How Status Checks Work
A look at the data flow when you run a status check — from your WordPress site to the Blocked in China API to third-party processors and back.
The Flow#
When you run a check inside the Blocked in China plugin, your website's URL is sent to our API located at api.blockedinchina.io.
The Blocked in China API processes your request by forwarding the URL to third-party processors that test reachability from inside mainland China. As of August 2022, the only third-party data processor we work with is https://viewdns.info.
Request Diagram#
- Your WordPress site → sends URL to
api.blockedinchina.io - Blocked in China API → forwards request to a third-party processor
- Third-party processor (viewdns.info) → tests reachability from Chinese probe locations
- Results → returned through the API back into your WordPress dashboard
Only the data necessary to perform the check is sent — primarily your site's URL. See Data Handling for the full disclosure.
Why Use Third-Party Processors?#
Running a reachability test from inside China requires infrastructure that is physically located inside the country. Rather than build and maintain that probe network ourselves, we rely on established services like viewdns.info which already operate probes in multiple Chinese provinces.
This keeps the plugin lightweight and lets us focus on what matters: getting you accurate availability data quickly.