies

• Before and after: Scan your site, make a batch of improvements, then scan again and compare. This quantifies the impact of your work.
• Weekly comparison: Compare this week's scan against last week's to track incremental progress.
• Pre-launch check: If you're redesigning your site, scan the old version before launch and the new version after, then compare to make sure you didn't inadvertently regress.
• Client deliverables: Show clients a clear before-and-after comparison demonstrating the value of your optimization services.

Availability

The Compare feature is available to Pro and Premium users. Free users can see score deltas on individual scan results but can't open the full side-by-side comparison view. Upgrading to Pro unlocks this feature along with other advanced tools.

Tips for Effective Comparisons

For the most meaningful comparisons, try to scan under similar conditions. Traffic fluctuations and server load can affect scores independently of any changes you made. Scanning at the same time of day on the same day of the week helps control for these variables.

Also, give changes time to propagate before re-scanning. If you updated your SSL certificate or added new content, wait a few hours for search engines and CDNs to pick up the changes before running your comparison scan.