SteepleIQ looks at a church's public website and whichever social accounts you tell it about, then returns a score out of 100 with a letter grade, a breakdown by category, and specific suggested fixes. This page explains what sits behind that.
What gets checked
Website foundation
Whether the site loads over a secure connection, works properly on a phone, has a readable page title and description, and makes basic practical information available: service times, a real street address, and a way to get in touch.
Visitor readiness
Whether a first-time visitor could actually answer their own questions. Is there anything explaining what to expect? Is information about children's ministry available? Can someone find directions without hunting?
Content freshness
Whether the site shows signs of active maintenance. Recent sermon content, a current calendar, and up-to-date information all suggest someone is paying attention. Stale content undermines trust in everything else.
Social reach
For the platforms you include, whether the accounts are linked and reachable, and whether the presence is coherent with the website. Platforms you do not include are not counted against you.
Next steps
Whether there are clear paths for someone who wants to go further: giving, connecting, contacting a person, or finding a small group.
Platforms you skip are not penalized. If your church has deliberately decided not to use a platform, uncheck it before running the report. A church with a strong website and one well-run Facebook page can score higher than one spread thinly across five networks.
How the number is produced
Each category is scored, then combined into an overall score out of 100 with a corresponding letter grade. Categories that affect whether a visitor can physically find and attend your church carry more weight than stylistic considerations, because that is what most affects real outcomes.
Alongside the score, the report includes specific findings: things working well and things needing attention, each with a suggested action rather than a vague recommendation.
What the score does not measure
This matters more than the rest of the page.
SteepleIQ evaluates your digital front door. It knows nothing about the health of your congregation, the quality of your preaching, the depth of your community, or the faithfulness of your ministry. A church can score poorly here and be thriving. A church can score well and be struggling.
What the score measures is narrower and more mundane: whether someone who has never met you can find you, understand you, and decide to show up. That is worth attention, but it is not the same as the health of a church, and no automated tool should pretend otherwise.
Limitations worth knowing
- Sites built entirely in JavaScript sometimes hide their content from automated review, which can produce a lower score than the site deserves.
- The review is a snapshot. If your site was mid-update, results will reflect that moment.
- Multi-campus churches may see results skewed toward whichever campus the main site emphasizes.
- Automated judgment is imperfect. If a finding looks wrong for your context, it may simply be wrong. Use the report as a prompt for discussion rather than a verdict.