XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap is a file listing the URLs you want search engines to know about, used as a discovery source.
In detail
It should contain canonical, indexable, live URLs only — no redirects, error pages, noindex pages or internal search results.
A sitemap helps discovery; it does not force indexing, and it cannot compensate for missing internal links.
Example
Listing every published article and glossary page, but excluding search-result URLs.
Why it matters
It speeds up discovery of new pages and reveals mismatches between what you publish and what gets indexed.
Common mistakes
- Including noindexed or redirecting URLs.
- Letting the sitemap drift out of date after publishing.
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