What is Sitemap Best Practices?

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