What is the purpose of humans.txt?

[widgetsupply]

While updating my itemprops I ran Googles testing tool. It gave an error for:
<link href="../humans.txt" rel="author" />
with is located in the head of my Suivant Store. It isn't in the head of my non-Suivant version 9 store.

Should I create a humans.txt file? Should I delete the line of code?

[jsdva]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

Rather than putting that (author stuff) in the head section, it is contained in humans.txt. http://humanstxt.org/

Won't change anything to take it out, but Suivant is a Miva-created theme, so I guess they would be the ones to say whether you can or cannot take it out. Don't know if there is any licenses for the themes telling you one way or the other.

Jamie

[Matt Zimmermann]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

Hi John,

Jamie is correct, it is a modern way to include your author information. It is not something that will hinder your site if you do not have it and there is nothing stopping you from removing it.

[widgetsupply]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

I finally figured out that we really do have that file, so it shouldn't be giving an error. What I was trying to find out is why the Google testing tool was giving me an error on my product pages:
https://developers.google.com/struct.../testing-tool/
See attached file.

[Matt Zimmermann]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

Hi John,

It looks like that error is coming from your structured data not the humans.txt file. I would recommend checking all your META tag to make sure they are correct and your Google Rich Snippets on the product page.

[widgetsupply]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

So, I did a little looking and found that I have two meta name="keywords"

For: http://www.widgetsupply.com/product/XJB97.html I have two keyword meta tags, which is weird.
<meta name="keywords" content="dremel,drill,tile,glass,masonry" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Dremel Tile, Glass, Masonry Drill Bits - For use with Dremel Type Rotary Tools. Diamond coated accessories will cut into glass, wood, metal, stone, practically anything." />

These are not keywords from this product, but keywords and description from the Canonical Category.

[Matt Zimmermann]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

Hi John,

Do you have an extra META keyword tag on your product page? The ReadyTheme should just have them in the HEAD tag.

[widgetsupply]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

If I search for <meta name="keywords" on prod, I don't get any results and I did check to make sure all of the boxes were open.

Here is what I have in my Head box:

<base href="&mvt:global:basehref;" />
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
<mvt:assign name="g.screenCheck" value="'BLOG,ACAD,ACED,AFAD,AFCL,AFED,ACLN,BASK,CE ML,CPWD,FPWD,INVC,LOGN,LOGOUT,PRINTP,OCST,OPAY,OPR C,ORHL,ORDH,ORDL,ORDS,OSEL,OUS1,OUSL,OUSM,PLMT,SFN T,UATM,UATR'" />
<mvt:assign name="g.storeEmailB64" value="crypto_base64_encode(g.store:email)" />
<mvt:assign name="g.protocol_relative_url" value="substring_var(g.secure_sessionurl, 6, len_var(g.secure_sessionurl))" />
<mvt:assign name="g.screenWidth" value="g.request_cookies:ress_width" />
<mvt:if expr="l.settings:page:code EQ 'SFNT' OR l.settings:page:code EQ 'BASK' OR g.secure">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://&mvta:global:domain:name;/" />
<mvt:elseif expr="l.settings:page:code EQ 'CTGY'">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://&mvta:global:domain:name;/&mvt:seo_settings:cat_lit;&mvt:seo_settings:url_de lim;&mvta:category:code;.&mvt:seo_settings:suffix; " />
<mvt:elseif expr="l.settings:page:code EQ 'PROD' OR l.settings:page:code EQ 'PATR'">
<mvt:assign name="g.socialURL" value="'https://' $ g.domain:name $ '/' $ l.settings:seo_settings:prod_lit $ l.settings:seo_settings:url_delim $ l.settings:product:code $ '.' $ l.settings:seo_settings:suffix" />
<mvt:assign name="g.encodedProdName" value="encodeentities(l.settings:product:name)" />
<mvt:assign name="g.socialText" value="'Check out the deal on ' $ l.settings:product:name $ ' at ' $ g.store:name" />
<mvt:assign name="g.socialImage" value="'https://' $ g.domain:name $ g.domain:image_root $ l.settings:product:customfield_values:productimage customfields:main" />
<link rel="canonical" href="&mvt:global:socialURL;" />
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@TWITTER_ACCOUNT">
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@TWITTER_ACCOUNT">
<meta name="twitter:title" content="&mvt:global:encodedProdName;">
<meta name="twitter:description" content="&mvte:global:socialText;">
<meta name="twitter:image:src" content="&mvt:global:socialImage;">
<meta property="og:title" content="&mvt:global:encodedProdName;" />
<meta property="og:type" content="product" />
<meta property="og:image" content="&mvt:global:socialImage;" />
<meta property="og:url" content="&mvt:global:socialURL;" />
<meta property="og:site_name" content="&mvte:global:store:name;" />
<meta property="og:description" content="&mvte:global:socialText;" />
<mvt:else>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://&mvta:global:domain:name;/&mvta:page:code;.&mvt:seo_settings:suffix;" />
</mvt:if>
<mvt:if expr="NOT ISNULL l.settings:product:metafield:keywords">
<meta name="keywords" content="&mvt:product:metafield:keywords;" />
<mvt:elseif expr="NOT ISNULL l.settings:category:metafield:keywords">
<meta name="keywords" content="&mvt:category:metafield:keywords;" />
<mvt:else>
<meta name="keywords" content="SEO: META KEYWORDS" />
</mvt:if>
<mvt:if expr="NOT ISNULL l.settings:product:metafield:description">
<meta name="keywords" content="&mvt:product:metafield:description;" />
<mvt:elseif expr="NOT ISNULL l.settings:category:metafield:description">
<meta name="keywords" content="&mvt:category:metafield:description;" />
<mvt:else>
<meta name="description" content="SEO: META DESCRIPTION" />
</mvt:if>
<link href="../css/css.php" rel="stylesheet" />
<mvt:item name="head" param="css_list" />
<mvt:item name="readytheme" param="css" />


<mvt:if expr="g.screen NE 'ORDP'">
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Maven+Pro:400,500,700,900|Playfair+Disp lay:400,400italic,700italic" rel="stylesheet" />
</mvt:if>


<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="../js/modernizr.js"></script>
<script src="../js/respond.min.js"></script>
<![endif]-->
<link href="../humans.txt" rel="author" />
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.3/jquery.min.js"></script>


<style>
/* -------------------- scotsscripts - formatting and menu --------------------------- */
.restore-basket {
min-height: 337px;
}


.prod-box {
padding: 4px;
border: solid 1px #eee;
min-height: 314px;
}


.border-bottom-none {
border-bottom: none;
}


.display-none {
display: none;
}


.padding-left-0 {
padding-left: 0;
}


.shopping-cart-link {
color: yellow;
}


.text-decoration-none {
text-decoration: none;
}


.margin-0 {
margin: 0;
}


.float-left {
float: left;
}


.float-right {
float: right;
}


.clear-both {
clear: both;
}


.checkout-top {
margin-top: 5px;
color: white;
text-decoration: none;
}


.search-form-margin {
margin-top: 7px;
}


.top-search-input {
padding-right: 20px;
}


.business-info-container {
float: left;
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
color: rgb(0, 0, 0);
}


.border-collapse {
border-collapse: collapse;
}


.width-14-percent {
width: 14%;
}


.border-0 {
border: 0px;
}


.text-center {
text-align: center;
}


.ss-link {
color: #afafaf;
font-size: small;
}


.tab-content-formatting {
border-bottom: 2px #ddd solid;
border-right: 2px #ddd solid;
border-left: 2px #ddd solid;
}


.tab-pane-formatting {
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-image:url('/images/header_background.jpg');
padding: 0;
text-align: left;
height: 116px;
}


.tab-menu-links {
text-align: center;
background-color: white;
padding: 10px 0 10px 0;
}


.tab-parents {
padding: 15px; text-align: left; height: 216px;
}


.tab-main-heading {
float: left;
position: relative;
top: -8px;
margin-right: 10px;
}


.close-menu-style {
float: right;
}




.child-list-container {
float: left;
list-style-type: none;
}


.child-link-color {
color: #0057b9;
}


.grandkid-pane {
padding: 15px;
text-align: left;
height: 216px;
}


.grandkid-parent-container {
float: left;
position: relative;
top: -8px;
margin-right: 10px;
}


.menuiconpos {
position: relative;
top: 2px;
}
.menuiconpos9 {
position: relative;
top: 7px;
}
</style>

[Matt Zimmermann]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

Hi John,

It looks like you have one of the older versions of the ReadyTheme. To correct your issue, change the META keyword tags in the "l.settings:product:metafield:description" conditional to description.

[widgetsupply]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

Question first as i am still getting the warning. What does Node is empty mean?

Ok, finally figured that out and copied moved my meta descriptions and keywords from custom fields to the product fields. It seems everything is working. Here is the Meta stuff from:
http://www.widgetsupply.com/product/BLW95.html

<meta charset="utf-8" />

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />

<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.widgetsupply.com/product/BLW95.html" />

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">

<meta name="twitter:site" content="@TWITTER_ACCOUNT">

<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@TWITTER_ACCOUNT">

<meta name="twitter:title" content="Compare to Dremel 483 - 1/32 inch Collet">

<meta name="twitter:description" content="Check out the deal on Compare to Dremel 483 - 1/32 inch Collet at Widget Supply">

<meta name="twitter:image:src" content="https://www.widgetsupply.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/dremel-collet-483-open.jpg">

<meta property="og:title" content="Compare to Dremel 483 - 1/32 inch Collet" />

<meta property="og:type" content="product" />

<meta property="og:image" content="https://www.widgetsupply.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/dremel-collet-483-open.jpg" />

<meta property="og:url" content="https://www.widgetsupply.com/product/BLW95.html" />

<meta property="og:site_name" content="Widget Supply" />

<meta property="og:description" content="Check out the deal on Compare to Dremel 483 - 1/32 inch Collet at Widget Supply" />

<meta name="keywords" content="dremel,482,collet,1/32,inch" />

<meta name="description" content="Compare to Dremel 483 - 1/32 inch Collet. Used to hold Bits with an 3/32 inch Shank. One ring around shank. Compatible with Dremel 225 Flex-Shaft attachment." />

But I am still getting a Google testing warning..

[Matt Zimmermann]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

Hi John,

It looks like that warning is being caused by the testing tool not liking the BASE tag. As far as I can tell, that warning shouldn't cause any issues with your site.

[widgetsupply]

Re: What is the purpose of humans.txt?

I give up. It's just a warning. I appreciate the help.