~/score $ cat methodology.md

Methodology v1.1.1

How Launch Score works.

One rendered mobile page. Four weighted categories. Every deduction comes with evidence and a fix.

~/score $ weights

30Accessibility
25Performance
25Template signals
20Launch hygiene

~/score $ rules --all

Accessibility · 30 points

We run axe against WCAG 2.1 A and AA. Each distinct rule deducts once: critical −5, serious −3, moderate −1, minor −0.5. The category cannot fall below zero.

Performance · 25 points

We run Google PageSpeed Insights on mobile three times by default. The median Lighthouse performance score is multiplied by 25. Reports show every raw run, the median, key web metrics, and the top available improvement opportunities from the median run. If all runs fail, performance is marked incomplete and the available categories scale to 100.

Template signals · 25 points

These deterministic heuristics flag signs of an unmodified starter. They are intentionally labelled “Template signals,” never “design quality.” A favicon is flagged only when its file hash matches a known starter asset; its filename is never enough.

Default favicon−4
Builder badge−4
Placeholder copy−5
Default shadcn/ui theme−5
Gradient hero text−3
No brand colour−4

Launch hygiene · 20 points

Ten checks are worth two points each:

  1. A useful page title
  2. A 50–160 character meta description
  3. A valid Open Graph image
  4. A canonical URL
  5. robots.txt or sitemap.xml
  6. HTTPS
  7. HSTS
  8. Content Security Policy
  9. A visible privacy link
  10. A custom 404 page

~/score $ caps

A critical accessibility violation caps the total at 79. A final URL without HTTPS caps it at 59. Caps are applied after category scores and always shown in the report.

~/score $ bands

90–100launch ready
70–89needs polish
50–69not ready
0–49rebuild frontend

~/score $ changelog

· v1.1.1 — Made failed PageSpeed attempts visible and aligned the displayed median with the category score.

· v1.1.0 — Added transparent performance evidence, hash-only favicon matching, clearer evidence, and consistent rule links.

· v1.0.0 — Initial methodology.

Automated checks miss many real issues. Launch Score is not a legal accessibility certification.