# How to Test Link Headers with curl

curl is the quickest way to see what headers your server sends to crawlers.

Canonical URL: https://truborankai.com/blog/how-to-test-link-headers-with-curl

Author: TruboRankAI
Published: April 30, 2026
Updated: July 18, 2026

## Quick Answer

Run curl -I https://example.com and inspect the Link headers for rel="service-doc", rel="alternate", rel="sitemap", and correct content types.

## AI Summary

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.

## 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.

## Practical Steps

1. Run: curl -I https://example.com
2. Look for Link: headers.
3. Check rel values and type attributes.
4. Open linked resources to confirm they return 200.
5. Run TruboRank AI for a structured report.

## 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.

## Editorial Methodology

TruboRankAI publishes practical guidance from observable website signals, reproducible checks, and cited primary or first-party references when platform behavior or measured claims can change. Crawler access, indexing, search visibility, mentions, citations, referral visits, and conversions are treated as separate signals. Readers should verify time-sensitive settings and policies against the linked official documentation.

## Related Internal Links

- [Link Headers Checker](/link-headers-checker)
- [Markdown Negotiation Checker](/markdown-negotiation-checker)
- [AI Discoverability Checker](/ai-discoverability-checker)
- [Pricing](/pricing)