The service-doc relation can expose machine-readable documentation through HTTP headers.
rel="service-doc" is a Link relation that can point clients to documentation or guidance resources for a service or website.
Using rel="service-doc" in Link headers can help crawlers discover llms.txt, documentation, or AI guidance resources earlier in the fetch process.
Main Explanation
HTTP Link headers are sent before the HTML body is parsed. That makes them useful for discovery infrastructure.
For AI-focused websites, service-doc can point to llms.txt or related documentation.
Practical Steps
- Choose a public documentation URL.
- Add a Link header with rel="service-doc".
- Include the correct content type.
- Test with curl -I.
FAQ
Is service-doc required?
No. It is an optional discovery signal.
Can it point to llms.txt?
Yes, if that is your service documentation resource.
How do I test it?
Run curl -I https://example.com and inspect Link headers.
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.