---
title: Frontmatter reference
description: Configure page titles, descriptions, search metadata, provenance, API operations, visibility, and layouts in MDX frontmatter.
url: https://pr-6-a9c4e9fe1b6c.thally.app/guides/frontmatter-reference
---

# Frontmatter reference

Configure page titles, descriptions, search metadata, provenance, API operations, visibility, and layouts in MDX frontmatter.

Frontmatter is YAML between `---` markers at the top of an MDX page. It
controls how Thally labels, describes, indexes, verifies, and renders the page.

```yaml
---
title: Configure single sign-on
navTitle: Single sign-on
description: Connect your identity provider and verify team sign-in.
keywords:
  - SSO
  - authentication
timeEstimate: 10 min
lastVerified: 2026-08-03
verifiedVersion: 2.4.0
---
```

## Fields

| Field | Type | Default | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `title` | string | File name converted to words | Page heading, browser title, and search result. |
| `navTitle` | string | `title` | Optional compact label for the sidebar and previous/next navigation. |
| `description` | string | Empty | Search and social summary shown below the title. |
| `badge` | string | None | Short status label shown with the page in navigation. |
| `keywords` | string array | Derived from the page | Additional terms used by documentation search. |
| `timeEstimate` | string | `5 min` | Reading or task estimate displayed with page metadata. |
| `lastUpdated` | date string | None | Last content update date shown in metadata and structured output. |
| `lastVerified` | date string | None | Date a person last confirmed the instructions against the product. |
| `verifiedVersion` | string | None | Product version used during that verification. |
| `openapi` | string | None | OpenAPI operation key, such as `GET /users/{id}`. |
| `hidden` | boolean | `false` | Hides the page from generated navigation while keeping its route available. |
| `noindex` | boolean | `false` | Excludes the page from public indexing surfaces. |
| `mode` | string | `default` | Page layout: `default`, `wide`, `custom`, `center`, or `home`. |

## Required authoring fields

Always set `title` and `description`, even though Thally can derive a title.
Explicit metadata gives readers, search engines, and agents a useful summary.

Do not add an `# H1` in the body. Thally renders the frontmatter title as the
page heading.

## Visibility fields

`hidden` and `noindex` solve different problems:

- Use `hidden: true` for a page that should be reachable by direct link but not
  listed in navigation.
- Use `noindex: true` when the page should not appear in public indexing
  surfaces.

For site-wide hidden-page indexing behavior, see
[SEO and visibility](/guides/seo-and-visibility).

## OpenAPI operation pages

Set `openapi` when an authored MDX page should render the parameters, schemas,
samples, and playground for one operation:

```yaml
---
title: Get a user
description: Retrieve one user by ID.
openapi: GET /users/{id}
---
```

The method and path must match the configured specification exactly.

## Next steps

- [Choose a page mode](/guides/page-modes)
- [Configure SEO and visibility](/guides/seo-and-visibility)
- [Set up an API reference](/guides/api-reference-setup)