# AGENTS.md — Build guide for Rank Math PRO

## Project scope
Audit an owned WordPress site for titles, descriptions, canonicals, robots and internal links, then export prioritized fixes. Keep the tool read-only; implementing a production SEO plugin is a separate scope.

Catalogue verdict: yes. Rank Math PRO's solo core is compact: build a focused WordPress SEO plugin audit for user-owned sites that crawls pages, records technical signals, and exports a prioritized CSV and HTML report. A competent builder can reach a useful personal version in one sitting, while the paid product mainly wins on proprietary data, index, crawl scale.
Use the implementation prompt below to define the deliverable. Complete each phase's acceptance checks before extending the scope.

## Working agreement
- Inspect the repository and its existing instructions before choosing paths, dependencies or commands. Keep one coherent stack and explain changes to the proposed architecture.
- Plan a vertical slice that accepts a real input and produces the useful output described below. Persist only the state the prompt calls for; respect memory-only and upstream-managed workflows. Use fixtures only when they are clearly labelled.
- After scaffolding, document the actual install, development, check and build commands in README and keep them synchronized with the package or project manifest. Do not report commands as successful unless they ran.
- Work in small steps. At handoff, list implemented flows, checks actually performed, remaining blockers, and any credentials or provider setup the owner must supply.
- Do not publish, spend money, contact customers, delete source data or run irreversible migrations without the project owner's authorization.

## Prerequisites
- A Python virtual environment, writable input/output directories and sufficient disk for both originals and outputs. Bind the service to localhost.
- Implementation components: Python, FastAPI and server-rendered HTML with HTMX for a local interface. SQLite for manifests and job state, with an explicit worker process and immutable source files. HTTP crawling with HTML parsing and an optional bounded Playwright renderer for user-authorized sites.
- Scope boundary: Content scoring, keyword databases and full WordPress plugin replacement are excluded.

## Stack and architecture
- Python, FastAPI and server-rendered HTML with HTMX for a local interface.
- SQLite for manifests and job state, with an explicit worker process and immutable source files.
- HTTP crawling with HTML parsing and an optional bounded Playwright renderer for user-authorized sites.
- Domain model: owned-site crawl runs, WordPress page URLs, rendered metadata, canonical/robots signals and evidence-backed findings

## Security and data integrity
- Bound file sizes and processing time, reject path traversal, and use argument arrays for subprocesses. Treat imported text as data and redact confidential source content from logs. Constrain crawl hosts, block private-network URLs and redirect pivots, and respect crawl delays and access restrictions.
- Correctness boundary: Crawler observations cannot prove indexing or ranking; no settings are changed through WordPress without a separately authorized integration.
- Save a job manifest with input hash, parameters and state. Write to temporary outputs, then atomically finalize only successful results; resume unfinished jobs without replacing originals.
- Export sources, manifests and outputs with checksums. Keep failed-job diagnostics and allow retry into a new output path; restore the database and file directory together.

## Agent implementation rules
- Project rule — data model: owned-site crawl runs, WordPress page URLs, rendered metadata, canonical/robots signals and evidence-backed findings
- Project rule — preserve this invariant: Crawler observations cannot prove indexing or ranking; no settings are changed through WordPress without a separately authorized integration.
- Project rule — acceptance evidence: A canonical pointing to a blocked URL produces an evidence-linked finding; failed rendering is distinguished from a page with genuinely missing content.

## Optional agent skills and references
- Optional external skill: [seo-audit](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md) — Investigate crawlability, indexing, page metadata, internal linking and on-page content issues. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
- Optional external skill: [modern-python](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/modern-python/skills/modern-python/SKILL.md) — Set up Python projects with pyproject.toml, dependency management, linting, typing and automated checks. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
- Optional external skill: [agent-browser](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser/blob/main/skills/agent-browser/SKILL.md) — Automate browser interaction using accessibility snapshots, element references and reproducible navigation workflows. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.

Read the linked SKILL.md and its dependencies before adding a skill. Select only the skills matching this project's runtime and task; their documentation does not supply API access, credentials or approval to perform external actions. Pin the reviewed revision where the tool supports it. Follow the chosen agent's documented project-level installation mechanism.

## Distribution ideas
These are optional planning notes. Obtain the owner's approval before publishing or contacting anyone.
- Demonstrate the actual Rank Math PRO-inspired workflow with owned or clearly labeled sample data: Audit an owned WordPress site for titles, descriptions, canonicals, robots and internal links, then export prioritized fixes. Keep the tool read-only; implementing a production SEO plugin is a separate scope.
- Publish a reproducible walkthrough with this observable result: A canonical pointing to a blocked URL produces an evidence-linked finding; failed rendering is distinguished from a page with genuinely missing content.
- Explain who can operate this scoped tool, its setup and ongoing costs, and these remaining product gaps: Content scoring, keyword databases and full WordPress plugin replacement are excluded. Avoid guaranteed savings, performance scores or implied endorsement.

## Engineering roadmap
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Audit an owned WordPress site for titles, descriptions, canonicals, robots and internal links, then export prioritized fixes. Keep the tool read-only; implementing a production SEO plugin is a separate scope. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Content scoring, keyword databases and full WordPress plugin replacement are excluded.
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model owned-site crawl runs, WordPress page URLs, rendered metadata, canonical/robots signals and evidence-backed findings Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Crawler observations cannot prove indexing or ranking; no settings are changed through WordPress without a separately authorized integration.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Save a job manifest with input hash, parameters and state. Write to temporary outputs, then atomically finalize only successful results; resume unfinished jobs without replacing originals.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Bound file sizes and processing time, reject path traversal, and use argument arrays for subprocesses. Treat imported text as data and redact confidential source content from logs. Constrain crawl hosts, block private-network URLs and redirect pivots, and respect crawl delays and access restrictions. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export sources, manifests and outputs with checksums. Keep failed-job diagnostics and allow retry into a new output path; restore the database and file directory together. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. A canonical pointing to a blocked URL produces an evidence-linked finding; failed rendering is distinguished from a page with genuinely missing content. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

## Paid-product capabilities outside this build
- proprietary web and keyword indexes
- fresh rank and clickstream data
- large-scale crawling infrastructure
- historical competitor datasets and support
- fresh proprietary keyword, backlink, or ranking data

## Implementation prompt
WORKING SLICE
Audit an owned WordPress site for titles, descriptions, canonicals, robots and internal links, then export prioritized fixes. Keep the tool read-only; implementing a production SEO plugin is a separate scope.

Build this scoped Rank Math PRO-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Python, FastAPI and server-rendered HTML with HTMX for a local interface.
- SQLite for manifests and job state, with an explicit worker process and immutable source files.
- HTTP crawling with HTML parsing and an optional bounded Playwright renderer for user-authorized sites.

Prerequisites and limits
A Python virtual environment, writable input/output directories and sufficient disk for both originals and outputs. Bind the service to localhost.
Outside this release: Content scoring, keyword databases and full WordPress plugin replacement are excluded.

Data model and correctness
owned-site crawl runs, WordPress page URLs, rendered metadata, canonical/robots signals and evidence-backed findings
Invariant: Crawler observations cannot prove indexing or ranking; no settings are changed through WordPress without a separately authorized integration.
Save a job manifest with input hash, parameters and state. Write to temporary outputs, then atomically finalize only successful results; resume unfinished jobs without replacing originals.

Security and privacy
Bound file sizes and processing time, reject path traversal, and use argument arrays for subprocesses. Treat imported text as data and redact confidential source content from logs. Constrain crawl hosts, block private-network URLs and redirect pivots, and respect crawl delays and access restrictions.

Recovery and export
Export sources, manifests and outputs with checksums. Keep failed-job diagnostics and allow retry into a new output path; restore the database and file directory together.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Audit an owned WordPress site for titles, descriptions, canonicals, robots and internal links, then export prioritized fixes. Keep the tool read-only; implementing a production SEO plugin is a separate scope. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Content scoring, keyword databases and full WordPress plugin replacement are excluded.
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model owned-site crawl runs, WordPress page URLs, rendered metadata, canonical/robots signals and evidence-backed findings Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Crawler observations cannot prove indexing or ranking; no settings are changed through WordPress without a separately authorized integration.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Save a job manifest with input hash, parameters and state. Write to temporary outputs, then atomically finalize only successful results; resume unfinished jobs without replacing originals.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Bound file sizes and processing time, reject path traversal, and use argument arrays for subprocesses. Treat imported text as data and redact confidential source content from logs. Constrain crawl hosts, block private-network URLs and redirect pivots, and respect crawl delays and access restrictions. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export sources, manifests and outputs with checksums. Keep failed-job diagnostics and allow retry into a new output path; restore the database and file directory together. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. A canonical pointing to a blocked URL produces an evidence-linked finding; failed rendering is distinguished from a page with genuinely missing content. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
A canonical pointing to a blocked URL produces an evidence-linked finding; failed rendering is distinguished from a page with genuinely missing content.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [seo-audit](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md) — Investigate crawlability, indexing, page metadata, internal linking and on-page content issues. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [modern-python](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/modern-python/skills/modern-python/SKILL.md) — Set up Python projects with pyproject.toml, dependency management, linting, typing and automated checks. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [agent-browser](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser/blob/main/skills/agent-browser/SKILL.md) — Automate browser interaction using accessibility snapshots, element references and reproducible navigation workflows. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: owned-site crawl runs, WordPress page URLs, rendered metadata, canonical/robots signals and evidence-backed findings
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Crawler observations cannot prove indexing or ranking; no settings are changed through WordPress without a separately authorized integration.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: A canonical pointing to a blocked URL produces an evidence-linked finding; failed rendering is distinguished from a page with genuinely missing content.

## Completion evidence
Demonstrate the prompt's acceptance scenarios against the scoped workflow. Include setup from a clean checkout and failure recovery. Check persistence across restart and export/restore only for the state the prompt says to store; for memory-only tools, confirm that temporary content is discarded as specified. Record actual results and remaining limitations. A detailed plan alone does not establish a working replacement.