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I little while ago I saw a website with the HTML code:

<link rel="File-List" href="index_files/filelist.xml">

The content of the file is:

<xml xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
    <o:MainFile HRef="../index.htm"/>
    <o:File HRef="image001.gif"/>
    <o:File HRef="image002.gif"/>
    <o:File HRef="filelist.xml"/>
</xml>

I know what a XML file is. But why put a list on your site with all the files in it?

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1 Answer 1

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That HTML document was created by Microsoft Office which puts that meta tag in automatically. Microsoft office documents contain reference to other files. When office converts the file to HTML it includes that list in this format.

Google reports that it runs into it occasionally when crawling the web. As far as I know, only Microsoft Office itself makes use of this list. It isn't important for users of the website, browsers, crawlers, or search engines.

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  • But why does MS Office this?
    – Andreas Furster
    Nov 13, 2014 at 20:09
  • 1
    I would assume that they internally maintain a list of all the files used to build a document. When they export to HTML, they have to find some place to put the list.
    – Stephen Ostermiller ♦
    Nov 13, 2014 at 20:52

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