The playbook
Crawlability: Template and Field Guide
This crawlability template turns a broad task into a record another person can use. It captures URL, discovery path, block, then connects that information to a decision. Copy the table into your working document or system and create a separate record for each item in scope.
Put the task in context
Important detail pages should have ordinary linked paths from useful category or topic pages. A page accessible only after typing a query into an internal search box may be difficult to discover. Test the path to a sample of deep pages from the public site.
Copyable worksheet
| Field | Entry instructions |
|---|---|
| URL | Record the URL associated with this page or query record. Use a stable reference so later updates can be matched. |
| discovery path | Record the discovery path associated with this page or query record. Keep the value specific enough for another owner to interpret. |
| block | Record the block associated with this page or query record. Keep the value specific enough for another owner to interpret. |
| response | Record the response associated with this page or query record. Keep the value specific enough for another owner to interpret. |
| Decision field | Entry instructions |
|---|---|
| Observed problem | Describe the actual condition and where it was observed. |
| Recommended action | State the smallest action that resolves the documented problem. |
| Evidence | Link to the record, observation, or test supporting the action. |
| Owner and next review | Name the accountable person and when the decision should be revisited. |
How to complete the worksheet
Begin with URL. Use the same reference throughout the record so notes are not attached to the wrong item. Then check navigation and contextual discovery paths. This establishes the information required before the worksheet becomes a request for action.
Next, inspect blocked paths and server errors. Use the observed problem and evidence fields to explain why that step is needed. A useful entry describes an actual condition, such as creating valuable pages reachable only through internal search, rather than a broad instruction to “improve performance.”
Finally, reduce unnecessary URL generation in filters and parameters. Put add crawlable links from relevant category or topic pages in the action field only when it addresses the observed condition. If the problem is different, change the action. The template is a structure for judgment, not a reason to apply the same fix everywhere.
Illustrative completed decision
| Part | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
| Problem | Creating valuable pages reachable only through internal search |
| Action | Add crawlable links from relevant category or topic pages |
| First check | Check navigation and contextual discovery paths |
| Follow-up check | Reduce unnecessary URL generation in filters and parameters |
| Outcome to define | important undiscoverable URLs |
Adapt the fields without losing meaning
You can add fields required by your team, but each should change a decision or preserve necessary context. Keep factual observations separate from recommendations. If discovery path changes, record the new value and its effective date instead of silently rewriting the context of an earlier decision.
Use the record in a handoff
Ask the receiving owner to explain the next action using only the worksheet. Missing context becomes visible quickly during that exercise. Repair the record before applying the structure to a larger batch. Keep important undiscoverable URLs connected to the item so the team can later assess whether the action was useful.
Use query and landing-page context when comparing results. A page serving a broad informational query has a different job from a page answering a purchase question. Review whether the next step remains useful to the person arriving.
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