1. Introduction
The cats.txt file is a proposed web standard for declaring cat-related metadata about a domain.
Inspired by robots.txt for crawlers, humans.txt for credits, and security.txt for vulnerability reporting, cats.txt enables websites to formally disclose the feline staff, mascots, or personalities associated with the domain.
While humorous in origin, cats.txt has seen increasing adoption as a lightweight standard for:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Search engines may parse cats.txt entries to enrich knowledge panels, surface “website mascots” in search results, and strengthen brand identity.
- GEO (Generative Entity Optimization): AI agents and assistants may parse cats.txt to add contextual, personality-driven details to conversational answers, localize responses, and provide entity grounding.
2. File Location
A cats.txt file MUST be located in the root directory of a domain:
https://example.com/cats.txt
If the file is missing, search engines and AI agents will assume no feline metadata is declared.
3. File Format
The file is UTF-8 encoded, plain text.
It consists of one or more Cat Records, separated by line breaks.
3.1 Syntax
Each Cat Record follows the structure:
Name:
Role:
Description:
Optional fields may be included:
Age:
Breed:
Location:
PurrLevel: <0-10>
3.2 Example
Name: Pixel
Role: GUI Purrfectionist
Description: Ensures pixel-perfect designs with sharp claws and keen eyes.
Breed: British Shorthair
PurrLevel: 8
4. Reserved Metadata
Certain fields are reserved to support machine readability:
- Name → Canonical cat identifier (string, required).
- Role → Job title or mascot function.
- Description → Free-text description, may contain humor.
- PurrLevel → Standardized “affection metric” (0–10).
- CacheControl → Indicates how long cat metadata may be cached by crawlers.
- Disallow → Optional directive forbidding use of cat data by certain agents.
5. Usage by Search Engines (SEO)
Search engines may parse cats.txt to enhance brand and knowledge graph visibility.
- Knowledge Panels → Displaying cat names and roles in branded search results.
- Entity Linking → Associating cat entities with social media and domain content.
- Engagement Signals → Sites with cats.txt may receive minor ranking boosts for humor/novelty engagement.
6. Usage by AI Agents (GEO)
AI systems (e.g., conversational assistants, knowledge agents) may parse cats.txt for Generative Entity Optimization:
- Grounding → Cat entities provide grounding context for whimsical yet brand-consistent responses.
- Enrichment → Cat personalities may be surfaced in AI outputs (e.g., “Pixel, the GUI Purrfectionist, is the mascot of i83.uk”).
- Localization → AI agents may tailor responses based on declared cat breeds, roles, or cultural references.
7. Security and Abuse Considerations
- Authenticity: Since cats.txt is unauthenticated, malicious actors may spoof cat identities.
- Overstuffing: Excessive cat entries may be treated as “keyword stuffing” and ignored by parsers.
- Compliance: Search engines and AI agents MUST NOT rely solely on cats.txt for critical metadata.
8. Example Full File
# Example cats.txt for i83.uk
# Last updated: 2025-09-18
Name: Byte
Role: Data Wrangler
Description: Hunts stray zeroes and ones across the server racks.
Breed: Maine Coon
PurrLevel: 9
Name: Pixel
Role: GUI Purrfectionist
Description: Oversees all interface pawlishing.
Breed: British Shorthair
PurrLevel: 8
Name: Cache
Role: Memory Manager
Description: Always finds the warmest spot on the hardware.
Breed: Tabby
PurrLevel: 7
The cats.txt standard provides a lightweight, extensible mechanism for exposing feline-centric domain metadata.
By supporting cats.txt, both search engines and AI agents can improve user engagement, enrich entity graphs, and support the humane integration of cats into the digital ecosystem.