A website security audit report template for clients

If a client asks for a "security report," they do not want a wall of curl output. They want something they can read, understand, and act on - ideally with your name on it. Here is a simple, client-ready website security audit report template: the sections to include, what to put in each, and how to fill the whole thing in a couple of minutes. Copy the structure, adapt the wording, and reuse it for every client.

The template, section by section

1. Cover and summary

One page a non-technical client reads first. Include the site checked, the date, an overall grade (A-F) or score, and a single plain-English sentence - for example, "This site is in good shape, with a few fixes that would close common gaps." Lead with the verdict, not the detail.

2. Security at a glance

A quick scan of the main areas, so the client sees where the problems cluster without reading every finding. Group it into the layers that actually matter:

• HTTPS & SSL
• Security headers
• Cookies
• Email (SPF / DMARC)
• Page content
• Attack surface (exposed subdomains)

Mark each one clean, needs attention, or not fully checked. Honesty here builds trust - never mark something "clean" that you could not actually verify.

3. Findings, by severity

The core of the report. For each issue, keep it to three lines a client can follow:

• What it is - in plain English (e.g. "session cookies can be read by JavaScript").
• Why it matters - the real-world risk, not jargon.
• The fix - the exact change, or "a 10-minute config change on your server."

Order them by severity - critical and high first. A client should be able to read only the top three and know what to do Monday morning.

4. What's already in place

Do not skip this. List the things the site already does right - HTTPS enforced, clickjacking protection set, no known-vulnerable libraries. It reassures the client, shows the review was thorough, and makes the remaining fixes feel manageable rather than alarming.

5. Remediation plan

Turn the findings into a short, prioritised to-do list with rough effort: fix this week (quick config), fix this month, nice-to-have. This is also your natural upsell - "here's what it costs to get you to an A" is a clean, honest offer.

6. Scope and disclaimer

Be explicit about what the report does and does not cover. A surface review checks the publicly observable configuration - it is not a penetration test, and a clean grade is not a guarantee of full security. Saying so protects you and sets honest expectations.

Filling it in two minutes

Writing all of that by hand for every client is the slow part. The grade, the at-a-glance scorecard, the findings-with-fixes and the list of passes are exactly what SurfaceWatch produces in one click, for any page you open. On the free tier you get the full graded report on screen; Pro exports it as a white-label PDF with your logo and the client's name, so the template above is generated and branded for you.

Either way, the structure is what makes it land: lead with the verdict, show the at-a-glance picture, give the fix for every issue, acknowledge what is already good, and be honest about scope.

Want the quick version of the workflow? See how to give clients a professional security report in 2 minutes.