Checking Sitemaps Regularly
Note when your sitemap changes unexpectedly.
A CMS update can remove important URLs from the sitemap. A change of range can leave old entries behind. Daily monitoring helps to detect and classify such changes.
From starter for 19 € net/month for monthly payment, plus VAT
A file that rarely anyone opens
After an update, an important URL may simply be missing.
The sitemap is often generated automatically by the CMS or shop. This is convenient – until a rule, extension or page setting changes. Then an entire category can disappear from the file, even though their pages are still accessible in the browser.
The sitemap monitoring of the SEO Suite checks sitemap files and contained URLs regularly. It makes new and removed entries as well as eye-catching HTTP responses visible. This gives you an opportunity to compare the generated URL inventory with the intended state of your website.
When this exam is worthwhile
- After changes to the Sitemap plugin or the CMS configuration.
- For frequently changing product and category URLs.
- After a relaunch with new addresses.
- When controlling editorial settings, which pages appear in the sitemap.
The sitemap is only a view of your URL inventory. Pages that were never included in it can not be recognized as missing by comparing the entries.
Make a check out of the message
Was the entry intentionally added or disappeared?
| Observation | Possible classification and next examination |
|---|---|
| An important category has been missing since the last measurement. | Check the page and sitemap settings in the CMS. Is the page still published and should it be in the sitemap? |
| A new entry redirects to a different URL. | Check whether the sitemap should already contain the intended final destination address. |
| An old campaign page has been removed. | Balance the change with the planned campaign end. Check whether existing links still work well. |
| An included target responds with an HTTP error. | Open the URL directly and investigate the cause. A sitemap entry makes a faulty page unreachable. |
A change is not automatically a malfunction. What matters is whether the file contains the URLs that you actually want to publish and make findable.
Own test sequence
Sitemap testing and website crawl have different quotas.
Sitemap monitoring already runs daily from Starter. It uses its own quota for checking the contained URLs. This must be distinguished from the URL set of the website audit. Therefore, a larger crawl quota does not automatically mean the same scope for sitemap checks.
| Plan | Sitemap URLs | Website crawl |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 100 | weekly |
| Pro | 500 | weekly |
| Business | 2,000 | Daily |
| Agency | 5,000 | Daily |
The quotas apply jointly to the account. Especially for several projects, check whether the covered scope covers your important sitemap URLs. For unchecked targets, no all-clear can be derived from an inconspicuous result.
The limitation of this test
A clean sitemap does not confirm Google indexing.
What you're watching here
The monitoring examines the sitemap and the technical answers of the targets examined in the contingent. It does not ask for each entry whether Google indexed the URL or which canonical URL Google selected.
A sitemap helps search engines discover URLs. It does not guarantee their indexing or better rankings. Google Explains the Role of Sitemaps. Use your Search Console to supplement the indexing status.
This is how they begin.
Check your sitemap first with the Free Sitemap Checker. For regular monitoring, then activate Sitemap monitoring in the suite project and control the email settings.
Starter costs 19 € net per month with monthly payment, plus VAT. Sitemap monitoring is part of the SEO suite; a separate sitemap subscription is not required.
Good to know
Questions about the daily sitemap check
Is sitemap monitoring already included in Starter?
Yes. Starter includes daily sitemap monitoring within its own contingent of 100 sitemap URLs. The regular website crawl runs weekly in Starter. Activate monitoring in the project.
Does the Sitemap quota apply per project?
No. It applies jointly to the account. Pro includes 500, business 2,000 and agency 5,000 sitemap URLs. This extent must be distinguished from the URL quota of the website crawl.
Does the check recognize all pages that are missing in my sitemap?
Among other things, it detects changes in the recorded sitemap inventory. A URL that was never in the sitemap cannot be deduced as missing from this comparison. Therefore, compare your important pages with the intended URL inventory.
Does a successful audit confirm Google indexing?
No. It shows the technical status of the tested sitemap and targets. For the actual indexing status, use your Search Console. A sitemap is not an indexing or ranking promise.
Appropriate next steps
Connecting sitemap data with other checks
- SEO crawlers
Examine the website beyond the sitemap inventory.
- Monitor indexability
Observe noindex, robots rules and canonicals of important pages.
- Shop monitoring
Assortment changes and technical shop changes.
- Relaunch monitoring
Check new URL structures after a move.