A `sitemap.xml` file is an XML file that lists the URLs of a website to help search engines like Google index the site more effectively. Here are some key points about `sitemap.xml`:
- Purpose: It informs search engines about the pages on your site that are available for crawling.
- Structure: It typically includes the following elements:
- urlset: The root element that wraps all the URLs.
- url: Each individual URL entry.
- loc: The location of the URL.
- lastmod: The last modification date of the URL.
- changefreq: How frequently the URL is expected to change.
- priority: The priority of the URL relative to other URLs on the site.
- Format: It must be well-formed XML.
- Location: Usually placed in the root directory of the website (e.g., https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml).
- Submission: You can submit your sitemap to search engines via their webmaster tools.
Here’s a simple example of a `sitemap.xml` file:
https://www.example.com/
2023-10-01
monthly
1.0
https://www.example.com/about
2023-09-01
yearly
0.8
Using a `sitemap.xml` can enhance your website's