Manual: Options
The feature "Options" of Visual SEO Studio, documented in detail.
Options
The program permits you to modify its settings adapting it to your work needs.
Visual SEO Studio options window
Projects and Files
In this section you can change Visual SEO Studio behavior regarding where to store crawl data - the project files - and other general program settings.
Show start page at program launch
By flagging the option "Show start page at program launch", when Visual SEO Studio will start it will open the Start page, with the list of projects, the list of crawl session within the project currently open, and the list of the verified websites.
If you close the Start page, you can reopen it from the menu entry -> Show start page.
Open last used project at program launch
By flagging the option "Open last used project at program launch", when Visual SEO Studio will start it will automatically open the project opened last time.
I progetti sono la modalità con cui Visual SEO Studio raggruppa diverse sessioni di esplorazione. È utile ad esempio dividere le sessioni di esplorazione per cliente.
Projects folder
(Feature only enable in the Professional Edition)
In the Projects folder group box you can set where to store project files.
The default location is:
-
for Windows:
%SystemData%/aStonish/VisualSEO
Folder%SystemData%can change depending on the version and localization of the operating system. It typically is:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\aStonish\VisualSEO
where <username> is the name of the current user profile. -
for macOS:
/Users/<username>/.config/aStonish/VisualSEO
where <username> is the user name (you can get it from the Terminal with the commandwhoami).
You can specify a different location for the project files by inserting the desired path in the text field. You can also set it with the button aside the text field.
We recommend not to change the setting unless you have problems of space in the main disk unit.
Do not use a shared network folder: performaces would worsen and in case of concurrent access data integrity is not guaranteed.
Note 1: Once you changed the setting, you will need to restart the program for it to take effect.
Note 2: In case the Professional license expired, even if the option was customized the program will start with the default option.
Export to Excel/CSV: Open the file after exporting
In the Export to Excel/CSV: Open the file after exporting group box you can configure whether after having exported the data of a table Visual SEO Studio should open the file to let you see the export results.
Available options are:
- Always: after the export the file will be opened
- Never: after the export the file will NOT be opened
- Ask every time: after the export you will be asked if you want to open the file
Options group: Web crawler
Web crawler: URL Parameters
When Visual SEO Studio spider explores a website following its links, before visiting a URL it "normalizes" it removing the query parameters it recognizes as redundant.
The parameters are divided in three groups:
- Session IDs
- Tracking Tags
- Miscellaneous
You can extend the list with other parameters, adding them in the category you deem more appropriate. The category division does not impact on the program beahavior, it is only meant to make the whole list more organized and easier to read.
Default parameters can be distinguished by a gray background. Custom parameters appear first, then the list is sorted alphabetically.
You can remove query parameters you added, not the ones part of the default list.
To remove an added parameter, click on the related row with the right mouse button and use the 
Delete option. For default parameters it will appear disabled.
Add new
To add a parameter to the list, select the tab sheet with the group you deem more appropriate, insert the parameter name in the Add new field and then click on the buttom.
Web crawler: File Extensions
When Visual SEO Studio spider explores a website following its links, it excludes from the visit URLs with an extension it recognizes not to be a web page or an image.
You can extend the list adding other extensions. Default extensions can be distinguished by a gray background. Custom extensions appear first, then the list is sorted alphabetically.
You can remove extensions you added, not the ones part of the default list.
To remove an added extension, click on the related row with the right mouse button and use the Delete option. For default extensions it will appear disabled.
Add new
To add an extension to the list, select the tab sheet with the group you deem more appropriate, insert the extension name in the Add new field and then click on the buttom.
If you do not include the leading extension dot, it will be added automatically.
Web crawler: Simulated Crawl Rate
A distinctive feature of Visual SEO Studio is showing in real-time during a website exploration the "Simulated G-Time", the crawling time it would take to googlebot - or any other low frequency agent - to visit the website. It makes clear the importance of an efficient crawl path sculpted in the web pages when optimizing the crawl budget.
In this section you can set the simulated crawl rate to adapt it to the needs of the website you are working on.
Permitted values are the same you can set in the "Crawl rate" tool in Google Search Console.
You can restore the initial values by clicking on the button.
Note: changing this setting does not impact on Visual SEO Studio spider real crawl speed, only on the simulated time.
Recent URLs
In this section you can view and set the number of start URLs Visual SEO Studio remembers and suggests in the "Start URL" in the Crawl a site dialog window for a new website exploration.
The maximum number of URLs you can store is 100.
You can remove a URL you do not want to keep by selecting it and then clicking on the button.
Option group: Suggestions Criteria
Criteria: HTML suggestions
HTML suggestions provides a rich, up-to-date, detailed and actionable snapshot of a site potential weak points in terms of HTML title and meta-description tags.
Some of its reports hightlight pages where a specific dimension exceed or is below a configured threshold.
Here is where such thresholds are configured and customized.
You can restore the initial values by clicking on the button.
Maximum Title length (chars)
Maximum threshold used by the report "Long title tags".
Minimum Title length (chars)
Minimum threshold used by the report "Short title tags".
Maximum Meta-Description length (chars)
Maximum threshold used by the report "Long meta-description tags".
Minimum Meta-Description length (chars)
Minimum threshold used by the report "Short meta-description tags".
Maximum Title width (pixels)
Maximum threshold used by the report "Truncated title tags".
Maximum Title length (words)
Maximum threshold used by the report "Titles with too many words".
Criteria: URL suggestions
URL suggestions gives you detailed insights on all possible URL issues.
Some of its reports hightlight pages where a specific dimension exceed or is below a configured threshold.
Here is where such thresholds are configured and customized.
You can restore the initial values by clicking on the button.
Maximum URL length (chars)
Maximum threshold used by the report "URL too long".
Maximum URL depth (folders)
Maximum threshold used by the report "URL too deep".
Maximum Number of QueryString Parameters
Maximum threshold used by the report "Too many query parameters".
Maximum Number of Tokens in URL
Maximum threshold used by the report "Too many tokens".
Criteria: Performance suggestions
Performance suggestions is a set of reports based on Steve Souders' research on web performance and later derived works.
Each report measures for all crawl session web pages a specific dimension and compares their values against limits based on averages measured across the whole Web.
Here is where such thresholds are configured and customized.
You can restore the initial values by clicking on the button.
Maximum page size (KB)
Maximum threshold used by the report "Page size (KB)".
Maximum download time (ms)
Maximum threshold used by the report "Download Time (ms)".
Maximum TTFB - Time To First Byte (ms)
Maximum threshold used by the report "TTFB (ms)".
Maximum View State size (KB)
Maximum threshold used by the report "ViewState size (bytes)".
Maximum number of unique images
Maximum threshold used by the report "Page images".
Maximum numbers of nested tables
Maximum threshold used by the report "Nested tables".
Maximum DOM depth
Maximum threshold used by the report "DOM depth".
Maximum number of DOM elements
Maximum threshold used by the report "DOM elements".
Maximum number of scripts
Maximum threshold used by the report "Scripts".
Maximum numbe of blocking scripts
Maximum threshold used by the report "Blocking scripts".
Maximum number of duplicate script URLs
Maximum threshold used by the report "Duplicate script URLs".
Maximum number of CSS blocks
Maximum threshold used by the report "CSS styles".
Maximum number of blocking CSS elements
Maximum threshold used by the report "Blocking styles".
Maximum number of duplicate CSS block URLs
Maximum threshold used by the report "Duplicate style URLs".
Grid Customizations
In this section are listed all tables where column visibility and order were customized.
Puoi ripristinare i valori iniziali di una tabella cliccando il tasto dopo averla selezionata.
Note: at present the only table of which you can save customizations is the Tabular View.
API accounts
API: Google Search Console
In this section are listed the Google account used to integrate via API the program with Google services.
They are for example used in the Verified Sites feature to use Google Search Console for verification, and in the Search Analytics integration to add GSC data to the program tables.
For each user are shown the email address, a check symbol 
for the default account, and the name to show to identify the account in the drop down menus.
You can change the account name by clicking on the 
button, or removing from the list by clicking on the button.
To add a user to the list click on the Add account... link, you will be shown the following dialog window:
Window to insert Google Search Console authorization code
Clicking on the Get Google Authorization Code link a default browser window will open with the Google authentication page:
Inserting Google Search Console user account name
Insert the account email address and then click on the button, you will enter the following page:
Inserting Google Search Console user account password
insert the password and click again on the button
Authorizing access to Google Search Console data
once arrived at the authorization page click on the button to arrive to the following page:
The code to copy and paste into Visual SEO Studio
after having copied the shown code (you can copy the code by clickin on the symbol 
), return back to the dialog window in Visual SEO Studio and paste it in the "Authorization code" field. Then click on the button to finish.
API: Bing webmaster tools
The program can enrich several tables generated by the site analysis features with data from Bing webmaster tools (BWT).
In order to use the integration, you need to have a BWT account with your website configured, and obtain an API key from Bing.
You can generate an API key from the page Webmaster API (you need to have logged in before entering the page).
Once obtained an API key, copy and paste it in the "API Key" field. Then click on the button to finish.
To know more about the integration with BWT, read the page Bing Webmaster Tools integration.
API: Mozscape
The program can enrich several tables generated by the site analysis features with data from Mozscape (Moz).
In order to use the integration, you need to have a Moz account, and get an API key from Moz.
A Mozscape API key is formed by a pair of values: an "Access ID" and a "Secret Key".
You can generate them from the page Moz API.
Once obtained an API key, copy and paste the two values in the Visual SEO Studio options window in the two fields with the same name.
You can test the type of account (it coudl be free or a Moz paid plan) with the button. Then click on the button to finish.
To know more about the integration with, read the pagea Mozscape API Integration.
Screenshots
Visual SEO Studio permits to take snapshots of the website pages at full-page, the "screenshots".
From this section you can set the maximum width of the screenshot (the height will be proportionally scaled).
To better contrast the lines used to highlight the "folds" given by different display resolutions you can change their color.
You can restore the initial values by clicking on the button.
Proxy settings
If your PC is connected to a local network which uses a proxy to access the Internet (for example a corporate network), or if you desire to use an external proxy to test a website from a different IP, you will have to set in this section the access credentials of the proxy server.
The options are the following:
-
Use the same HTTP proxy as configured in 'Internet Options':
The same settings configured for the operating system will be used; if the operating system is configured to use a proxy, this will be used also by Visual SEO Studio to access the Internet. -
Do not use a HTTP proxy:
It is the typical setting of a domestic network that accesses to the Internet directly (via an access router). -
Use the following custom HTTP proxy:
Permits you to specify the proxy to use along with the access credentials to access to the Internet, and specifically:- Proxy server address: insert here the IP address or the hostname of the proxy server
- User name: the user name with which you want to access
- Domain name: insert here the user domain, or leave it empty in case the user were not a domain user
- Password: the password of the specified user (password is masked during insertion)
Telemetry
You can enable telemetry usage by clickin on the "Automatically send anonymous usage statistics" option.
Usage statistics, or "telemetry", are a feature of Visual SEO Studio that sends to our servers anonymous statistics of use, performance and responsiveness of the program. Data are transmitted using a secure SSL connection and help us to improve future versions of the product. Once sent to our servers, usage statistics are aggregated and made available to our developers.
Online Help
After flagging the "Show online help at program launch" option, at Visual SEO Studio launch a help window will open; it describes the feature currently selected giving detailed explanations on its usage and the SEO relevance of the shown data.
Many graphical elements are sensible to the mouse click to hightlight within the help page the topic of the selected element.
The content of the help window is online: it is not bound to the installed program, it is continually updated to offer you an increasingly better service, with increasingly detailed and complete explanations.
The two graphical themes available for the help page are Modern, with black text over white background and white titles over blue gradations, and Old style with black text over yellowish background.
The first time you close the help window you will be asked if you want it to open automatically next time Visual SEO Studio starts. This message only appears the first time you close the window.
You can open (or close) the help window any time you wnat from the main menu by using the entry -> View Help.