How to Test Link Headers with curl
curl is the quickest way to see what headers your server sends to crawlers.
Run curl -I https://example.com and inspect the Link headers for rel="service-doc", rel="alternate", rel="sitemap", and correct content types.
Testing Link headers helps verify whether AI crawlers can discover machine-readable resources from HTTP responses. It is a simple but important AI discoverability check.
Check your website's AI discoverability signals.
Run a free scan for robots.txt, sitemap discovery, Link headers, Markdown readiness, and AI bot access.
Main Explanation
Headers are invisible on the page but visible to clients and crawlers. curl shows them directly.
This is useful when validating llms.txt, Markdown alternatives, and sitemap discovery signals.
Why this matters for AI search
How to Test Link Headers with curl matters because AI systems do not only look for keywords. They need accessible pages, clear explanations, stable source URLs, and passages that answer user intent directly.
When your content is easier to crawl and easier to summarize, it may become a better source candidate for answer engines and AI assistants.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing long introductions before answering the actual question.
- Hiding important content behind scripts, tabs, or gated UI.
- Publishing technical files once and never maintaining them.
- Using vague headings that do not match user questions.
- Forgetting internal links to related AI visibility topics.
Practical Steps
- Run: curl -I https://example.com
- Look for Link: headers.
- Check rel values and type attributes.
- Open linked resources to confirm they return 200.
- Run TruboRank AI for a structured report.
Practical example
A strong AI-ready page usually starts with a direct answer, then explains the context, then lists practical steps, examples, and related resources. This makes the page useful for humans while also giving AI systems cleaner passages to extract.
For example, if a page explains an optimization concept, it should define the concept, explain why it matters, show how to test it, describe common mistakes, and link to related implementation pages.
Recommended page structure
- Start with one clear H1 that matches the topic.
- Add a Quick Answer section near the top.
- Use an AI Summary section for concise machine-readable context.
- Break instructions into short steps and examples.
- Add FAQ questions that reflect real search and AI assistant prompts.
- Link to related pages so crawlers can understand the content cluster.
FAQ
What does -I do?
It asks curl to fetch headers only.
Should every page return Link headers?
At minimum, important entry pages should expose key discovery resources.
What if headers are missing?
Add them in your server, app, CDN, or edge configuration.