Link Headers Checker
Test whether your HTTP response exposes useful discovery links before a crawler even parses your HTML.
A Link headers checker reviews HTTP Link headers such as rel="service-doc", rel="alternate", and rel="sitemap" to see whether important machine-readable resources are discoverable.
TruboRank AI checks Link headers as part of AI discoverability because headers can expose llms.txt, Markdown alternatives, and sitemaps to crawlers early in the request process.
Check your website's AI discoverability signals.
Run a free scan for robots.txt, sitemap discovery, Link headers, Markdown readiness, and AI bot access.
What this checker analyzes
- rel="service-doc" links
- rel="alternate" Markdown links
- sitemap Link headers
- content types attached to Link headers
- header syntax clarity
Why it matters
Headers can provide direct resource hints to AI crawlers and agents. They are lightweight, fast, and useful for machine discovery.
Common issues
- No Link headers
- Wrong rel value
- Missing type attribute
- Broken resource URL
- HTML links exist but headers are absent
How to use this checker
Start with a live scan of your website URL. Review the status of each signal, then fix the highest-impact blockers first. Technical blockers should usually be handled before content optimization because AI systems need access before they can evaluate page quality.
- Run the free scan on your homepage or a high-value page.
- Review crawl access, sitemap discovery, headers, and AI-readable resources.
- Open each warning and confirm whether it affects important public content.
- Fix server-level issues such as robots.txt, Link headers, and content types.
- Improve page-level content with direct answers, summaries, FAQs, and internal links.
- Re-run the scan after changes to verify the result.
What a strong result looks like
A strong result means important pages are crawlable, key resources are discoverable, and the content gives AI systems enough structure to understand the topic quickly.
- robots.txt allows the crawlers you want to support.
- sitemap.xml exposes important URLs.
- headers or HTML links point to useful AI-readable resources.
- content includes concise answers and supporting context.
Who should use it
This checker is useful for founders, marketers, SEO teams, developers, agencies, and technical content teams that want to improve AI search readiness without guessing.
It is especially useful before launching new landing pages, documentation, product pages, comparison pages, or AI visibility campaigns.
Implementation checklist
- Confirm the page returns a successful HTTP status.
- Confirm the page is not blocked by robots.txt.
- Make sure the page appears in your sitemap or is internally linked.
- Add direct answer content for the primary user question.
- Add related links to nearby AEO, GEO, llms.txt, or AI crawler topics.
- Document technical changes so they can be repeated across the site.
How Pro helps fix it
Pro provides setup guidance and prompts for adding Link headers through Apache, Nginx, PHP, or edge platforms.
FAQ
What is rel="service-doc"?
It is a Link relation that can point crawlers toward service documentation or machine-readable guidance.
Do Link headers replace HTML links?
No. They complement HTML links by exposing resources at the HTTP header level.
Can I test Link headers with curl?
Yes. Use curl -I to inspect response headers.