Sitemap

An XML sitemap is a machine-readable file that provides search engines with important website URLs. It can include additional information such as the date of the last substantial modification. Sitemaps are particularly useful for large, new, weakly linked, or media-rich websites. They do not replace internal links or technical crawlability.

A sitemap should normally contain only canonical, indexable URLs returning a successful status code. noindex pages, redirects, error pages, and unwanted parameter URLs should be excluded. Inclusion does not guarantee indexing; it supports discovery and provides a weak canonical signal. lastmod should reflect genuine content changes.

• Include only canonical and indexable URLs
• Does not replace internal linking
• Inclusion does not guarantee indexing
• Update lastmod only after meaningful changes
• Submit and monitor through Search Console