Bubble Docs
  • Introduction
  • New? Start Here
  • What is Bubble?
  • The Glossary
  • User manual
    • Getting started
      • What is Bubble?
      • Building your first app
        • Planning features
        • Database structure
        • Design and UX
        • eCommerce and payments
          • Shopping cart
          • Checkout page
          • One-time payments
          • Subscriptions
          • Marketplace
      • Creating and managing apps
      • The Bubble editor
        • Tabs and sections
          • Design tab
            • The element tree
            • The property editor
          • Workflow tab
          • Data tab
          • Styles tab
          • Plugins tab
          • Settings tab
            • Application settings
              • Custom headers/body
              • Visual settings
              • Social media sharing
              • Translating your app
              • Email settings
              • Collaboration
            • Custom domain and DNS
          • Logs tab
        • Tools
          • Key features
          • The search tool
          • The Issue Checker
          • The element tree
          • The element property editor
          • The debugger
          • Notes
        • Previewing your app
      • Transitioning to Bubble from...
        • JavaScript
        • HTML and CSS
        • SQL
    • Design
      • Elements
        • The element hierarchy
          • The element tree
        • The page
        • Containers
          • Groups
          • Repeating groups
          • Table elements
          • Popups
          • Floating groups
          • Group focus
        • Visual elements
        • Input forms
          • Text and numbers
          • Dates and time
          • File uploads
          • Selection controls
        • Reusable Elements
      • Styling
        • Color variables
        • Font variables
        • Styles
        • Custom Fonts
      • Responsive design
        • Building responsive pages
        • Legacy articles
          • The Basics (Legacy)
          • Building Responsive Pages (Legacy)
          • Migrating Legacy Pages
          • Tips When Designing (Legacy)
      • Templates
      • The Component Library
      • Importing from Figma
    • Data
      • The database
        • Data types and fields
        • Creating, saving and deleting data
        • Finding data
        • Displaying data
        • Protecting data with privacy rules
        • The database editor
        • Export/import data
          • Exporting data
          • Importing data (CSV)
        • Working with location data
        • Using Algolia
        • Database structure by app type
          • Marketplace Apps
          • Directory & Listings Apps
          • Social Network Apps
          • SaaS Apps
          • Project Management Apps
          • CRM Apps
          • Professional Services Apps
          • On-demand Apps
          • Documentation/ CMS Apps
          • Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Apps
          • Portfolio Apps
          • Gallery Apps
          • Online Store / Ecommerce Apps
          • Blog Apps
          • Messaging App
          • Dashboards
          • Building Block Apps
          • Bubble as a backend
      • Files
      • Images
      • Static data
        • App texts (translations)
        • Option sets
      • Temporary data
        • Custom states
        • URL parameters
      • User accounts
        • Authentication plugins
          • Facebook plugin
          • Fitbit plugin
          • Google plugin
          • Instagram plugin
          • LinkedIn plugin
          • Pinterest plugin
          • Slack plugin
          • Wistia plugin
          • YouTube plugin
        • Cookies set by Bubble
      • Time, dates and time zones
    • Logic
      • The frontend and backend
      • Workflows
        • Events
          • Frontend events
            • Recurring workflows
            • Custom events
          • Backend events
            • Database trigger events
        • Actions
        • API Workflows
      • Dynamic expressions
      • Conditions
      • Navigation
        • Single-page applications (SPA)
        • Multi-page applications
        • Page slugs
    • Workload
      • Understanding workload
        • Activity types
        • The workload calculation
        • Client-side and server-side processing
      • Tracking workload
        • Measuring
          • Using App Metrics
        • Monitoring
          • Workload notifications
          • Infinite recursion protection
      • Optimizing workload
        • Optimization framework
        • Optimization checklist
          • Page load
          • Searches
          • Workflows and actions
          • Backend workflows
        • Agency showcases
          • Minimum Studio
          • Neam
          • Support Dept
    • Security
      • Bubble's security features
      • Planning app security
      • Client-side and server-side
      • Bubble account security
      • App security
      • Page security
      • Database security
      • API security
        • API Connector security
        • Data API security
        • Workflow API security
      • Flusk
        • Overview
        • Flusk plan features
        • Getting started with Flusk
        • Flusk security tools
          • The Issues Explorer
          • Issue details
          • Tools and settings
            • Pages rating
            • Database rating
        • Flusk FAQ
      • Cookies
      • Security checklist
    • Publishing your app
      • Web app
      • Native mobile app
        • Global native mobile settings
        • iOS App Store
        • Google Play Store
        • Publishing FAQ
    • AI
      • Generate apps with AI
        • About AI app generation
      • AI page designer
      • Connect to AI agents
    • Maintenance
      • Collaborators
      • Version control
        • Best practices: Version control
        • Transitioning from the legacy version control
        • Terminology: Version control
        • Version Control (legacy)
      • Commenting
      • Database maintenance
        • Copying the database
        • Restoring database backups
        • Bulk operations
          • Bulk operation methods compared
        • Wiping change history
      • Performance
        • Hard limits
        • Capacity Usage (legacy)
        • Notes on queries
      • SEO
        • Introduction to SEO
        • SEO: App
        • SEO: Page
      • Testing and debugging
        • Introduction to testing and debugging
        • The debugger
        • The server logs
        • Supported browsers
      • API workflow scheduler
    • Integrations
      • API
        • Introduction to APIs
          • What is a RESTful API?
        • The Bubble API
          • Bubble API terminology
          • Authentication
            • How to authenticate
            • No authentication
            • As a User
            • As an admin
          • The Data API
            • Data API Privacy Rules
            • Data API endpoints
            • Data API requests
          • The Workflow API
            • Workflow API privacy rules
            • Workflow API endpoints
            • API workflows
              • Creating API workflows
              • Scheduling API workflows
              • Recursive API workflows
              • API Workflow Scheduler
              • Case: Stripe notifications
        • The API Connector
          • Authentication
          • API Connector security
          • API guides
            • OpenAI
              • Authentication
              • Calls
                • ChatGPT
                  • Chat
            • Google Translate
              • How to setup Google API keys
          • Streaming API
        • API security
        • Plugins that connect to APIs
        • API Glossary
      • Plugins
        • What Plugins Can Do
        • Installing and using Plugins
        • Authentication plugins
        • Special Plugins
      • SQL Database Connector
      • Bubble App Connector
      • WorkOS
        • WorkOS SSO
        • WorkOS API
    • Infrastructure
      • Sub-apps
      • Bubble release tiers
      • Hosting and scaling
        • How Bubble hosting works
        • Scaling with Bubble
        • CDN (Cloudflare)
        • Bubble app names
        • Domain and DNS
      • Compliance
        • GDPR
        • SOC 2 Type II
        • HIPAA
        • Other frameworks and standards
    • Bubble for Enterprise
      • Hosting and infrastructure
        • Dedicated instance
          • The Dedicated editor experience
          • Technical specs
          • Main cluster dependencies
          • Customizable options
          • Migration process
            • Pre-migration
            • During migration
            • Post-migration
      • Security and compliance
        • Single sign-on (SSO)
        • GDPR
        • SOC 2 Type II
        • HIPAA
        • Other frameworks
        • Bubble's security features
      • Admin and collaboration
      • Priority support
      • Billing and Payment Guideline for Dedicated Instances
  • Core Reference
    • Using the core reference
    • Bubble's Interface
      • Design tab
      • Design tab (Legacy)
      • Workflow tab
      • Data tab
      • Styles tab
      • Styles tab (Legacy)
      • Plugins tab
      • Settings tab
      • Logs tab
      • Template tab
      • Toolbar
      • Top and context menu options
      • Deployment and version control
        • Deployment & Version Control Dropdown (legacy)
      • Notes
    • Elements
      • General properties
      • General properties (Legacy)
      • Styling properties
      • Styling Properties (Legacy)
      • Responsive Properties
      • Responsive Properties (Legacy)
      • Conditional formatting
      • States
      • Page Element
        • Page Element (Legacy)
      • Visual Elements
      • Containers
      • Container Layout Types
      • Containers (Legacy)
      • Input Forms
      • Reusable Elements
      • Element Templates (legacy)
    • Workflows
    • Events
      • General events
      • Element events
      • Custom events
      • Recurring event
      • Database trigger event
    • Actions
      • Account
      • Navigation
      • Data (things)
      • Email
      • Element
      • Custom
    • Data
      • Data Sources
      • Operators and comparisons
      • Search
      • Privacy
    • Styles
    • API
      • The Bubble API
        • The Data API
          • Authentication
          • Data API endpoints
          • Data API requests
        • The Workflow API
      • The API Connector
        • Authentication
        • Adding calls
    • Bubble-made Plugins
      • AddtoAny Share Buttons
      • Airtable
      • API Connector
      • Blockspring
      • Box
      • Braintree
      • Bubble App Connector
      • Chart.js
      • Circle Music Player
      • Draggable Elements
      • Dropzone
      • Facebook
      • Fitbit
      • Full Calendar
      • Google
      • Google Analytics
      • Google Optimize
      • Google Places
      • Ionic Elements
      • iTunes
      • Slidebar Menu
      • LinkedIn
      • Localize Translation
      • Mixpanel
      • Mouse & Keyboard Interactions
      • Multiselect Dropdown
      • Progress Bar
      • Rich Text Editor
      • Rich Text Editor (Legacy)
      • Screenshotlayer
      • SelectPDF
      • Slack
      • Segment
      • Slick Slideshow
      • SQL Database Connector
      • Star Rating
      • Stripe
      • Tinder-like Element
      • Twitter
      • YouTube
      • Zapier
    • Application Settings
      • App plan
      • General
      • Domain / email
      • Languages
      • SEO / metatags
      • API
      • Collaboration
      • Sub-apps
      • Versions
  • Account & Marketplace
    • Account and billing
      • Pricing and plans
        • Plans and billing
        • Billing cycle
        • FAQ: Pricing and Workload
      • Account Management
      • Building Apps for Others
      • Selling on the Marketplace
      • Plans & Billing (legacy)
    • Official Bubble Certification
      • Hiring certified developers
    • Building Plugins
      • The Plugin Editor
      • General Settings
      • Updating to Plugin API v4
      • Adding API Connections
      • Building Elements
      • Building Actions
      • Loading Data
      • Publishing and versioning
      • Github Integration
    • Building Templates
    • Application and data ownership
    • Marketplace policies
    • Bug reports
  • Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
  • Beta features
    • About the Beta features section
    • Native mobile apps 🔒
      • Introduction
        • What is a native mobile app?
        • Native mobile vs. web development
        • Differences in native and web elements
        • Native mobile app terminology
      • Building
        • Views and navigation
        • Native mobile actions
        • Components and gestures
        • Device resources
          • Location services
          • Camera/photo library
      • Previewing
      • Publishing
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  • Sharing in social media (OpenGraph)
  • SEO settings
  • Setting up headers (<h1>, <h2>, <h3>)
  • Canonical URLs
  • Robots.txt
  • Sitemaps
  • Custom header and body content
  • 301 redirects
  • Using wildcards in 301 redirects
  • Hosting files in root directory
  • SEO audit criteria

Was this helpful?

  1. User manual
  2. Maintenance
  3. SEO

SEO: App

This section covers the app-wide SEO features that Bubble offers

Last updated 5 months ago

Was this helpful?

The technical side of SEO starts on the app level. Search engines look at your site as a collection of pages under an umbrella: your . The settings that you set on the app level are less about the identity of your app (with the exception of social media sharing, which we'll cover further down), and more about providing instructions to the search engines, such as:

  • Which pages to and not to crawl

  • URLs that have been moved and should be redirected to another URL ()

  • To read a

Some parts of your app's SEO settings can be fairly technical, but if you are not sure if you need them right now, then you most likely don't. We will still cover the basics of each part here.

Your app's SEO settings are found under Settings - SEO/Meta tags:

Sharing in social media (OpenGraph)

The first part of your app's SEO settings are the OpenGraph details. This lets you set an identity for your app that social media sites such as LinkedIn, X and Facebook will use when a link to your app is shared. OpenGraph metadata can also affect how your page ranks and is displayed in search engines.

In the example below from LinkedIn, you can see how as soon as a link is typed into a post, LinkedIn fetches the metadata.

This helps you convey a consistent brand identity across both social media and search.

SEO settings

Setting up headers (<h1>, <h2>, <h3>)

The structure of your page plays a role in determining its ranking. A well-structured page involves organizing your text content into distinct sections, each separated by headers at various levels (such as "<h1> and "<h2>").

By default, the setting to add a tag to a text element is not available, but you can enable it by checking Expose the type of tags for text elements.

Canonical URLs

Imagine you have a well-researched article in your app, and for some reason, it exists in two different places with slightly different URLs. This situation can create confusion for search engines, as they struggle to determine which version should be displayed in search results.

Canonical URLs are the solution to this problem. They act as a signal to search engines, specifying which version of a webpage should be considered the "primary" or "preferred" one. By using a canonical URL, you help search engines avoid indexing multiple versions of the same content, thereby improving your website's search ranking and overall visibility.

The setting Point URLs to primary domain for better SEO enables a Bubble-defined canonical url tag.

Robots.txt

Sometimes, you will want to instruct search engines to not crawl specific pages in your app. For example, if your app has a front-facing index page with other pages like about and privacypolicy you will want those indexed, but you may not want to index backend or admin pages.

By default the development version of your app isn't indexed.

Keep in mind that robots.txt is a request to search engines to avoid crawling certain pages. While most search engines will respect this, it doesn't actually stop them from crawling. So this is considered an SEO setting – not a security setting.

How do I instruct search engines to hide a page?

Let's say that you want to hide the two pages dashboard and admin from crawlers. You use the Disallow command in robots.txt along with the page name to do so:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /dashboard
Disallow: /admin

Sitemaps

Web crawlers work by following links. If they discover your app's domain and its front page, and this page links to a page called about, then the crawler will also index that page.

But what if a page isn't linked to? Or if a page contains dynamic content (such as www.myapp.com/products/running-shoes) – you may link to the product page, but not to every product in your inventory – which is probably the part you want to index.

Keep in mind that for pages with dynamic content, each thing counts as its own separate page, even if they are all loaded on the same page.

Sitemaps are like blueprints for your app that help search engines navigate and understand your app's structure more efficiently. They are essentially XML files that list all the pages within your app even if they are not linked to. Bubble can automatically generate a sitemap for all your pages, and for dynamic pages we will include the things in your database that matches the data type specified on the page.

You can select which pages you want to include in the sitemap. When you check the Expose a sitemap file box, a list of your pages is displayed. Check each page that you want to include.

Custom header and body content

All the script and meta tags placed in the header will be inserted between the <head> tags on every page of your app, while the scripts added to the body field will be positioned between the <body> tags across all pages.

301 redirects

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirection method that helps maintain SEO performance when a page moves to a new location. It simply says:

  • The page used to be here

  • ... and now it's here

  • ... and it's permanent (301)

Bubble offers an easy way to add a before and after URL. The URLs should be the full URL (including the protocol such as https):

❌ www.bubble.io/page
✅ https://www.bubble.io/page

SEO ramifications of 301 redirects

From an SEO perspective, this is important for a few reasons:

  • It helps the search engine find the new page when the old one is missing

  • It tells the search engine that the content on the new page is not duplicated – it has simply moved

  • It ensures that any referral traffic still reaches the right content

When are 301 redirects useful?

301 redirects is useful in any case where you need to instruct search engines that a page has moved.

  • Whenever you rename a page

  • Whenever you change the slug of a thing you are using as dynamic page content

  • If you are moving from a non-Bubble framework and your URL structure or domain changes

Using wildcards in 301 redirects

Wildcards in 301 redirects allow you to dynamically match parts of a URL and redirect them to a new URL structure. This functionality is especially useful when dealing with groups of URLs that follow a consistent pattern, reducing the need to create individual redirects for each URL.

Wildcards are represented by an asterisk (*), which acts as a placeholder for dynamic content in the URL. These placeholders can then be referenced in the destination URL to preserve or reorder the dynamic parts of the original URL.

For example:

From: https://www.example.com/page1/*

To: https://www.example.com/page2

A request to https://www.example.com/page1/anything will redirect to https://www.example.com/page2.

Wildcards can also represent multiple dynamic parts in the URL, which can be carried over to the destination using placeholders like %1, %2, etc., corresponding to the order of the wildcard matches.

How to use wildcards in 301 redirects

To enable and use wildcards in 301 redirects, follow these steps:

Enable Wildcards

  • Check the box labeled Allow wildcards in redirects for more dynamic urls in your redirect settings.

  • Note: Exact matches for 301 redirects will work regardless of whether this checkbox is enabled.

Set up the redirect rule

  • Replace dynamic parts of the source URL with * to indicate wildcards. For example:

  • https://www.test.com/page1/* -> https://www.test.com/page2

Use placeholders to preserve data

Wildcard matches can be preserved in the destination URL by referencing them using %1, %2, etc.:

  • %1 corresponds to the first * in the source URL.

  • %2 corresponds to the second *, and so on.

For example:

https://www.test.com/page1/*/* -> https://www.test.com/page2/%1/%2

Ensure accuracy in the structure

While wildcards allow dynamic matching, the slashes (/) in the source and destination URLs must remain accurate and consistent.

For example:

https://www.test.com/page1/*/* -> https://www.test.com/page2/%2/%1

Query string behavior

URL parameters (the query string) are automatically copied over to the destination URL, regardless of the wildcard setup.

For example:

A request to https://www.test.com/page1/abc?user=123 will redirect to https://www.test.com/page2/abc?user=123.

Hosting files in root directory

Bubble lets you upload files to the root directory. There are many use cases for this, but from an SEO perspective the most common use is to upload a custom sitemap .xml file.

SEO audit criteria

Chrome features an integrated SEO audit tool (found in Inspector > Audits). This tool highlights criteria that may impact your search results.

Below is an overview of each criterion and how Bubble apps fare:

Audit criteria

Mobile-friendly

Use the responsive engine and set up pages that follow mobile best practices

<meta name="viewport"> tag

Bubble handles this automatically

Title

Set up titles on all pages and remember dynamic content

Meta description

Set up descriptions on all pages and remember dynamic content

HTTP status code

Bubble handles this automatically

Links have descriptive text

Set up all your links with descriptive texts

Page isn’t blocked from indexing

Bubble handles this automatically

"robots.txt is valid

Image elements have [alt] attributes

Add alt tags to all images in the property editor of each image

Document has a valid hreflang

Bubble handles this automatically

Document has a valid rel=canonical

Document uses legible font sizes

Font sizes less than 12px are too small to be legible. Use it sparingly (60% of text above bigger than 12px)

Document avoids plugins

This does not apply to Bubble (plugins here does not refer to Bubble plugins)

Robots.txt (see ) is a small file that Bubble automatically places in the root directory of your app. It contains instructions to search engine crawlers, specifying which parts of the app they are allowed to access and which parts they should avoid.

Adding data to this field will add it to all pages – you can also add it to pages one-by-one in the .

Bubble handles this automatically, but you can also

Bubble handles this automatically, but you can also set up

example
settings for each page
customize it
301 redirects