The technical SEO is based on often invisible structural elements, but crucial for positioning. Among these, there are fundamental files such as Robots.txt, Sitemap.XML, .htaccess and, more recently, also LMS.Txt. In this guide we explain to what they are for, where they must be positioned and how they influence indexing.
What is technical SEO and because it matters
The SEOtechnique is the structural basis of positioning. It includes all those optimizations that help search engines (and today also AI) to scan, correctly understand and index a website.
Among the key tools there are some technical files to be placed in the site root or in specific paths. Some have been known for years (such asrobots.txt), others emerging (such asLMS.TXT). Everyone contributes to defining how your site is read and interpreted.
Robots.txt: the scan guardian
The filerobots.txtIt is one of the pillars of the technical SEO. Allows you to check the access of the crawler to the contents of the site. Through Alaw and Disallow rules, he defines himself what can or cannot be scanned.
Basic example:
User-Agent: * Disallow: /admin /
Must be positioned in the domain root (https://www.tuosito.it/robots.txt) and can profoundly influence the efficiency of indexing.
Sitemap.XML: the map of the entire site
The sitemap.xmlIt is an XML file that lists all the URLs of the site that you want to make accessible to search engines. It is not mandatory, but strongly recommended. It serves to report new pages, updated content, hierarchies.
A well -structured file can be automatically generated by SEO or CMS plugin and must be declared in the Robots.txt or sent via Search Console.
.htaccess: server control and redirect
The file.htaccess(on apache server) it allows you to set redirects, cache rules, compression, protections and much more. It is essential for the speed, safety and structure of the URLs.
A mistake in this file can compromise the entire site. For this it must be modified with caution and backup.
.Well-Known: standardization for safety and ai
The folder/.well-known/It is used to host international recognized files, such as those for the HTTPS protocol, the verification of identity or privacy preferences. Openai, for example, also uses paths in/.well-known/To identify the origins.
LMS.TXT: an emerging file for the AI
The fileLMS.TXTIt is a recent proposal, designed to facilitate access to content by artificial intelligence. Unlike Robots.txt, it is not aimed at classic crawler, but linguistic models (LLM).
Although it is not yet an official standard, the LMS.Txt is positioned as a potential tool of the new SEO for AI (Aeo). It can be placed in the site root and list relevant content, in simple markdown.
Conclusion
Knowing and correctly configuring these files means offering search engines (and AI) efficient and controlled access to your site. Technical SEO begins from here:from the invisible infrastructure that guides visibility.
Frequent questions about the technical SEO and the fundamental files
What is the robots.txt file for?
The filerobots.txtIt serves to indicate to search engines which site areas may or cannot be scanned. It is a fundamental tool for managing the access of the crawler and optimize the scan.
Is it mandatory to have a Sitemap.XML?
No, but it is highly recommended. The Sitemap.XML helps search engines to understand the structure of the site and find new or updated pages faster.
What is the .htaccess file?
The file.htaccessIt is a server configuration file that allows you to manage redirects, cache rules, safety and much more. It is crucial for the technical structure of the site.
What does the .well-Known folder contain?
The folder/.well-known/It houses standardized files recognized globally, such as those for HTTPS verification, privacy and some Ai configurations.
What is LMS.TXT file?
The LMS.TXT filesIt is a recent proposal to communicate directly with generative artificial intelligence. It serves to report the relevant content for training or interaction with AI models.
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