Information stored with or about a page, file, product, or piece of content, such as its title, author, date, description, or keywords. Metadata supports organization and discovery but may also reveal information a creator did not intend to share.
How Metadata Works
Metadata describes content or data for systems that process it. On a webpage, examples can include a title, description, canonical URL, structured data, image alt text, and other information that may not appear as normal body copy.
Simple Example
A page has a title, meta description, canonical URL, and image alt text that describe it to software and search engines.
Why It Matters for Beginners
This matters because metadata helps software and search engines interpret a page even when visitors do not see all of it. Incorrect metadata can create indexing, sharing, or accessibility problems.
A Common Mistake
Stuffing keywords into metadata instead of accurately describing the page.
Related Terms
- Canonical
- Search Engine Optimization
- Digital Product
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