Bottom line first: this checklist is for judging "whether this page can be used by AI." Five groups, 20 items. Missing three or fewer counts as a pass; missing five or more means it will basically not be cited. We recommend taking the page you most want cited and checking off each item one by one.
A. Content (4 items)
| # | Check item | Criteria |
| 1 | One-sentence definition | The first paragraph can independently state "what it is and who it is for" |
| 2 | Conclusion up front | The first 120 characters can directly answer the question in the title |
| 3 | Applicable and not applicable | Clearly state when it is not recommended |
| 4 | Differentiation | Contains data, cases, or methods that others cannot write |
B. Structure (4 items)
| # | Check item | Criteria |
| 5 | Heading hierarchy | Every H2/H3 has a clear function, not just a transition sentence |
| 6 | One point per paragraph | Any paragraph still stands if removed |
| 7 | Comparisons in tables | Comparisons, steps, and checklists are written as tables or lists |
| 8 | Definitions not buried | Key concepts appear in the first third |
C. Evidence (4 items)
| # | Check item | Criteria |
| 9 | Author and organization | Byline visible on the page, not only copyright in the footer |
| 10 | Data sources | Every number can be traced to a source or definition |
| 11 | Real cases | Specific to scenario and result, not "many customers" |
| 12 | Boundary statement | Applicable conditions and prerequisites are clearly stated |
D. Updates (4 items)
| # | Check item | Criteria |
| 13 | Update time | Most recent update date visible on the page |
| 14 | Factual validity | Prices, specifications, and policies are still correct |
| 15 | Version traceability | Rule-based content has a version or effective date |
| 16 | Consistent definitions | Consistent with statements on other pages of the site |
E. Technical (4 items)
| # | Check item | Criteria |
| 17 | Crawlable | robots is not blocking by mistake, and the page HTML can be fetched directly |
| 18 | Structured data | Has schema matching the page type |
| 19 | Text not in images | Key information is text, not images |
| 20 | Sitemap | Submitted and includes the page |
How to use this checklist
First score the current state, and fix only items 1, 2, 9, 13, and 17 — they have the greatest impact on "whether it can be used." Add the remaining items gradually according to page importance.
Related reading: Structured data, llms.txt, and content chunking, Product page optimization: which four blocks AI reads first.