XML Sitemap

A structured file listing the canonical URLs on your site so crawlers can discover them efficiently.

Definition

An XML sitemap is a file (typically at `/sitemap.xml`) that lists your site's important URLs along with optional metadata like last-modified dates and change frequency. It gives crawlers a reliable map of pages that might not be reachable through normal link-following, such as new content or deeply nested pages.

Why it matters for AI visibility

Crawlers with limited budget will prioritize pages they can discover quickly. A clean, accurate sitemap ensures your most important brand, product, and editorial pages are known — rather than discovered only if a crawler happens to follow a link to them.

robots.txtA plain-text file at the root of your domain that tells crawlers which paths they may or may not fetch.

Canonical URLA tag that tells crawlers which URL is the definitive version when duplicate or similar pages exist.

↗ Checklist: XML sitemapAn XML sitemap tells crawlers which canonical URLs exist and which pages matter.

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