# Hosting / server info

> Hosting and server info covers the web server software (Nginx, Apache, LiteSpeed) and the reverse proxy or host a website runs on.

- **Check ID:** F8
- **Area:** [Tech Stack](https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint)
- **Tool:** [Tech Stack](https://be1st.ai/tools/tech-stack)
- **Page:** https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint/hosting-server-info

## Why it matters

Server software and its version affect performance and security. An outdated Apache version may contain known vulnerabilities. LiteSpeed is faster than Apache for PHP sites. A reverse proxy indicates enterprise infrastructure.

## In practice

A site on Nginx 1.25 + Varnish cache has enterprise-grade infrastructure. A site on Apache 2.2 (EOL since 2018) is a security risk. Fingerprint reveals exact versions, which helps with security audits.

## How be1st checks it

Web server and reverse proxy detection: Nginx, Apache, LiteSpeed, IIS, Tomcat + version + release year. Reverse proxy: Varnish, BigIP, HAProxy, Envoy, Traefik. Identification via Server header and specific headers.

[Tech Stack](https://be1st.ai/tools/tech-stack), Server & SSL tab.

## Sources

- [Netcraft - Web Server Survey](https://www.netcraft.com/) (Netcraft)

## Related terms

- [Website type classification](https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint/website-type-classification): Website type classification sorts a site into a type, such as e-shop, blog, marketplace or news portal, based on the technologies and content found on it.
- [Social networks](https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint/social-networks): Social network links are the links from a website to its profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok and other networks.
- [Visible text extraction](https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint/visible-text-extraction): Visible text extraction turns a web page into the plain text a visitor actually reads, without HTML tags, scripts, styles or hidden elements.
- [Word count](https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint/word-count): Word count is the number of words in the visible text of a page, after the code and hidden elements are removed.
- [Keyword extraction](https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint/keywords-extraction): Keyword extraction pulls out the words and phrases a page is about from its URL, title, headings, meta description and breadcrumbs.
- [Keyword categorization](https://be1st.ai/glossary/fingerprint/keywords-categorization): Keyword categorization sorts the extracted keywords into types such as product, service, location and brand.