xml-sitemap
When the user wants to create, audit, or optimize sitemap.xml. Also use when the user mentions "sitemap," "sitemap.xml," "sitemap index," "lastmod," "changefreq," "priority," "URL discovery," "URL discovery for search engines," "single source of truth," "URL config," "unify sitemap IndexNow," or "reduce duplicate maintenance." For IndexNow, use indexnow.
Best use case
xml-sitemap is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
When the user wants to create, audit, or optimize sitemap.xml. Also use when the user mentions "sitemap," "sitemap.xml," "sitemap index," "lastmod," "changefreq," "priority," "URL discovery," "URL discovery for search engines," "single source of truth," "URL config," "unify sitemap IndexNow," or "reduce duplicate maintenance." For IndexNow, use indexnow.
Teams using xml-sitemap should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/sitemap/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How xml-sitemap Compares
| Feature / Agent | xml-sitemap | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
When the user wants to create, audit, or optimize sitemap.xml. Also use when the user mentions "sitemap," "sitemap.xml," "sitemap index," "lastmod," "changefreq," "priority," "URL discovery," "URL discovery for search engines," "single source of truth," "URL config," "unify sitemap IndexNow," or "reduce duplicate maintenance." For IndexNow, use indexnow.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# SEO Technical: Sitemap
Guides sitemap creation, auditing, and optimization for search engine discovery.
**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
## Scope (Technical SEO)
- **Sitemap**: Create XML sitemap; submit to Google Search Console
- **URL discovery**: Help search engines find pages; especially important for large sites or poor internal linking
## Task
Generate an XML Sitemap that complies with the sitemaps.org protocol from the project's page list, and declare it in robots.txt.
## Initial Assessment
**Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for site URL and page structure.
Identify:
1. **Site URL**: Base domain (e.g., `https://example.com`)
2. **URL count**: Total indexable pages (single sitemap vs. sitemap index)
3. **Data source**: Static config, CMS, file system, or hybrid
## 1. Protocol Essentials
| Item | Spec |
|------|------|
| Single sitemap limit | 50,000 URLs, 50MB (uncompressed) |
| Sitemap index | When exceeding limit, split and have main index reference sub-sitemaps |
| Encoding | UTF-8 |
| URL format | Full URL, same host, include `https://` |
| Required tags | `<loc>` |
| Optional tags | `<lastmod>`, `<changefreq>`, `<priority>` |
## 2. Field Requirements
| Field | Description | Recommendation |
|-------|--------------|---------------|
| url | Full URL | `https://example.com/path` |
| lastModified | Page last modified time | Use page metadata, ISO 8601; use `YYYY-MM-DD` or omit when no data |
| changeFrequency | Update frequency | Home `daily`, list pages `weekly`, content pages `monthly` |
| priority | Relative importance | Home 1.0, aggregate pages 0.9, content pages 0.7–0.8, others 0.5–0.6 |
### lastmod (Critical)
- **Must be accurate**: Reflect actual page modification time, not sitemap generation time. Google requires verifiability; Bing reports ~18% of sitemaps ignored due to lastmod errors.
- **Format**: W3C Datetime (`YYYY-MM-DD` or `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+TZD`), e.g. `2025-01-15`, `2025-01-15T14:30:00+08:00`.
- **Avoid**: Using `new Date()` for lastmod—causes all URLs to share the same timestamp; search engines may ignore.
- **Apply when**: Content updates, structured data changes, or important link changes.
### changefreq / priority
- **changefreq**: Hints only; does not directly determine crawl frequency. Values: `always`, `hourly`, `daily`, `weekly`, `monthly`, `yearly`, `never`.
- **priority**: 0.0–1.0; **does not affect ranking**; set higher for important pages; avoid identical values for all.
## 3. Architecture & Split
### Single Sitemap
- When URLs >50,000, generate `/sitemap.xml` directly.
### Sitemap Index (Multiple Sub-sitemaps)
- When exceeding limit, split by type or language; main index references sub-sitemaps.
- Example splits: `/sitemap/posts.xml`, `/sitemap/pages.xml`, `/sitemap/zh.xml`, `/sitemap/en.xml`.
- Main index outputs `/sitemap.xml` or `/sitemap-index.xml`, each entry as `<sitemap><loc>...</loc></sitemap>`.
### Multilingual Sites
- Split by locale: `/sitemap/zh.xml`, `/sitemap/en.xml`.
- Or by content type + language: `/sitemap/zh-posts.xml`, `/sitemap/en-posts.xml`.
### Multi-Language Sitemap (hreflang in Sitemap)
For multilingual sites, add `xhtml:link` hreflang alternates inside each `<url>` entry. **Recommended for large sites** (100+ multilingual pages); centralizes hreflang management.
**Rules**:
- Every language version must link to ALL others, including itself (self-reference).
- Include `x-default` pointing to default locale.
- Use `xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"` namespace.
- `<loc>` typically uses default-locale (clean) URL; `x-default` points there too.
```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/page</loc>
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/page" />
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="zh" href="https://example.com/zh/page" />
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/page" />
</url>
</urlset>
```
List all language sitemaps in sitemap index; include in robots.txt.
## 4. Implementation
| Tech Stack | Implementation |
|------------|-----------------|
| Next.js App Router | `app/sitemap.ts` export `MetadataRoute.Sitemap` or `generateSitemaps` |
| Next.js Pages Router | `pages/sitemap.xml.ts` or `getServerSideProps` return XML |
| Astro | `src/pages/sitemap-index.xml.ts` or `@astrojs/sitemap` |
| Vite / Static build | Build script generates `public/sitemap.xml` |
| Other | Generate static `/sitemap.xml` or return dynamically via API |
### Route Exclusion
- If the project has i18n / middleware redirects, exclude sitemap paths to avoid redirect.
- Example (Next.js matcher): `'/((?!api|_next|sitemap|sitemap-index|.*\\..*).*)'`.
## 5. Page Scope
### Include
- Home: `/`
- Locale/region home pages (e.g. `/zh`, `/en`)
- All indexable content pages, list pages, category pages
### Exclude
- `/api/*`, `/admin/*`, `/_next/*`
- Static assets (images, JS, CSS, etc.). For image discovery, use **image sitemap** extension—see **image-optimization**. For video discovery, use **video sitemap** extension—see **video-optimization**
- Login, admin, drafts, and other pages not intended for indexing
## 6. Data Source & Maintenance (Single Source of Truth)
- **Single source of truth**: Read URL list from config, CMS, or metadata; avoid hardcoding in sitemap.
- **Multiple page types**: Tools, blog, marketing pages can be merged into one array for unified generation.
- **New pages**: Add only to data source; sitemap updates automatically; avoid maintaining multiple places.
### Central Config (Recommended)
Create a config (e.g., `site-pages-config.ts`) that exports:
- Page slugs/paths by section (tools, blog, marketing, etc.)
- Optional: `modifiedDate` per page for accurate lastmod
- Function: `getAllPageUrls(baseUrl)` for sitemap and IndexNow
**Why**: Sitemap, IndexNow, and feed can all import from the same config—no duplicate URL maintenance. IndexNow should use the same URL list; avoid separate hardcoded lists.
## 7. robots.txt
Add to robots.txt:
```
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml
```
With multiple sitemaps, only declare the main index.
## 8. Output Format
### Single Sitemap Example
```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2025-01-15</lastmod>
<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/page</loc>
<lastmod>2025-01-10</lastmod>
<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
```
### Sitemap Index Example
```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<sitemapindex xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<sitemap>
<loc>https://example.com/sitemap/pages.xml</loc>
<lastmod>2025-01-15</lastmod>
</sitemap>
<sitemap>
<loc>https://example.com/sitemap/posts.xml</loc>
<lastmod>2025-01-14</lastmod>
</sitemap>
</sitemapindex>
```
## 9. Common Issues
| Issue | Cause / Fix |
|-------|-------------|
| Sitemap 404 | Build failure, wrong path, incorrect export; check routes and deployment |
| Missing pages | URLs not in data source, filtered or excluded |
| lastmod anomaly | Avoid `new Date()`; use `modifiedDate` from page metadata |
| Google not indexing | Submit sitemap in GSC; check Coverage (google-search-console) and robots |
| EN/ZH URL mismatch | Use unified data source; share same list when generating by locale |
## References
- [sitemaps.org](https://www.sitemaps.org/protocol.html)
- [Google Sitemap](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap)
## Related Skills
- **website-structure**: Plan page structure and URL list; sitemap reflects planned/indexable pages
- **google-search-console**: Sitemap status, indexed URL count, Coverage
- **robots-txt**: Reference sitemap in robots.txt
- **indexnow**: Share same URL list from config
- **image-optimization**: Image sitemap extension for image discovery
- **video-optimization**: Video sitemap extension for video discoveryRelated Skills
website-structure
When the user wants to plan website structure, decide which pages to build, or prioritize pages for a new or existing site. Also use when the user mentions "website structure," "site structure," "which pages do I need," "page planning," "sitemap planning," "Must Have pages," "website architecture," or "site hierarchy." For a specific page template (e.g. homepage), use homepage-generator or landing-page-generator as appropriate. Not for organic SEO roadmap alone; use seo-strategy.
seo-strategy
When the user wants to plan SEO strategy, prioritize SEO work, or understand the SEO workflow. Also use when the user mentions "SEO strategy," "SEO plan," "SEO roadmap," "SEO priority," "SEO audit," "SEO workflow," "where to start SEO," "SEO approach," "organic growth strategy," "why SEO," "SEO value," or "search strategy." For technical/crawl audit execution, use seo-audit. For keyword research, use keyword-research. For AI search visibility, use generative-engine-optimization.
seo-audit
When the user wants to run an SEO audit, technical SEO audit, or site health check. Also use when the user mentions "SEO audit," "technical audit," "site audit," "crawl audit," "indexing audit," "SEO health," or "fix SEO issues." For prioritization and organic strategy, use seo-strategy. For GSC data analysis, use google-search-console.
retention-strategy
When the user wants to reduce churn, improve customer retention, or plan lifecycle marketing. Also use when the user mentions "retention," "churn," "customer lifecycle," "churn prevention," "at-risk customers," or "loyalty program." For lifecycle, use growth-funnel.
research-sources
When the user wants to find information sources for content ideation, competitor monitoring, or industry tracking. Also use when the user mentions "research sources," "information sources," "content ideation," "industry monitoring," "competitor monitoring," "market intelligence," "content research," or "topic research." For keywords, use keyword-research.
product-launch
When the user wants to plan a product launch, execute launch channels, or create a launch checklist. Also use when the user mentions "product launch," "launch strategy," "product announcement," "launch channels," or "market launch." For GTM motion and positioning, use gtm-strategy. For cold start and first users, use cold-start-strategy. For Product Hunt day-of, use product-hunt-launch.
pmf-strategy
When the user wants to validate product-market fit, measure PMF, or plan before scaling. Also use when the user mentions "PMF," "product-market fit," "product market fit," "Sean Ellis test," "very disappointed," "vitamin vs painkiller," "PMF validation," "premature scaling," or "validate before scale." For GTM after validation, use gtm-strategy.
indie-hacker-strategy
When the user wants indie hacker or bootstrapping founder strategy—growth, channels, Build in Public, or solo founder tactics. Also use when the user mentions "indie hacker," "indie developer," "bootstrapping," "bootstrapped founder," "solo founder," "Build in Public," "scratch your own itch," "Micro-SaaS," "first 100 users," or "solo company." For cold start, use cold-start-strategy.
gtm-strategy
When the user wants to plan go-to-market strategy, GTM framework, or market entry. Also use when the user mentions "GTM," "go-to-market," "market entry," "new market," "repositioning," "PLG," "sales-led," "product-led," "marketing-led," "ICP," "buyer persona," "GTM motion," or "market expansion." For launch checklist, use product-launch.
growth-funnel
When the user wants to plan growth using the AARRR framework, diagnose growth bottlenecks, or map actions across the customer lifecycle. Also use when the user mentions "growth funnel," "AARRR," "pirate metrics," "acquisition activation retention," "customer lifecycle metrics," or "growth framework." For retention tactics, use retention-strategy.
conversion-optimization
When the user wants to improve conversion rates, run A/B tests, optimize funnels, or reduce friction. Also use when the user mentions "CRO," "conversion rate optimization," "A/B test," "split test," "funnel optimization," "checkout optimization," "form optimization," or "conversion funnel." For pricing psychology, use pricing-strategy.
cold-start-strategy
When the user wants to plan cold start, get first users, or launch a new product with zero traction. Also use when the user mentions "cold start," "cold start problem," "first users," "seed users," "finding users," "finding early users," "Fiverr Upwork," "comment outreach," "Twitter search users," "product launch strategy," "0 to 1 growth," "early-stage acquisition," "launch channels," "get first customers," "Product Hunt launch," "AppSumo," "LTD," "indie hacker," "bootstrapping," or "solo founder." For directory listing copy and submissions, use directory-submission. For Product Hunt day-of execution, use product-hunt-launch. For GTM motion design, use gtm-strategy.