Terms of Service

Last updated: July 2, 2026

These terms govern your use of HostMortem (hostmortem.io), operated by Step41. By using the site, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't use the site.

What HostMortem is

HostMortem is a free diagnostic tool that performs read-only checks against domains and IP addresses you submit — DNS, SSL/TLS, HTTP headers, CORS, IP geolocation, robots.txt, email authentication records, WHOIS, performance, and security posture. It's provided for informational and diagnostic purposes only.

Acceptable use

HostMortem's checks are read-only, low-volume probes intended for checking domains and IPs you own, administer, or otherwise have a legitimate reason to inspect. You agree not to:

• Use the service to automate high-volume scanning, scraping, or bulk enumeration of targets.
• Attempt to circumvent rate limits, abuse the underlying API directly outside normal browser use, or interfere with the service's availability for other users.
• Use the service as part of an attack, reconnaissance for unauthorized access, or any activity that violates applicable law.

No warranty

HostMortem is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Diagnostic results are sourced from third-party public data (DNS resolvers, certificate transparency logs, WHOIS/RDAP registries, geolocation databases, and blocklists) and may be incomplete, delayed, or inaccurate. Some data sources are known to be intermittently unreachable from certain network origins — see the documentation for source-specific notes. Do not rely on HostMortem as the sole basis for security, compliance, or operational decisions.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Step41 is not liable for any damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, HostMortem — including but not limited to decisions made based on diagnostic results, service interruptions, or inaccuracies in third-party data sources the tool queries.

Availability

HostMortem is offered free of charge with no guaranteed uptime or support SLA. The service, individual panels, or the site itself may be modified, limited, or discontinued at any time without notice.

Advertising

HostMortem is supported by advertising served through Google AdSense. Ads are subject to Google's own policies and are not endorsed or curated by Step41.

Changes to these terms

These terms may be updated periodically. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

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