Recommended guidelines for creating effective XML sitemaps for search engine optimization.
Key best practices for XML sitemaps:
1. **Only include canonical URLs** — Don't include redirects, 404s, or non-canonical versions 2. **Use accurate lastmod dates** — Only update lastmod when content actually changes 3. **Keep sitemaps under limits** — 50,000 URLs and 50MB per file 4. **Use sitemap indexes for large sites** — Split sitemaps logically (by content type, section, etc.) 5. **Reference sitemaps in robots.txt** — Use the `Sitemap:` directive 6. **Submit to search engines** — Use Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools 7. **Use HTTPS URLs** — Match your site's canonical protocol 8. **Keep sitemaps updated** — Regenerate or update when content changes 9. **Don't include noindex pages** — Only list pages you want indexed 10. **Monitor in Search Console** — Check for errors and coverage issues
SitemapKit's API lets you discover, extract, and parse XML sitemaps from any domain. Get structured JSON data with all sitemap elements including Sitemap Best Practices.