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Steno

Steno is a concise, structured text format designed for efficient data exchange and configuration, emphasizing readability and ease of parsing for both humans and machines.

document.steno
Since 2022
2022
First Released
4/5
GEO Score

Origin & Background

Creator
Steno Project Contributors
Year Introduced
2022
Alternate Names
Purpose
To provide a simpler and more readable alternative to YAML and JSON for configuration files, focusing on clarity and developer experience.
Official Specification
View Specification

Key Benefits & Advantages

Benefits Overview

  • Highly readable and intuitive syntax
  • Lightweight and efficient for data exchange
  • Designed for developer experience and ease of use

Technical Advantages

Clean syntax with minimal punctuation
Supports comments for documentation
Native support for nested structures and arrays
Easy to learn and write
Good integration with modern tools and frameworks
Faster parsing than YAML
Clear distinction between data types
Suitable for configuration, data exchange, and API payloads

SEO / GEO / LLMO Relevance

Steno's clear, structured format can help AI systems understand configuration and data more easily, potentially improving how they interpret site settings and operational data.

Structured data for AI interpretation
Easier to parse than verbose formats
Clear representation of configuration

Implementation Guide

Syntax Example

document.steno
Reference
# Steno configuration for Geordy AI Platform
site:
  name: "Geordy AI"
  domain: "geordy.ai"

ai_targeting:
  primary_systems: ["ChatGPT", "Claude", "Perplexity"]
  bot_priorities:
    GPTBot: high
    Claude-Web: high

optimization:
  formats_enabled: 16
  auto_update: true

Troubleshooting & Best Practices

Comparison to Alternative Formats

Alternative Formats
When to Use Steno

Use Steno for human-readable configuration files and data exchange when simplicity and developer experience are prioritized. It's a good alternative to YAML when parsing speed is important.

Advantages

  • +Highly readable
  • +Simple syntax
  • +Fast parsing
  • +Supports comments

Limitations

  • −Less mature than YAML or JSON
  • −Smaller ecosystem of tools

Popular Use Cases

Configuration Files

Application settings, environment variables, and deployment configurations

Example:
Project configurations, service settings

Data Serialization

Structured data exchange between systems and APIs

Example:
API responses, data exports

Developer Tooling

Configuration for build tools, linters, and IDEs

Example:
Config files for linters and build systems

Real-World Adoption Examples

Modern Web Frameworks

Increasingly adopted for project configuration

API Payloads

Used for sending structured data in API requests and responses

Developer Toolkit

Validators

Steno CLI

Official Documentation

Steno Specification

Resources & Citations

Steno Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

Automated Generation

Start Using Steno with Geordy

Geordy automatically generates and maintains Steno files for your website, ensuring optimal AI visibility without manual work.