BatchExcel
BatchExcel lets you maintain Batch Test control files in Excel on a PC. See About for information about what a Batch is and what it can do. See batch/edit and Batch XML Input for information about the raw Batch XML files that Batch testing uses. While BatchExcel does not have all the features and options available in a raw Batch XML Input file, it is sufficient for most CheckTLS users needs and is much easier to use.
We recommend using the workbook as is to create your first Batch Test. It will test a few CheckTLS domains with some default settings. To use BatchExcel:
- download the workbook
- switch to the Settings tab
- enter your email address Delivery-To row (row 9)
- save the workbook where you can find it
- browse to
- choose your saved workbook
- click Update/Run
When you click the Update/Run button, your workbook is uploaded to our servers. It is checked for errors, and if all the Settings are good it creates (or updates) the Batch and optionally runs it:
⊟Input Fields
⊟Test Results
Batch #1 Created | Batch #1 Queued (Estimated finish: 04-08 07:54)
Your results will be emailed to you in a few minutes. The entire Batch should take about 4 seconds per Target.
You can use the and/or buttons in to monitor your Batch and see your results.
The Results
If you put "csv" in the Delivery-Format row on the Settings tab, your results will look like:
"eMailAddress","ConfidenceQFactor","SSLVersion"
"CheckTLS.com","121","TLSv1_3"
"RefuseTLS.CheckTLS.com","0",
"NoDNS.CheckTLS.com","50",
"TLSv1.CheckTLS.com","71","TLSv1"
If you put "xml-detail" in the Delivery-Format row on the Settings tab, your results will look like:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<CheckTLS>
<Results test="BatchTest_receiver" version="V03.19.02" format="xml-detail" id="1" description="My First Extract Batch">
<Result origin="www11-do.CheckTLS.com">
<eMailAddress>CheckTLS.com</eMailAddress>
<ConfidenceQFactor>121</ConfidenceQFactor>
<SSLVersion>TLSv1_3</SSLVersion>
</Result>
<Result origin="www11-do.CheckTLS.com">
<eMailAddress>RefuseTLS.CheckTLS.com</eMailAddress>
<ConfidenceQFactor>0</ConfidenceQFactor>
</Result>
<Result origin="www11-do.CheckTLS.com">
<eMailAddress>NoDNS.CheckTLS.com</eMailAddress>
<ConfidenceQFactor>50</ConfidenceQFactor>
</Result>
<Result origin="www11-do.CheckTLS.com">
<eMailAddress>TLSv1.CheckTLS.com</eMailAddress>
<ConfidenceQFactor>71</ConfidenceQFactor>
<SSLVersion>TLSv1</SSLVersion>
</Result>
</Results>
</CheckTLS>
Test Your Own Addresses
All email addresses to the same Domain (the part after the "@" in an email address) have the same security so you only need to list each Domain once. CheckTLS calls a list of email addresses a "Batch" and each unique Domain a "Target".
To test your own addresses, enter the Domains one per row on the Targets tab of the Excel workbook. You can paste them in from any number of sources. Common sources for your own Targets are your address book, a send log on an email server, an export from your CRM system, etc.
If you upload a workbook with "new" in the BatchID row (row 1) of the Settings tab, BatchExcel will create a new Batch and give it the next number in sequence. If you upload a workbook with a number in the BatchID row it will replace the Batch saved on CheckTLS. We recommend limiting the number of targets in any one Batch to 5000. We also recommend grouping addresses (Targets) in separate Batches to make them easier to test and maintain. Use the Description row to document each Batch.
More Options
BatchExcel workbooks have some additional options. This workbook has all the available options listed. Documentation of the features and functions of these options is found in the usual Batch Test documentation on this site: About BatchTests, Batch XML Input Files, and Batch Output Formats.
The options that are allowed in a BatchExcel workbook are:
| BatchID | 0 | new or # (zero saves temporarily) | |
| Description | Your Test Description Here | ||
| DayOfMonth | Use these to permanently schedule the batch. | ||
| DayOfWeek | |||
| HourOfDay | |||
| MinuteOfHour | |||
| RunNow | N | Y to run the Batch right away. | |
| BatchTest-Attribute | TestType=receiverquick | receiver, receiverquick, receiverassuretls, thru, baseline, or setbaseline | |
| Delivery-To | email address to send results to (leave empty to view results online) | ||
| Delivery-Format | csv | usually csv or xml-detail | |
| Delivery-OnlyNode | eMailAddress | nodes to extract from xml results (all others are discarded) | |
| Delivery-OnlyNode | ConfidenceFactor | ||
| Delivery-OnlyNode | SSLVersion | ||
| Delivery-Suppress-Attribute | Function=average Test=gt Value=88 | e.g. donot email results if average for all Targets is greater than 88 | |
| Delivery-XSL | (advanced users) | ||
| Delivery-BatchXSL | (advanced users) | ||
| Total-Attribute | Function=average | add a Total node to the results | |
| CACerts | certs | (advanced users) | |
| Target-Attribute | SMTPTimeOut=30 | //email/testTo: (TestReceiver) parameter | |
| Target-Suppress-Attribute | Function=average Test=gt Value=88 | do not report Targets that score above 88 (i.e. do TLS 1.2) | |
| Target-Suppress-Attribute | Function=average Test=eq Value=50 | do not report Targets that score 50 (i.e. are Untestable) | |
| Target-Success-Attribute | Test=gt Value=88 | only used with Format=alerts | sets the alert threshhold |
| Target-Success-Attribute | Test=eq Value=50 | only used with Format=alerts | does not alert on Untestable |
The More Options workbook with all the options has a third tab that shows how to include an XSLT directly in the file, not as a link.