squirrelscan · nc9 · Jun 13, 2026 · Jun 13, 2026
diff --git a/cli/audit.mdx b/cli/audit.mdx
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ squirrel audit <url> [options]
 | `--publish` | `-p` | Publish report to reports.squirrelscan.com (costs 2 credits) | `false` |
 | `--visibility` | | Visibility: `public`, `unlisted`, `private` | `public` |
 | `--yes` | `-y` | Skip confirmation prompts (e.g. cloud credit spend) | `false` |
-| `--render` | | Render pages with a cloud browser for this run ([uses credits](/guides/browser-rendering); requires login) | `false` |
+| `--render` | | Force cloud browser rendering for this run ([uses credits](/guides/browser-rendering); requires login) | auto |
+| `--http` | | Force plain HTTP for this run - never render, never spend render credits | auto |
 | `--offline` | | Run fully offline: skip cloud features, publishing, and telemetry | `false` |
 
 ### Coverage Modes
@@ -114,6 +115,24 @@ squirrel audit https://example.com --publish --visibility unlisted
 Publishing requires authentication. Run `squirrel auth login` first.
 </Note>
 
+### Browser Rendering
+
+When you're **logged in, audits render every page in a cloud browser by default** (2 credits/page) - so JavaScript-heavy sites are audited against their fully rendered HTML. The first time this would spend credits the CLI asks once and remembers your answer.
+
+Force plain HTTP for a run (no rendering, no render credits):
+
+```bash
+squirrel audit https://example.com --http
+```
+
+Force rendering for a run even if your config disables it:
+
+```bash
+squirrel audit https://example.com --render
+```
+
+`--render` and `--http` are mutually exclusive. To set the behavior permanently, use `rendering` in `[cloud]` - see the [browser rendering guide](/guides/browser-rendering).
+
 ### Fully Offline Audit
 
 Run an audit with zero network calls beyond the site being audited — no cloud

diff --git a/cli/report.mdx b/cli/report.mdx
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ Filter reports by these categories:
 - `video` - Video optimization
 - `analytics` - Analytics
 - `eeat` - E-E-A-T signals
-- `adblock` - Adblock detection
+- `blocking` - Ad-blocker & privacy-filter impact (`adblock` still accepted)
 
 ## Exit Codes
 

diff --git a/cloud/credits.mdx b/cloud/credits.mdx
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Top up: https://squirrelscan.com/account/credits
 | AI page analysis | 1 per page | [`ai/llm-parsability`](/rules/ai/llm-parsability), [`ai/page-type-match`](/rules/ai/page-type-match) |
 | Site type detection | 5 per audit | [`ai/site-type`](/rules/ai/site-type) |
 | Authority signals | 1 per page | [`eeat/authority-signals`](/rules/eeat/authority-signals) |
-| Adblock/privacy check | 5 per audit | All three [adblock rules](/rules/adblock) share one check |
+| Blocking check (ad + privacy) | 5 per audit | All three [Blocking rules](/rules/adblock) share one check |
 | Dead link checking | 1 per 100 URLs | [`links/dead-links`](/rules/links/dead-links) |
 | Browser rendering | 2 per page | [Cloud rendering](/cloud/rendering) |
 | Keyword gaps | 25 per audit | [`gaps/keywords`](/rules/gaps/keywords) (opt-in) |
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ Three guardrails keep an audit from spending more than you expect:
 
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [cloud]
-max_credits_per_audit = 200   # hard cap per audit; 0 = unlimited
+max_credits_per_audit = 1000  # hard cap per audit; 0 = unlimited
 confirm_threshold = 50        # estimates above this prompt before spending
 enabled = true                # master switch for all cloud features
 ```

diff --git a/cloud/rendering.mdx b/cloud/rendering.mdx
@@ -4,15 +4,33 @@ description: "How cloud browser rendering works under the hood"
 icon: "globe"
 ---
 
-By default the crawler fetches pages with plain HTTP - fast, free, and accurate for server-rendered sites. Sites that build their content with JavaScript (SPAs, client-side frameworks) can look nearly empty to a plain fetch, which skews every content rule.
+A plain HTTP fetch is fast, free, and accurate for server-rendered sites - but sites that build their content with JavaScript (SPAs, client-side frameworks) can look nearly empty to it, which skews every content rule.
 
 Cloud browser rendering fixes that: each page is loaded in a **real headless browser** in the cloud, and the fully rendered DOM is returned to your local crawler. Everything downstream - parsing, rules, reports - works exactly as it does with plain HTTP, just on the post-JavaScript HTML.
 
 <Note>Looking for setup instructions? See the [browser rendering guide](/guides/browser-rendering). This page explains how the service behaves.</Note>
 
+## When it runs
+
+Rendering follows your login state by default:
+
+- **Logged in** - audits render every page in the cloud automatically. The first time this would spend credits, the CLI asks once (`Render pages in the cloud? [Y/n]`) and remembers your choice in `squirrel self settings` - it never asks again.
+- **Logged out, `--offline`, or you declined the prompt** - plain HTTP, no credits.
+
+Override the default any time:
+
+| Want | How |
+|------|-----|
+| Plain HTTP for one run | `squirrel audit <url> --http` |
+| Render for one run | `squirrel audit <url> --render` |
+| Always plain HTTP for a project | `rendering = "http"` in `[cloud]` |
+| Always render for a project | `rendering = "browser"` in `[cloud]` |
+
+Flags win over config, and config wins over the auto default. Non-interactive runs (CI, agents, pipes) never prompt - they render only if you've already consented or set `rendering = "browser"`, otherwise they use plain HTTP.
+
 ## Cost
 
-**2 credits per page rendered.** A 100-page crawl with rendering costs 200 credits, so mind your [per-audit cap](/cloud/credits#spend-controls) - the default cap of 200 covers rendering for about 100 pages and nothing else. The crawl progress line shows the running spend:
+**2 credits per page rendered.** A 100-page crawl with rendering costs 200 credits, so mind your [per-audit cap](/cloud/credits#spend-controls) - the default cap of 1000 covers rendering for about 500 pages. The crawl progress line shows the running spend:
 
 ```
 Crawling (cloud-rendered) 34/100 · ~68 credits

diff --git a/cloud/rules.mdx b/cloud/rules.mdx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Cloud rules are regular audit rules that need data your machine doesn't have - A
 | [`gaps/keywords`](/rules/gaps/keywords) | Keywords competitors rank for that you don't | 25 credits per audit, **opt-in** |
 | [`gaps/content`](/rules/gaps/content) | Topic clusters with search demand you don't cover | 25 credits per audit, **opt-in** |
 
-The three adblock rules share a single 5-credit blocklist check per audit - enabling all three costs the same as enabling one.
+The three [Blocking](/rules/adblock) rules (IDs keep the `adblock/` prefix) share a single 5-credit blocklist check per audit - enabling all three costs the same as enabling one. They report as warnings in their own report section.
 
 The two gap-analysis rules are **disabled by default** because of their cost. Enable them explicitly:
 

diff --git a/configuration/cloud.mdx b/configuration/cloud.mdx
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ All cloud settings are no-ops when you're not logged in - cloud rules simply rep
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [cloud]
 enabled = true                # master switch for all cloud features
-max_credits_per_audit = 200   # hard spend cap per audit; 0 = unlimited
+max_credits_per_audit = 1000  # hard spend cap per audit; 0 = unlimited
 confirm_threshold = 50        # estimates above this prompt for confirmation
 batch_size = 20               # pages per cloud service request
-rendering = "http"            # "http" (default) or "browser"
+# rendering                   # omit = auto (render when logged in); set "http" or "browser" to force
 render_concurrency = 6        # concurrent browser-render jobs (1-8)
 ```
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Master switch. Set to `false` to disable all cloud calls for this project - clou
 
 ### `max_credits_per_audit`
 
-**Default:** `200`
+**Default:** `1000`
 
 Hard cap on credits a single audit may spend. When the estimate exceeds the cap, cloud work is truncated deterministically and the rules that didn't run report `skipped` with reason `credit-cap-reached`. Set to `0` for unlimited.
 
@@ -45,9 +45,14 @@ Pages per request to per-page cloud services. Lower it only if you hit request-s
 
 ### `rendering`
 
-**Default:** `"http"`
+**Default:** unset (auto)
 
-Crawl fetch mode. `"browser"` renders every page with a cloud headless browser at **2 credits per page** - see the [browser rendering guide](/guides/browser-rendering). The `--render` flag on `squirrel audit` enables it for a single run without changing config.
+Crawl fetch mode. Leave it unset and squirrelscan decides: **logged-in users render every page in a cloud browser; logged-out runs use plain HTTP**. The first time an auto-render would spend credits, the CLI asks once and remembers your answer (`squirrel self settings`). Set it explicitly to override the auto behavior:
+
+- `"http"` - always plain HTTP; never render, never prompt (no credits)
+- `"browser"` - always render every page at **2 credits per page**
+
+The `--render` and `--http` flags on `squirrel audit` force rendering on or off for a single run and always win over config. See the [browser rendering guide](/guides/browser-rendering).
 
 ### `render_concurrency`
 

diff --git a/configuration/index.mdx b/configuration/index.mdx
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ squirrelscan works out of the box with sensible defaults. You only need configur
 - Respects robots.txt
 - Checks external links (cached 7 days)
 - Runs all rules (gap-analysis rules are opt-in)
-- Cloud rules run when logged in, capped at 200 credits per audit
+- Cloud rules run when logged in, capped at 1000 credits per audit
+- Logged-in audits render pages in a cloud browser by default (one-time opt-in; `--http` to skip)
 - Console output format
 
 ## Configuration System

diff --git a/configuration/rule-options.mdx b/configuration/rule-options.mdx
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ If 90%+ of crawled pages are noindexed → `warn` (possible misconfiguration)
 
 ---
 
-### Adblock Rules
+### Blocking Rules
 
 #### `adblock/element-hiding`
 

diff --git a/configuration/rules.mdx b/configuration/rules.mdx
@@ -511,13 +511,13 @@ disable = []  # Remove ai/* from disable list
 
 ---
 
-### Adblock Detection
+### Blocking
 
 **ID:** `adblock/*`
-**Rules:** 2
-**Description:** Adblock filter impact
+**Rules:** 3
+**Description:** Ad-blocker & privacy-filter impact (ad blocking + privacy blocking)
 
-Element hiding, blocked tracking domains.
+Element hiding, blocked tracking links, and privacy-filter matches. Reported as warnings in their own report section.
 
 **Enable:**
 ```toml
@@ -526,8 +526,9 @@ enable = ["adblock/*"]
 ```
 
 **Rules:**
-- `adblock/element-hiding` - Elements hidden by adblockers
-- `adblock/blocked-links` - Links to blocked domains
+- `adblock/element-hiding` - Elements hidden by adblockers (ad blocking)
+- `adblock/blocked-links` - Links to blocked domains (ad blocking)
+- `adblock/privacy-blocked` - Trackers EasyPrivacy would block (privacy blocking)
 
 ---
 

diff --git a/docs.json b/docs.json
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@
             ]
           },
           {
-            "group": "Adblock Detection",
+            "group": "Blocking",
             "pages": [
               "rules/adblock/index",
               "rules/adblock/element-hiding",

diff --git a/guides/browser-rendering.mdx b/guides/browser-rendering.mdx
@@ -9,36 +9,48 @@ Browser rendering solves this: pages are loaded in a real headless browser in th
 
 <Note>Browser rendering is a [cloud feature](/cloud) - it requires login and costs **2 credits per page**. See [how it works under the hood](/cloud/rendering).</Note>
 
-## Try it on one run
+## It's automatic when you're logged in
 
 ```bash
 squirrel auth login          # once
-squirrel audit https://example.com --render
+squirrel audit https://example.com
 ```
 
-`--render` uses the cloud browser for this run only. The crawl progress shows the running credit spend:
+Once you're logged in, audits render every page in the cloud by default. The first time this would spend credits, the CLI asks once and remembers your answer - so you opt in knowingly and never get prompted again. The crawl progress shows the running credit spend:
 
 ```
 Crawling (cloud-rendered) 34/100 · ~68 credits
 ```
 
-## Make it permanent for a project
+Logged-out runs (and `--offline`) always use plain HTTP and cost nothing.
 
-If a site always needs rendering, set it in `squirrel.toml`:
+## Turn it off for one run
+
+If a site is server-rendered and you don't want to spend render credits:
+
+```bash
+squirrel audit https://example.com --http
+```
+
+`--http` forces plain HTTP for that run. The opposite, `--render`, forces rendering even when your config disables it. The two are mutually exclusive.
+
+## Make the choice permanent for a project
+
+Pin the behavior in `squirrel.toml` so it never depends on login state or the prompt:
 
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [cloud]
-rendering = "browser"   # default: "http"
+rendering = "browser"   # always render; use "http" to always skip
 ```
 
-Every audit of this project now renders pages, no flag needed.
+Setting `rendering` explicitly overrides the auto default - no prompt, every audit of this project behaves the same.
 
 ## Watch your page count
 
 At 2 credits per page, rendering is the most spend-sensitive cloud feature. Two settings to keep in mind:
 
 - `--max-pages` / `[crawler] max_pages` - fewer pages, fewer credits.
-- `[cloud] max_credits_per_audit` (default **200**) - the hard cap. A 100-page rendered crawl alone hits it; raise it or cap your pages.
+- `[cloud] max_credits_per_audit` (default **1000**) - the hard cap. It covers rendering for about 500 pages; raise it or cap your pages for larger rendered crawls.
 
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [cloud]

diff --git a/reports.mdx b/reports.mdx
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ squirrel report --category core,links,images
 - `video` - Video optimization (schema, thumbnails)
 - `analytics` - Analytics tracking (GTM, consent)
 - `eeat` - E-E-A-T signals (author, expertise, trust)
-- `adblock` - Adblock detection
+- `blocking` - Ad-blocker & privacy-filter impact (`adblock` still accepted)
 
 ### Combined Filters
 

diff --git a/rules/adblock/blocked-links.mdx b/rules/adblock/blocked-links.mdx
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ Checks for links and resources pointing to blocked tracking domains (matched ser
 | | |
 |---|---|
 | **Rule ID** | `adblock/blocked-links` |
-| **Category** | [Adblock Detection](/rules/adblock) |
+| **Category** | [Blocking](/rules/adblock) → Ad blocking |
 | **Scope** | Site-wide |
-| **Severity** | info |
+| **Severity** | warning |
 | **Weight** | 2/10 |
 
 ## Solution
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ maxMatchesToReport = 20
 disable = ["adblock/blocked-links"]
 ```
 
-### Disable all Adblock Detection rules
+### Disable all Blocking rules
 
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [rules]

diff --git a/rules/adblock/element-hiding.mdx b/rules/adblock/element-hiding.mdx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Checks for elements that would be hidden by common adblockers (matched server-si
 | | |
 |---|---|
 | **Rule ID** | `adblock/element-hiding` |
-| **Category** | [Adblock Detection](/rules/adblock) |
+| **Category** | [Blocking](/rules/adblock) → Ad blocking |
 | **Scope** | Site-wide |
 | **Severity** | warning |
 | **Weight** | 3/10 |
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ maxMatchesToReport = 20
 disable = ["adblock/element-hiding"]
 ```
 
-### Disable all Adblock Detection rules
+### Disable all Blocking rules
 
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [rules]

diff --git a/rules/adblock/index.mdx b/rules/adblock/index.mdx
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 ---
-title: "Adblock Detection"
-description: "Detection of content blocked by ad blockers and privacy filters"
+title: "Blocking"
+description: "Content, links, and trackers that ad blockers and privacy filters block"
 ---
 
 <Note>**Cloud rules** - requires login (`squirrel auth login`). All three rules share a single **5-credit** blocklist check per audit, matched server-side against the full EasyList and EasyPrivacy filter lists. Skipped when not logged in. See [Cloud rules](/cloud/rules).</Note>
 
-Detection of content blocked by ad blockers and privacy filters.
+The **Blocking** category covers content, links, and trackers that ad blockers and privacy filters would block. It reports in its own report section with two sub-groups - **Ad blocking** and **Privacy blocking** - and every check is a **warning** (it's signal worth knowing, not a hard failure). Enabled by default for logged-in users.
 
-## Rules
+<Note>Rule IDs and config filters keep the `adblock/` prefix (e.g. `adblock/*`) - only the report category was renamed to Blocking.</Note>
+
+## Ad blocking
 
 <CardGroup cols={2}>
   <Card title="Adblock Element Hiding" icon="triangle-exclamation" href="/rules/adblock/element-hiding">
@@ -16,12 +18,17 @@ Detection of content blocked by ad blockers and privacy filters.
   <Card title="Blocked Tracking Links" icon="circle-info" href="/rules/adblock/blocked-links">
     Checks for links and resources pointing to blocked tracking domains
   </Card>
+</CardGroup>
+
+## Privacy blocking
+
+<CardGroup cols={2}>
   <Card title="Privacy Filter Matches" icon="circle-info" href="/rules/adblock/privacy-blocked">
     Checks for trackers and analytics that EasyPrivacy would block
   </Card>
 </CardGroup>
 
-## Disable All Adblock Detection Rules
+## Disable all Blocking rules
 
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [rules]

diff --git a/rules/adblock/privacy-blocked.mdx b/rules/adblock/privacy-blocked.mdx
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ Checks for trackers and analytics that privacy filter lists (EasyPrivacy) would
 | | |
 |---|---|
 | **Rule ID** | `adblock/privacy-blocked` |
-| **Category** | [Adblock Detection](/rules/adblock) |
+| **Category** | [Blocking](/rules/adblock) → Privacy blocking |
 | **Scope** | Site-wide |
-| **Severity** | info |
+| **Severity** | warning |
 | **Weight** | 2/10 |
 | **Default** | Enabled |
 
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Analytics, session replay, and tracking pixels on matched domains will silently
 disable = ["adblock/privacy-blocked"]
 ```
 
-### Disable all adblock rules
+### Disable all Blocking rules
 
 ```toml squirrel.toml
 [rules]

diff --git a/rules/index.mdx b/rules/index.mdx
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ Most rules run locally for free. A handful of [cloud rules](/cloud/rules) use AI
   <Card title="E-E-A-T" icon="folder" href="/rules/eeat">
     Experience, expertise, authority, trust signals (15 rules)
   </Card>
-  <Card title="Adblock Detection" icon="folder" href="/rules/adblock">
-    Detection of content blocked by ad blockers (3 rules)
+  <Card title="Blocking" icon="folder" href="/rules/adblock">
+    Content, links, and trackers blocked by ad blockers and privacy filters (3 rules)
   </Card>
   <Card title="Gap Analysis" icon="folder" href="/rules/gaps">
     Keyword and content gaps backed by live search data (2 rules, opt-in)
-Original file line number
+Diff line change
@@ Expand Up @@
     ---
-    ### Adblock Rules
+    ### Blocking Rules
     #### `adblock/element-hiding`
@@ Expand Down @@