Detect Varnish
PluginView detects Varnish, a Caching, by evaluating response headers on publicly reachable pages. Illustrative public indicators associated with Varnish include via: varnish Varnish/?, x-varnish, x-varnish-action. Full fingerprint rules remain proprietary; this page summarizes the signal classes and example indicators used for identification.
Detection looks at response headers across 6 fingerprint rules among the site's public responses.
Websites using Varnish
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Signal classes
PluginView evaluates public page signals in these classes when identifying Varnish. Individual fingerprint rule bodies are proprietary and are not published.
- Response headers
Example public indicators for Varnish
Illustrative indicators derived from public catalog metadata for Varnish. A live scan may match additional proprietary rules beyond these examples.
- via: varnish Varnish/?
- x-varnish
- x-varnish-action
- x-varnish-age
- x-varnish-cache
- x-varnish-hostname
What a detection means
- Establishes
- One or more public signals on the scanned page matched a known Varnish signature (6 rules) at the time of the scan.
- Does not establish
- A sitewide install of Varnish, an active vendor contract, exclusive use, or that Varnish is still in place today.
How to check a site for Varnish
- 1. Enter the website URL in the scan form — homepage, pricing, checkout, or login pages usually expose the strongest Varnish signals.
- 2. PluginView reads only public responses (response headers) and scores them against the Varnish signature set (6 rules).
- 3. Review the confidence score and text explanation for Varnish on the results page.
FAQ: detecting Varnish
- Can PluginView detect Varnish without logging in?
- Yes. PluginView only reads publicly accessible responses when checking for Varnish — typically response headers. It does not bypass authentication or paywalls.
- What category is Varnish?
- Varnish is classified under Caching in the PluginView directory.
- How many fingerprint rules cover Varnish?
- This reference currently tracks 6 fingerprint rules across response headers. Individual rule bodies are proprietary and are not published.
- What public signals suggest a site uses Varnish?
- Illustrative public indicators for Varnish include via: varnish Varnish/?; x-varnish; x-varnish-action. A live scan may match additional proprietary rules beyond these examples.
