XML sitemap
An XML sitemap gives search engines selected URLs from a website and may include additional information about them.
Provide a machine-readable page list
An XML sitemap is a machine-readable file of page addresses and, where applicable, additional details such as the last modification. It helps search engines discover URLs. In a fictional example, a new guide is added and its intended public address is included in the sitemap.
The file replaces neither clear navigation nor internal links. An entry also does not guarantee that Google will crawl, index or display the page. Keep the list consistent with the intended reachable pages and their preferred addresses. An outdated entry after a relaunch does not make a redirect unnecessary. After changes, check both the file and the actual destination.
Sources
Related terms
- CrawlingCrawling is the automated fetching of web pages and resources by a bot, for example for processing by a search engine.
- IndexingDuring indexing, a search engine analyses content and adds information about it to its search index.
- Core Web VitalsCore Web Vitals describe loading experience, responsiveness and visual stability. The measurement environment and underlying data should be reported with the result.
- Structured dataStructured data describes content in a machine-readable format and explicitly identifies its meaning.
- Robots.txtrobots.txt gives rules to cooperating crawlers; it provides neither access protection nor reliable exclusion from the search index.
Articles on this topic
Your project with ASES
Describe your project to us. We will get back to you with an initial assessment.