Introducing cats.txt: The Missing Standard for SEO and GEO

For years, we’ve had robots.txt guiding crawlers, humans.txt crediting contributors, and security.txt disclosing security contacts. But one crucial file has been missing from the web’s metadata toolbox: cats.txt.

Yes, you read that right.

The cats.txt standard is a lightweight, text-based specification that allows websites to declare their feline staff, mascots, or personalities. While playful at first glance, it has meaningful implications for both SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Entity Optimisation).

Why cats.txt Matters

SEO Benefits of cats.txt

• Brand Enrichment: Search engines can parse cat metadata to enhance knowledge panels and snippets, creating more engaging search results.
• Entity Linking: Named cat entities reinforce brand identity across platforms and structured data.
• Engagement Signals: Sites that embrace humor and personality often enjoy higher click-through and recall.

GEO Benefits of cats.txt

• AI Grounding: Generative AI agents can use cat records as grounding entities, producing more personalised, context-rich responses.
• Conversational Enrichment: Imagine an AI assistant not only telling you about a company but also mentioning their official debugging specialist, “Whiskers the Cat.”
• Localisation: Breed, role, and description metadata provide cultural hooks for AI personalisation.

What Does a cats.txt Look Like?

Here’s an example snippet from the draft:

Name: Pixel
Role: GUI Purrfectionist
Description: Oversees all interface pawlishing.
Breed: British Shorthair
PurrLevel: 8        

This structured metadata is easy to parse, fun to read, and surprisingly useful for search engines and AI alike.

The Bigger Picture

As AI systems become central to discovery, entity grounding and personality data will shape how brands are represented in both search results and generative outputs. cats.txt provides a lightweight, human-friendly way to ensure that representation is accurate, consistent, and delightful.

In other words: it’s not just about ranking, it’s about resonating.

Implement cats.txt Today

If you run a website, experiment with a cats.txt file in your root directory.

If you build search engines or AI tools, consider supporting it.

Because in the future of SEO and GEO… every site deserves its cats.

👉 Read the full specification here: Draft: The cats.txt Standard