Glossary · Technical
XML sitemap
Definition. An XML sitemap is a file listing the URLs on your site you want search engines to know about, with optional metadata such as last modification date. It helps discovery, especially for large or poorly linked sites, and it does not guarantee indexation.
A sitemap should contain only canonical, indexable URLs that return a 200 status. Filling it with redirects, 404s and noindexed pages reduces the trust placed in it.
Accurate lastmod values are useful; automatically stamping every URL with today's date is not, and is quickly ignored.
Large sites should split sitemaps by section and reference them from a sitemap index, which also makes indexation problems easier to isolate.
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More in Technical: Internal linking · Anchor text · Orphan page · Crawl budget · Indexation · Canonical URL · Duplicate content · Keyword cannibalization
Frequently asked questions
What does XML sitemap mean?
An XML sitemap is a file listing the URLs on your site you want search engines to know about, with optional metadata such as last modification date. It helps discovery, especially for large or poorly linked sites, and it does not guarantee indexation.
Why does XML sitemap matter for AI SEO?
A sitemap should contain only canonical, indexable URLs that return a 200 status. Filling it with redirects, 404s and noindexed pages reduces the trust placed in it.
What is the most common mistake with xml sitemap?
Large sites should split sitemaps by section and reference them from a sitemap index, which also makes indexation problems easier to isolate.
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