Rule Options

Configure individual rule thresholds, limits, and behavior

The [rule_options] section allows fine-tuning individual audit rules with custom thresholds and parameters.

Configuration

toml

[rule_options]

[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 30
max_length = 60

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 300
warn_threshold = 500

[rule_options."adblock/element-hiding"]
maxMatchesToReport = 10
lists = ["easylist", "easyprivacy"]

How Rule Options Work

Structure

Rule options use TOML table syntax:

toml

[rule_options."<rule-id>"]
option1 = value1
option2 = value2

<rule-id> - Full rule ID (e.g., core/meta-title, content/word-count)
Options are rule-specific (each rule defines its own options)
All options have defaults (configuration is optional)

Validation

Rule options are validated against each rule’s schema:

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = "thirty"  # ❌ Error: expected number
max_length = 60        # ✓ OK

Run squirrel config validate to check for errors.

Common Rule Options

Core Rules

`core/meta-title`

Control title tag length requirements.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 30   # Minimum title length (characters)
max_length = 60   # Maximum title length (characters)

Defaults:

min_length: 30
max_length: 60

Examples:

Strict title requirements:

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 40
max_length = 55

Lenient title requirements:

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 20
max_length = 70

Why configure:

Different industries have different conventions
Brand names may require more characters
Mobile SERPs show fewer characters (~50)

`core/meta-description`

Control meta description length requirements.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-description"]
min_length = 120   # Minimum description length
max_length = 160   # Maximum description length

Defaults:

min_length: 120
max_length: 160

Examples:

Google’s recommended length:

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-description"]
min_length = 120
max_length = 158

Allow longer descriptions:

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-description"]
min_length = 100
max_length = 200

Why configure:

Google truncates ~160 characters
Longer descriptions provide more context
E-commerce may need more details

Content Rules

`content/word-count`

Set minimum word count for content quality.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 300        # Minimum acceptable word count
warn_threshold = 500   # Optimal word count threshold

Defaults:

min_words: 300
warn_threshold: 500

Examples:

Blog posts (longer content):

toml

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 500
warn_threshold = 1000

Product pages (shorter acceptable):

toml

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 150
warn_threshold = 300

Landing pages (minimal):

toml

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 100
warn_threshold = 200

Why configure:

Blog posts need more words (800-2000+)
Product pages can be shorter (200-500)
Landing pages focus on conversion

Behavior:

toml

min_words = 300
warn_threshold = 500

< 300 words → fail (thin content)
300-499 words → info (could be longer)
≥ 500 words → pass (good length)

`content/keyword-stuffing`

Detect keyword over-optimization.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."content/keyword-stuffing"]
density_threshold = 0.03   # Maximum keyword density (3%)
min_word_count = 100       # Minimum words to check

Defaults:

density_threshold: 0.03 (3%)
min_word_count: 100

Examples:

Strict (avoid over-optimization):

toml

[rule_options."content/keyword-stuffing"]
density_threshold = 0.02   # 2% max

Lenient (allow more repetition):

toml

[rule_options."content/keyword-stuffing"]
density_threshold = 0.05   # 5% max

Why configure:

Different content types have different natural repetition
Technical docs may repeat terms more
E-commerce descriptions can be repetitive

How density is calculated:

density = (keyword_occurrences / total_words)

Example:

“SEO” appears 30 times
Page has 1000 words
Density = 30/1000 = 0.03 (3%)

`content/article-toc`

Require table of contents for long articles.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."content/article-toc"]
min_headings = 3   # Minimum headings to require TOC

Default:

min_headings: 3

Examples:

Require TOC for all articles:

toml

[rule_options."content/article-toc"]
min_headings = 2

Only long articles:

toml

[rule_options."content/article-toc"]
min_headings = 5

Why configure:

Short articles don’t need TOC
Long-form content improves with TOC
Accessibility benefits

`content/article-links`

Check for external citations in articles.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."content/article-links"]
min_external_links = 2   # Minimum external links

Default:

min_external_links: 2

Examples:

Require more citations (journalism):

toml

[rule_options."content/article-links"]
min_external_links = 5

No requirement:

toml

[rule_options."content/article-links"]
min_external_links = 0

Why configure:

Academic/news needs citations
Product pages may not need external links
E-E-A-T prefers authoritative sources

Link Rules

`links/orphan-pages`

Detect pages with no incoming internal links.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."links/orphan-pages"]
exclude_patterns = ["/sitemap.xml", "/robots.txt"]

Default:

exclude_patterns: []

Examples:

Ignore utility pages:

toml

[rule_options."links/orphan-pages"]
exclude_patterns = [
  "/sitemap.xml",
  "/robots.txt",
  "/404",
  "/500",
  "/.well-known/*"
]

Why configure:

Some pages are intentionally unlinked
Utility pages don’t need internal links
Reduce false positives

`links/dead-end-pages`

Find pages with no outgoing internal links.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."links/dead-end-pages"]
exclude_patterns = ["/thank-you", "/confirmation"]

Default:

exclude_patterns: []

Examples:

Ignore conversion pages:

toml

[rule_options."links/dead-end-pages"]
exclude_patterns = [
  "/thank-you",
  "/confirmation",
  "/checkout/success",
  "/download/complete"
]

Why configure:

Conversion pages often have no links (by design)
Focus user on one action
Reduce false positives

`links/internal-links`

Control internal linking recommendations.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."links/internal-links"]
min_internal_links = 2   # Minimum internal links per page

Default:

min_internal_links: 2

Examples:

Require more internal linking:

toml

[rule_options."links/internal-links"]
min_internal_links = 5

Minimal requirement:

toml

[rule_options."links/internal-links"]
min_internal_links = 1

Why configure:

Landing pages may have fewer links
Blog posts benefit from more internal links
E-commerce categories need many links

Performance Rules

`performance/ttfb`

Time to First Byte threshold.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."performance/ttfb"]
warn_threshold = 600    # Warning threshold (ms)
error_threshold = 1000  # Error threshold (ms)

Defaults:

warn_threshold: 600
error_threshold: 1000

Examples:

Strict performance (fast hosting):

toml

[rule_options."performance/ttfb"]
warn_threshold = 300
error_threshold = 600

Lenient (slow hosting):

toml

[rule_options."performance/ttfb"]
warn_threshold = 1000
error_threshold = 2000

Why configure:

Shared hosting is slower
CDN hosting is faster
Geographic distance affects TTFB

Behavior:

toml

warn_threshold = 600
error_threshold = 1000

< 600ms → pass
600-999ms → warn
≥ 1000ms → fail

`performance/dom-size`

DOM element count limits.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."performance/dom-size"]
warn_threshold = 1500   # Warning threshold (elements)
error_threshold = 3000  # Error threshold (elements)

Defaults:

warn_threshold: 1500
error_threshold: 3000

Examples:

Simple sites:

toml

[rule_options."performance/dom-size"]
warn_threshold = 800
error_threshold = 1500

Complex apps:

toml

[rule_options."performance/dom-size"]
warn_threshold = 2000
error_threshold = 4000

Why configure:

Simple pages have fewer elements
Complex apps have more elements
Mobile performance more sensitive

Accessibility Rules

`a11y/skip-link`

Require skip navigation link.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."a11y/skip-link"]
required = true   # Require skip link presence

Default:

required: true

Examples:

Optional skip link:

toml

[rule_options."a11y/skip-link"]
required = false

Why configure:

Simple sites may not need skip links
Complex sites benefit from skip links
WCAG AA compliance

Security Rules

`security/http-to-https`

Allow HTTP links from HTTPS pages.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."security/http-to-https"]
allow_localhost = true   # Allow HTTP localhost links
allow_patterns = []      # Whitelist patterns

Defaults:

allow_localhost: true
allow_patterns: []

Examples:

Allow specific domains:

toml

[rule_options."security/http-to-https"]
allow_localhost = true
allow_patterns = [
  "http://example.com/*",
  "http://legacy.site.com/*"
]

Strict (no HTTP allowed):

toml

[rule_options."security/http-to-https"]
allow_localhost = false
allow_patterns = []

Why configure:

Legacy integrations may use HTTP
Development environments use HTTP
Some APIs don’t support HTTPS

Crawl Rules

`crawl/all-noindex-pages`

Check if all pages are noindexed.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."crawl/all-noindex-pages"]
threshold = 0.9   # Percentage threshold (90%)

Default:

threshold: 0.9 (90%)

Examples:

Stricter check:

toml

[rule_options."crawl/all-noindex-pages"]
threshold = 0.5   # Warn if 50%+ noindexed

Why configure:

Staging sites should be fully noindexed
Production sites shouldn’t be noindexed
Detect misconfiguration

Behavior:

toml

threshold = 0.9

If 90%+ of crawled pages are noindexed → warn (possible misconfiguration)

Adblock Rules

`adblock/element-hiding`

Check for adblocker-hidden elements.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."adblock/element-hiding"]
maxMatchesToReport = 10   # Max elements to report
lists = [                  # Filter lists to check
  "easylist",
  "easyprivacy",
  "fanboy-annoyance"
]

Defaults:

maxMatchesToReport: 10
lists: ["easylist", "easyprivacy", "fanboy-annoyance"]

Examples:

Check more filter lists:

toml

[rule_options."adblock/element-hiding"]
maxMatchesToReport = 20
lists = [
  "easylist",
  "easyprivacy",
  "fanboy-annoyance",
  "fanboy-social"
]

Only check main list:

toml

[rule_options."adblock/element-hiding"]
lists = ["easylist"]

Available lists:

easylist - Main adblock list
easyprivacy - Privacy protection
fanboy-annoyance - Annoyance elements
fanboy-social - Social media buttons

Why configure:

Different lists have different strictness
Reduce false positives
Focus on specific concerns

`adblock/blocked-links`

Check for links to blocked tracking domains.

Options:

toml

[rule_options."adblock/blocked-links"]
maxMatchesToReport = 10   # Max links to report
lists = ["easyprivacy"]   # Filter lists

Defaults:

maxMatchesToReport: 10
lists: ["easyprivacy"]

Finding Rule Options

View rule schema

Check which options a rule accepts:

bash

squirrel rules show core/meta-title

Output:

core/meta-title - Meta Title
  Validates page title presence and length

Options:
  min_length: number (default: 30)
  max_length: number (default: 60)

List all rules with options

bash

squirrel rules list --with-options

View config with defaults

bash

squirrel config show

Shows effective configuration including rule option defaults.

Configuration Examples

Blog Site

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 40
max_length = 60

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 500
warn_threshold = 1000

[rule_options."content/article-toc"]
min_headings = 3

[rule_options."content/article-links"]
min_external_links = 3

Why:

Blog posts need longer titles
Content should be comprehensive
Articles benefit from TOC
External citations improve E-E-A-T

E-commerce Site

toml

[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 30
max_length = 55  # Shorter for mobile

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 150
warn_threshold = 300  # Product pages are shorter

[rule_options."links/dead-end-pages"]
exclude_patterns = ["/thank-you", "/checkout/success"]

[rule_options."content/article-links"]
min_external_links = 0  # Products don't need citations

Why:

Product titles often shorter
Product descriptions concise
Conversion pages are dead-ends
Products link internally, not externally

Documentation Site

toml

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 200
warn_threshold = 400

[rule_options."content/article-toc"]
min_headings = 2  # Most docs need TOC

[rule_options."links/internal-links"]
min_internal_links = 5  # Docs should cross-reference

[rule_options."content/keyword-stuffing"]
density_threshold = 0.05  # Technical terms repeat

Why:

Docs can be shorter (reference material)
TOC essential for navigation
Cross-referencing improves UX
Technical terms naturally repeat

Landing Pages

toml

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 100
warn_threshold = 200  # Conversion-focused

[rule_options."links/internal-links"]
min_internal_links = 1  # Focus on CTA

[rule_options."links/dead-end-pages"]
exclude_patterns = ["/lp/*"]  # Landing pages

[rule_options."content/article-toc"]
min_headings = 10  # Don't need TOC

Why:

Landing pages are concise
Minimize distractions from CTA
Dead-ends by design
Single page focus

Validation

Check rule options are valid:

bash

squirrel config validate

Valid config:

✓ Config valid: /path/to/squirrel.toml

Invalid config:

✗ Invalid config:
  rule_options.core/meta-title.min_length: Expected number, received string

Fix and re-validate:

toml

# Before (invalid)
[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = "thirty"

# After (valid)
[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 30

Complete Example

toml

[project]
name = "myblog"

[crawler]
max_pages = 500

[rules]
enable = ["*"]
disable = ["ai/*"]

# Rule-specific configuration
[rule_options."core/meta-title"]
min_length = 40
max_length = 60

[rule_options."core/meta-description"]
min_length = 120
max_length = 160

[rule_options."content/word-count"]
min_words = 500
warn_threshold = 1000

[rule_options."content/article-toc"]
min_headings = 3

[rule_options."content/article-links"]
min_external_links = 2

[rule_options."links/orphan-pages"]
exclude_patterns = ["/404", "/500", "/.well-known/*"]

[rule_options."performance/ttfb"]
warn_threshold = 600
error_threshold = 1000

This configuration:

Requires longer titles (40-60 chars)
Enforces substantial content (500+ words)
Requires table of contents for articles
Expects external citations
Ignores utility pages in orphan check
Sets strict TTFB thresholds

Rules Configuration - Enable/disable rules
Rules Reference - All available rules
Examples - Common configurations

Edit this page

Configuration

How Rule Options Work

Structure

Validation

Common Rule Options

Core Rules

core/meta-title

core/meta-description

Content Rules

content/word-count

content/keyword-stuffing

content/article-toc

content/article-links

Link Rules

links/orphan-pages

links/dead-end-pages

links/internal-links

Performance Rules

performance/ttfb

performance/dom-size

Accessibility Rules

a11y/skip-link

Security Rules

security/http-to-https

Crawl Rules

crawl/all-noindex-pages

Adblock Rules

adblock/element-hiding

adblock/blocked-links

Finding Rule Options

View rule schema

List all rules with options

View config with defaults

Configuration Examples

Blog Site

E-commerce Site

Documentation Site

Landing Pages

Validation

Complete Example

Related

`core/meta-title`

`core/meta-description`

`content/word-count`

`content/keyword-stuffing`

`content/article-toc`

`content/article-links`

`links/orphan-pages`

`links/dead-end-pages`

`links/internal-links`

`performance/ttfb`

`performance/dom-size`

`a11y/skip-link`

`security/http-to-https`

`crawl/all-noindex-pages`

`adblock/element-hiding`

`adblock/blocked-links`