Prepare discovery files in CiteFleet, publish them through your website's repository, and check the result on your Vercel production domain.
Before you start
You need a CiteFleet account, authority to manage the website, and access to the GitHub repository and branch deployed by your Vercel project. Confirm the project's root directory, production branch, custom domain and static-file location before authorizing a write.
For a framework that serves files from public/, use that folder. A monorepo may need a path such as frontend/public. These are examples: use your project's actual layout.
Install from Vercel
- Open CiteFleet Origin in Vercel and authorize the projects you manage. Choose at most 20 projects. The setup supports GitHub-connected projects with verified production domains.
- Sign in to CiteFleet in the same browser. Review the account, project, domain and repository shown. Enter the actual served static folder; if Vercel does not report the production branch, confirm it from your project settings.
- Confirm that you started this installation, then save the project. This creates or updates the domain's property in your own CiteFleet workspace.
- Choose Connect GitHub and install discovery files. Review GitHub's authorization. This can commit files to the production branch; existing file ownership and repository-folder checks still apply.
- Inspect the campaign and Vercel deployment, verify the live file contents, then return to the setup tab and choose Finish connection and return to Vercel. Finishing the connection is not proof that a deployment succeeded.
The setup session expires after 30 minutes. Vercel credentials are used transiently to read installation and project metadata and are not retained. GitHub authorization is retained for future file updates. No BotCentral purchase or listing is triggered by this setup.
If the callback reports that setup is not configured, the integration operator must configure its Vercel credentials first. If your project is not GitHub-connected, use the manual workflow below.
The discovery files
- /robots.txt
- Crawler access instructions. Review the generated rules against your site's consent and access choices.
- /sitemap.xml
- Public page URLs. Preserve an existing framework or CMS sitemap when it already owns this path.
- /llms.txt
- A plain-text overview and links for automated readers.
- /.well-known/botcentral.txt
- BotCentral domain proof and catalog pointers using this property's exact token.
- /<your-indexnow-key>.txt
- IndexNow verification: the filename and its contents use the property's key. Included when a valid key is configured.
These are public URL paths, not five files to upload to the Vercel dashboard. CiteFleet generates four core files and an additional IndexNow file when a valid key exists. Review the contents before publishing; discovery files do not guarantee crawling, ranking or citations.
Install through GitHub and deploy
- Sign in to CiteFleet, add your website, and open its campaign.
- In Origin files → GitHub, enter the correct owner, repository, branch and folder. Save the repository details.
- Select Connect GitHub and install 5 files and review GitHub's requested access. This action can commit files to the selected branch. CiteFleet checks existing paths and refuses files it cannot safely own; resolve conflicts rather than overwriting existing site content.
- Check the resulting commit and your Vercel deployment. With automatic Git deployments enabled, Vercel builds the connected branch; a preview deployment does not by itself update production. Follow your normal review and production-promotion process.
- After the production deployment is ready, run CiteFleet's live audit and file checks against your custom domain.
For manual setup, open The files bots read → Show files → Download. Place the proof download named well-known--botcentral.txt at .well-known/botcentral.txt. If only four files appear, use Generate key for IndexNow. Review the files with your maintainer, commit them to the correct served folder, and deploy through your usual process.
Verify ownership and public responses
Copy the exact proof record shown on this property's campaign. Add it as a new TXT record at the apex of your domain through your authoritative DNS provider. Preserve existing TXT records. Alternatively, serve the generated /.well-known/botcentral.txt proof file.
Open the production file URLs and inspect their contents. Text files must return the expected text; the sitemap must return XML. An HTTP 200 response containing your app's HTML shell is not a successful file installation. Check framework routes, rewrites, deployment protection and caching when responses differ.
If an existing sitemap or robots route is framework-managed, keep its owner and merge the needed changes with your maintainer. Verify the exact proof token, domain and IndexNow key shown in your own campaign.
BotCentral listing and billing
CiteFleet prepares and submits your site card. BotCentral verifies domain proof and hosts the public listing. File installation and a paid catalog listing are separate steps.
BotCentral's advertised listing price, checked September 23, 2026, is $10 per host for 365 days. Edits inside an active term and catalog reads are free; failed ownership proof is not charged. An expired listing remains in the catalog but is marked unverified until renewed. Check the current price contract before publishing.
- Create your key at BotCentral API keys.
- Enter the full key only in the campaign's billing-key password field to verify possession. CiteFleet sends it to BotCentral for verification and saves the public prefix and verification time, not the full key. An old saved prefix must be verified again.
- Open the top-up link for that key and follow that invoice's current amount, network, address and memo/tag instructions. A top-up funds the key; it does not itself purchase or renew a listing. Confirmation depends on the payment rail; manual confirmation is an operator-only fallback.
- With domain proof and sufficient credit, choose List on BotCentral. Review the campaign's result and paid-term end date. Do not assume an older unbilled listing already has a paid year.
Permissions, updates and support
GitHub authorization allows the approved repository operations; CiteFleet retains that authorization for future updates. Removing access in GitHub prevents future authorized writes but does not delete files already committed. Remove or change those files through your repository and redeploy when needed.
Optional GitHub or deployment webhooks can trigger proof checks and catalog refreshes. Configure only the URL and signing secret shown in your campaign. Do not paste your BotCentral secret key into a URL, DNS record, discovery file or support message.
For help, email support@citefleet.app with the affected domain, deployment URL and error message, omitting credentials.