# How should AI agents declare what a site is about to other AI engines? > Source: > Published: 2026-06-16 13:07:52+00:00 The official CLI for the [SEO.md](https://seomd.dev) open standard — AEO (AI Engine Optimization) infrastructure for technical founders. Use it to scaffold, validate, analyze, and sync `SEO.md` files directly from your repo. [Why SEO.md](#why-seomd)[Install](#install)[Quick Start](#quick-start)[Configuration](#configuration)[Commands](#commands)[Local Development](#local-development)[Testing](#testing)[Release Notes (Contributor Tagging)](#release-notes-contributor-tagging)[Security](#security)[Specification Reference](#specification-reference)[License](#license) SEO.md is a structured, version-controlled specification for describing your site, intent queries, and pages so AI engines can cite you more often. - Declare what matters (site, identity, keywords, intent, pages) - Run audits via your connected platform - Write back `_analysis` blocks and per-page playbooks into your repo ``` npm install -g seomd-cli ``` Or run without installing (zero-install): ``` npx seomd-cli init ``` Verify: ``` seomd --help ``` Run in the root of your project: ``` seomd init ``` Or non-interactively with flags: ``` seomd init -y --type local # or seomd init --brand "Acme" --domain acme.com --primary-keyword "local seo" seomd validate seomd analyze seomd sync seomd status seomd status --json ``` Copy `.env.example` from your platform provider docs, or create one with the vars you need: Required for live audits: ``` SEOMD_API_URL= SEOMD_API_KEY=your_key_here ``` Optional: ``` SEOMD_PAYMENT_TOKEN= # x402 pay-per-scan token SEOMD_DOMAIN= # override domain header ``` If you don't have a platform key yet, `seomd init` still works without`.env` . Scaffolds `SEO.md` , `SEO.REVERSE.md` , and the `.seo/` intelligence directory. **Usage:** ``` seomd init # interactive 5-question flow seomd init -y --type local # skip prompts, use defaults seomd init --brand "Acme" --domain acme.com # non-interactive with partial flags seomd init --type saas --brand "MyApp" --domain myapp.com --primary-keyword "billing automation" --output ./new-project ``` **Options:** | Flag | Description | |---|---| `-y, --yes` | skip prompts, use defaults | `--type ` | site type: saas, ecommerce, local, blog, marketplace | `--brand ` | brand name | `--domain ` | primary domain | `--primary-keyword ` | primary keyword | `--competitors ` | comma-separated competitor list | `--output ` | scaffold into a new (empty) directory instead of cwd | **Behavior:** - Interactive flow by default (5 questions) - Non-interactive when `-y` is set**OR** any config flag (`--brand` ,`--domain` ,`--primary-keyword` ,`--competitors` ) is provided `--type` alone pre-selects site type in the interactive flow`--output` writes all files to the target directory (must be empty or non-existent) Validates your `SEO.md` against the spec requirements. Shows current citation rates and gap scores from `_analysis` . `--json` outputs machine-readable JSON for scripts/CI Runs an AI search audit via your connected platform and writes results back into: `SEO.md` (`_analysis` blocks)`SEO.REVERSE.md` (generated reverse view)`.seo/pages/*.md` (per-page playbooks when available) Pulls cached/latest platform intelligence and writes it back to the same files as `analyze` . `--dry-run` prints a preview and does not modify files `seomd-cli` ships with type-specific templates under `src/templates/` . `seomd init --type ` uses the matching template automatically. | Type | Template dir | Best for | |---|---|---| `saas` | `src/templates/saas/` | Software products, B2B tools, web apps | `blog` | `src/templates/blog/` | Content sites, newsletters, personal brands | `ecommerce` | `src/templates/ecommerce/` | Online stores, DTC brands, product catalogs | `local` | `src/templates/local/` | Service-area businesses, locations pages | `marketplace` | `src/templates/marketplace/` | Two-sided platforms, directories | Each template contains: `SEO.md` — pre-filled with type-specific intent queries, page structures, and negative keywords`SEO.REVERSE.md` — reverse-engineer output scaffold with placeholders for competitor analysis Want to customize a template? Copy the relevant folder, edit the placeholders (`{{brand}}` , `{{domain}}` , etc.), and use `--type` with your custom scaffold. Prefer the local entrypoint while developing: ``` node ./bin/seomd.js --help node ./bin/seomd.js init node ./bin/seomd.js validate node ./bin/seomd.js status --json npm test ``` To generate a contributor section for a release (commit-based attribution), maintain mappings in `.github/contributors.yml` and generate markdown from a tag range: ``` npm run release:contributors -- --from v1.0.2 --to v1.0.3 ``` To write output to a file: ``` npm run release:contributors -- --from v1.0.2 --to v1.0.3 --out notes/v1.0.3-contributors.md ``` To generate a full release note (changes + contributors) for a tag: ``` npm run release:notes -- --tag v1.0.3 ``` Automation: the repository includes a GitHub Actions workflow that runs on tag push (`v*` ) and creates/updates the GitHub Release using `scripts/release-notes.js` . To enable live intelligence writebacks (using automated platforms like [Foxcite](https://foxcite.com)): - Obtain a developer API key from your platform provider. - Export the key as an environment variable: ``` export SEOMD_API_KEY="your_api_key_here" ``` - Run `seomd sync` or`seomd analyze` . *Note: Never commit your API keys or .env files containing keys to version control.* - Never commit `.env` files or API keys - Use `.env.example` as the template for required variables Read the complete specification and guidelines at [seomd.dev/spec](https://seomd.dev/spec). MIT License. Developed and maintained by the community.