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Base44 manages your app’s core technical SEO and GEO foundation so search engines and AI-powered platforms can discover, crawl, and index your content. The same elements that search engines reward, like high-quality content, structured data, and a strong backlink profile, are also the signals that AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity use when deciding what to recommend. Strong SEO and strong GEO go hand in hand, and both start with the same fundamentals.
SEO illustration with labels for meta description, canonical, robots.txt, sitemap.xml, Schema.org, and alt text

SEO elements that affect search visibility

Before you start:
  • Base44’s SEO setup is designed and supported for apps that are published on a custom domain. Free Base44 URLs can still be crawled by search engines, but they are not intended for long-term, production SEO.
  • Base44 has a built-in tool that scores your app and surfaces fixes directly in your dashboard. Check your app’s SEO and GEO score.

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How your app’s SEO and GEO works

Base44 sets up and maintains the main technical elements that search engines and AI platforms expect. This covers how your pages are discovered, how they are crawled, and how your app is represented across the web and in AI-generated answers. These technical signals support both search engine optimization (SEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO). You do not need to upload or manage any of these files yourself. Your job is to publish on a custom domain and provide clear, trustworthy content.
Base44 apps are built to run in the browser, which normally means a crawler sees an empty page. Base44 serves crawlers a rendered version of your app instead, with your meta tags, structured data, and real page content in the HTML, so search engines and AI crawlers can read it without running your app. Base44 refreshes this when you publish or your content changes. Learn how refreshing works.
AI systems access your pages in different ways. Some bots collect content for search or training. AI assistants, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, can also fetch your pages while answering someone’s question. Use AI Visibility to view AI crawling, assistant page reads, and visits from people who click through. Core SEO and GEO features handled automatically: For apps published on a custom domain, Base44 automatically manages:
  • Meta titles: Each page has a unique meta title based on its URL (for pages without URL parameters). This helps search engines distinguish between pages and show clear titles in results.
  • Heading structure and semantic HTML: Base44 serves crawlers a rendered version of your pages, with your real headings, content, and semantic structure, so they can understand them without running your app. If a page has not been rendered yet, Base44 falls back to a short summary carrying that page’s heading, its description, and links to your other pages, so crawlers still receive something meaningful rather than an empty shell. AI crawlers read whatever version is ready at the time, so a page they reach first may give them the summary.
  • Canonical tags: Base44 adds self-referencing canonical tags to every page. For URLs that include query parameters, Base44 intelligently filters out tracking parameters (such as utm_* and fbclid) while preserving content-affecting parameters (such as ?id=123). Parameters are also sorted consistently so that the same page always produces the same canonical URL regardless of parameter order.
  • Sitemap (sitemap.xml): Base44 automatically generates and serves a sitemap at /sitemap.xml. Public, indexable pages are included, while private or internal pages are excluded. You can submit this sitemap directly in Google Search Console and other webmaster tools.
  • robots.txt: Base44 creates and serves a robots.txt file for both free and paid apps. It allows search engines and AI crawlers to access your public content while protecting non-public or technical routes from indexing.
  • AI crawler access (llms.txt): You can enable llms.txt generation from the SEO & GEO page in your dashboard. When enabled, Base44 generates a lightweight file that gives AI crawlers like GPTBot, ChatGPT-User, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot a clear, structured summary of what your app does. This supports GEO by helping AI-powered search tools understand and recommend your app. It is off by default.
  • Clean URLs and routing: Your app uses clean, readable URLs rather than duplicate or unnecessary paths. This supports better crawl behavior and improves clarity for visitors.
  • Internal linking: Navigation and internal links use proper anchor tags and clean URLs so search engines can follow and understand your app structure.
  • Social sharing tags and previews (Open Graph and Twitter): Base44 sets social metadata so links to your app show a sensible title, description, and image when shared on social platforms. Social card images are automatically resized to 1200 × 630 and include the correct URL metadata, which reduces Open Graph and card size warnings and helps previews display consistently across major platforms such as Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. These previews use the title, description, and logo you configure in your app’s settings.
  • Mobile-friendly layout: Apps generated with Base44 are responsive and adapt to different screen sizes. This supports mobile-first indexing and improves your visitors’ experience on phones and tablets.
  • Image optimization and performance: Images and assets are served in optimized ways where possible, and the hosting environment is tuned for good performance. Strong performance helps with Core Web Vitals and overall search quality signals.
  • Other site metadata: Base44 manages technical files such as the web app manifest and favicon for custom domains. These help browsers and devices display your app correctly in tabs, shortcuts, and installable views. They matter beyond the browser too: When an AI assistant lists recommended businesses, your site name and favicon are often the only brand assets someone sees.
In addition, you can use the Code tab in your dashboard to edit the generated index.html file for your app. This lets you add trusted <meta> tags and <script> tags that need to appear directly in the HTML source, such as analytics, advertising, verification, or other third-party scripts.
If you recently published or switched to a custom domain, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for new or updated apps to be indexed by Google and other search engines, depending on their crawl schedule.
What Base44 does not generate automatically: There are some SEO and GEO elements that Base44 does not create by default.
  • Per-page meta descriptions: Base44 does not set a custom meta description for each page by default. You can set these manually from the SEO & GEO page in your dashboard, or search engines generate their own snippets from the visible content on your page.
  • Custom structured data for rich results: BreadcrumbList structured data is automatically synthesized for every page. WebSite, Organization, and FAQPage schemas are injected once generated, which you can do from the SEO & GEO scan using Fix with AI. For additional schema types such as Article, Product, LocalBusiness, or Event, you can ask the AI to add JSON-LD structured data into your app or add it in code, then validate the markup using tools such as Google’s Rich Results Test and the schema.org validator.
Off-page signals, such as backlinks, external reviews, and PR coverage, are always managed outside of Base44 and are part of your broader marketing efforts.

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Refreshing what crawlers see

Search engines, social apps, and AI tools read your pages without running your app, so Base44 prepares a ready-made copy of each page for them. This is called prerendering. Base44 opens your page, waits for it to load, and saves the finished result that crawlers receive. When Google, a link preview, or an AI tool shows old or empty content, it’s usually reading an older saved copy.

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Understanding automatic refreshes

Base44 keeps saved copies up to date for you. There’s nothing to turn on, and it works for public apps with SEO turned on.
  • When you publish: Base44 marks every saved copy as out of date. The next crawler to visit a page can still get the previous copy while Base44 makes a new one, and visits after that get the updated page.
  • When your data changes: Adding or editing records in your app’s data also queues your pages for a refresh, so pages built from that data catch up.
  • When a crawler finds a new page: If a page has no saved copy yet, the crawler gets a short summary of the page and Base44 makes a full copy for the next visit.
Refreshes run in the background, so they aren’t instant. Search engines and social apps also keep their own copies and only update them when they visit your page again.
Your browser always loads the live app, so it doesn’t show you what crawlers get. To see what Google has for a page, use URL inspection in Google Search Console.

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Fixing outdated crawler pages

If a page still shows old or empty content after you publish, find the case that matches what you see:
Google shows its own copy of your page until it crawls the page again, which can take days or weeks. You can ask it to come back sooner.To request a new crawl:
  1. Open Google Search Console and select your site.
  2. Click URL inspection and enter the page’s full URL.
  3. Click Request indexing if it’s available.
Base44 refreshes saved copies only on domains it can confirm are connected. If your domain sends visitors through a proxy or another server before they reach Base44, the domain can’t be confirmed, and publishing doesn’t refresh the copies crawlers get on it. Your free Base44 address can look up to date while your custom domain still shows the old content.To fix it, set your DNS records to the ones shown in your domain settings, and if your DNS host offers proxying, set the Base44 records to DNS only. See Troubleshooting your domain.
Pages built from your app’s data, like a product or blog post page for each record, can only be copied if anyone can view the records behind them. If those records are visible only to people who are signed in, crawlers can’t see them either, and they get a general summary instead of the record’s own title and content.Check who can view the records behind these pages in your data permissions.
Still seeing the wrong content?You can’t refresh a page’s saved copy yourself, but Customer Care can refresh it for you and check why it didn’t refresh on its own. Contact Customer Care with the full URLs of the affected pages if a page:
  • Still shows old content after crawlers have visited it since your last publish.
  • Shows a loading spinner or a “not found” message instead of your content.
  • Shows the same general summary on every page of one type, like every product page.

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Strengthening trust and authority

Search engines and AI systems both look for signs that your app represents a real, trustworthy organization. Trust signals like business details, named team members, and policy pages help search engines confirm you are legitimate, and help AI platforms decide whether to recommend you.
Make it obvious that there is a real business behind the app.Prompt example:
This type of information helps search engines confirm that your app belongs to a legitimate organization and reduces the risk of being treated as low quality or automatically generated. You can also create or update a Google Business Profile using the same name, address, and phone number that appear in your app.
Show who is responsible for the product and the information on the site.Prompt example:
Named team members and authors help demonstrate experience and expertise, especially in areas where trust is important.
Social proof can improve visitor confidence and engagement.Prompt example:
Prompt example:
Visible testimonials and recognizable logos show that real people and organizations rely on your product or service.

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Creating content for search and AI discoverability

On top of a strong technical foundation, your content should match the language and questions your audience actually uses. The same content principles that help you rank in search results also make your app more likely to be cited or recommended in AI-generated answers.
Guide the AI to write with the same words and phrases that your audience uses, not internal jargon.Prompt example:
You can refine your wording by:
  • Asking non-experts how they would describe what you do.
  • Looking at Google’s autocomplete suggestions when you type your main topic.
  • Checking “Related searches” and “People also ask” sections for your main query.
Frequently asked questions help both visitors, search engines, and AI platforms understand your app.Prompt example:
Structured question-and-answer content is easier for search engines and AI systems to reuse when responding to related queries.
AI platforms are more likely to cite and recommend apps whose descriptions include specific, verifiable information.Prompt example:
Concrete details like “manages 5 data types” or “tracks 50+ metrics” give AI systems more to work with when deciding whether to recommend your app.

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Adding structured data for rich results

Structured data (schema.org) is a way to describe your content in a machine-readable format. When implemented correctly, it can enable rich results, such as FAQ drop-downs or star ratings, in search results. Base44 automatically synthesizes BreadcrumbList structured data for every page. You can generate WebSite, Organization, and FAQPage schemas from the SEO & GEO scan using Fix with AI, after which the platform injects them automatically. For additional schema types such as Article, Product, or LocalBusiness, you can ask the AI to inject JSON-LD code into the appropriate parts of your app. Well-structured content and valid schema also help AI assistants understand what your app does when they generate answers that include links or references to external sites. This is an important part of generative engine optimization (GEO).
Always validate your structured data using Google’s Rich Results Test before relying on it for SEO. Only add schema that accurately reflects the visible content on the page and follows Google’s structured data guidelines.
Use Organization schema to help search engines and AI platforms connect your app with your brand.Prompt example:
If you already have an FAQ section on a page, you can mark it up so that some questions may appear directly in search results.Prompt example:
If you operate from a physical location or serve a specific local area, LocalBusiness schema can support local visibility.Prompt example:
These additions do not guarantee rich results, but they help search engines and AI platforms understand your content and eligibility for supported result types.

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Connecting Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that shows how your app appears in search results. It lets you:
  • Confirm that Google can access and index your app.
  • See which queries bring visitors to your pages.
  • Monitor indexing coverage and resolve technical issues.
When you connect your app to Google Search Console, Base44 verifies your site, submits your sitemap, and shows your search data in your app dashboard. You can also verify your site yourself in Google Search Console. To set it up either way, see Connecting Google Search Console.

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SEO and GEO best practices checklist

Use the checklist below to make sure you are getting the most from Base44’s SEO and GEO foundation.

SEO and GEO checklist for your app

Use a custom domain: Automatic SEO and GEO features such as sitemap.xml, robots.txt, llms.txt, and social previews are designed for apps on custom domains. Publish your app: Search engines and AI platforms can only index your app if it is published and publicly accessible. Add clear, unique content to each key page: Give every important page a descriptive H1, supporting H2 headings, and focused body text that matches the questions your audience asks. Include specific numbers and details: AI platforms are more likely to recommend apps with concrete, verifiable information in their descriptions and content. Show business details and trust signals: Include your business name, address, contact details, team information, testimonials, and policy pages where relevant. Structure common questions as FAQs: Add question-and-answer sections for frequent queries and consider wrapping them in FAQPage schema when appropriate. Use descriptive internal links: Link between related pages using meaningful anchor text so search engines understand how your content is connected. Connect search console tools: Verify your app in Google Search Console and, if relevant, Bing Webmaster Tools. Submit your sitemap so you can monitor indexing, search queries, and technical issues, and understand how your app appears in search results and AI-generated answers.

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FAQs

Click a question below to learn more about your app’s SEO and GEO.
New or updated apps do not appear in search results immediately. Search engines need time to discover and crawl your content. Make sure your app is:
  • Published on a custom domain
  • Public and accessible (not restricted behind authentication)
  • Connected to your correct URL in Google Search Console (optional but recommended) or similar tools such as Bing Webmaster Tools.
Indexing can still take from a few days to a few weeks, depending on each search engine’s crawl schedule. Once your app appears reliably in search results, it is more likely to be included in AI-generated answers that rely on those indexes.
No platform can guarantee rankings in search results or placement in AI-generated answers. Base44 gives you a strong technical foundation (sitemap, robots.txt, llms.txt, clean URLs, performance) and tools to add high-quality content, trust signals, and structured data. Your actual visibility depends on your content, competition, backlinks, and broader marketing efforts.
Your app can appear in search results on major search engines such as Google and Bing when it is public, published, and available on a custom domain. Base44 manages the technical SEO and GEO foundation, such as the sitemap, robots.txt, and llms.txt. For better monitoring and control, you can also connect your app to Google Search Console and similar tools like Bing Webmaster Tools, then submit your sitemap. Improving these fundamentals supports both search engine rankings and your chances of appearing in AI-generated answers.
Yes. You can set a custom title and meta description for each public page in your app from the SEO & GEO page in your dashboard. Base44 also sets core meta tags such as canonical tags automatically.
Yes, and you do not need to turn SEO off to do it. The 2 controls live on different tabs of the SEO & GEO page:
  1. Click Dashboard in your app editor, then click SEO & GEO under Marketing.
  2. On the Meta tags tab, turn off Automatic titles and descriptions so Base44 stops adding its own title, description, and preferred URL to your pages.
  3. Click Advanced settings, then under Structured data, turn off Structured data so Base44 stops adding its own.
  4. Leave the main Enable SEO for this app toggle on.
Base44 stops adding SEO tags and files, and asks search engines not to index your app. It also stops writing your headings and page content into the HTML that search engines and AI crawlers read, so they reach your app and find an empty page, even if your robots.txt allows access.Turn it off when you want your app kept out of search altogether. If you only want to stop Base44 overwriting your own meta tags, leave it on and use the granular controls instead.
If you re-enable the main SEO toggle after it has been off, turn each page you want indexed back on under Page search settings on the Meta tags tab first. Any page left off while SEO was off is hidden from search engines the moment you turn SEO back on.
Base44 automatically generates and serves your sitemap at /sitemap.xml and manages robots.txt, llms.txt, and other core files for you on custom domains. You do not need to upload these files yourself. Submitting your sitemap directly in Google Search Console or other webmaster tools is still recommended so search engines can process your URLs more efficiently.
Yes. You can control this per page under Page search settings on the Meta tags tab of the SEO & GEO page. Turning off a page’s Search visibility removes it from your sitemap and llms.txt file, and adds a noindex tag to it so search engines skip it. If your app is open to everyone and you have put individual pages behind a login, Base44 keeps those pages out of search for you. If your whole app requires a login, it does not, so use these toggles to choose what appears in search. Learn more about per-page indexing.
The SEO and GEO Meta tags tab, with Page search settings and a Search visibility toggle per page

Choosing which pages appear in search, on the Meta tags tab

Yes. Base44 automatically synthesizes BreadcrumbList structured data for every page, and you can generate WebSite, Organization, and FAQPage schemas from the SEO & GEO scan using Fix with AI. For additional types such as LocalBusiness or Article, you can add JSON-LD using prompts or code. Always validate your structured data with Google’s Rich Results Test, and remember that rich results are never guaranteed, even when your schema is valid.
Base44 creates and manages the manifest.json file for you automatically on custom domains. There is no need to manually upload or edit this file. Your app’s metadata is updated by the system in the background.
Excluding specific pages from the sitemapThe simplest way to control what appears in your sitemap is per-page search visibility. Under Page search settings on the Meta tags tab of the SEO & GEO page, turn off Search visibility for any page you want to exclude. Base44 removes it from /sitemap.xml immediately, with no custom sitemap needed.Replacing the auto-generated sitemap with your ownTo use a fully custom sitemap at /sitemap.xml:
  1. On the Advanced settings tab of the SEO & GEO page, under Search engine files, turn off Sitemap.
  2. Deploy your own sitemap file as public/sitemap.xml in your app’s code. Base44 serves this file at /sitemap.xml automatically.
When the toggle is off and no public/sitemap.xml is deployed, /sitemap.xml returns a 404.Serving a dynamic sitemap from a backend functionIf your app uses dynamic routing or you need full control over your sitemap contents, you can serve the sitemap from a backend function and submit its URL in Google Search Console. Google accepts sitemaps from any path on your verified property when you submit them through Search Console, not only root-level paths like /sitemap.xml.To submit a sitemap served from a backend function:
  1. Create a backend function that returns valid sitemap XML with the application/xml content type.
  2. Make sure the function does not require authentication, so search engine crawlers can fetch it.
  3. In Google Search Console, go to Sitemaps and submit the full function URL, for example https://www.yourdomain.com/functions/serveSitemapXml.
Each time a search engine fetches your sitemap, it counts as a backend function invocation.
Your app’s HTML includes a lang attribute that tells browsers and search engines what language the page is written in. Setting this correctly helps tools detect your language, improves accessibility, and can reduce incorrect auto-translation prompts.To change the language declaration, edit the <html> tag in your app’s index.html file in the Code tab and update the lang value, for example from lang="en" to lang="fr" or lang="es".Use standard language codes (such as en, fr, de, or pt-BR) and only set a language code that matches the main content of the app.
You can ask the AI chat to improve your app’s SEO and GEO without changing any visible design or layout. The following prompt covers the most impactful changes:
After making the changes, publish your app for them to take effect.