XML Sitemap

A file listing all indexable URLs on a site, submitted to search engines.

An XML sitemap is a file (usually at /sitemap.xml) listing all indexable URLs on a site along with metadata like last modification date and change frequency. It helps crawlers discover content efficiently.

Modern AI crawlers use sitemaps the same way traditional search crawlers do. Keeping your sitemap current is a prerequisite for consistent AI citation.

Related terms

Canonical URL

The preferred URL for a page when multiple versions exist.

robots.txt

A text file telling crawlers which parts of a site they can and can't access.