Content-negotiated markdown on canonical URLs
Serve markdown from the same canonical URL when an agent requests `Accept: text/markdown`, instead of forcing a separate docs-only experience.
Why this can grow a startup
This keeps humans and agents anchored to the same source URL while giving each the format they can actually use. Browsers still get rich HTML, but assistants get clean markdown with less token waste and cleaner citations. That reduces retrieval friction without splitting authority across parallel pages.
Company example
Vercel's agent-readability guidance recommends returning markdown for canonical docs URLs when agents send `Accept: text/markdown`, with separate cache treatment via `Vary: Accept`.
Source and metric
Source: Vercel Knowledge Base · Browse Vercel Knowledge Base tactics
Source discovered: May 24, 2026
When to use it
Use this when SEO, AI Search, Website is relevant to seo, ai-discovery, trust and you can run a bounded test with a low budget.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a substitute for customer evidence, a clear owner, or a measurable stop condition. Local platform rules and market behavior still need checking.
Founder checklist
- Read Vercel Knowledge Base and identify what is directly supported.
- Choose one channel context: SEO, AI Search, Website.
- Define the test around one observable customer behavior.
- Set an owner, evidence window, and stop condition before launch.
Explore the context
Apply this with an operator
Turn isolated search tactics into a crawlable visibility system tied to demand and proof.