A metadata based framework for extracting and using Web sites structures

The deployment of metadata on the World Wide Web is probably one of the most important steps in its evolution. Its widespread use will foster applications such as efficient information retrieval and filtering, trust management and support for agents. Following this trend, the Structured Graph Format (SGF) supports the description of Web site structures in a machine understandable way. We describe a framework built around SGF, which illustrates both the use and efficient generation of metadata. The format, two SGF applications and three methods for generating SGF are presented.