Sitemap

Choose which content types appear in your XML sitemaps and keep the sitemap index manageable as your site grows.

Overview

Sitemap decides which post types and taxonomies appear in your XML sitemap index. It helps you keep search engine attention on the parts of your site that matter most.

Admin path: Airygen SEO -> Settings -> Sitemap

This module is especially useful when your site has multiple content types, utility taxonomies, or archive sections that should not all be emphasized equally.

Settings

The page is organized into Scope and Configuration.

Scope

Use this section to decide what content is included in XML sitemaps.

  • Post types lets you choose which post types are included in the sitemap.
  • Taxonomies lets you choose which taxonomies are included in the sitemap.
  • Exclude empty taxonomies removes taxonomy archives that do not currently contain content.

Configuration

Use this section to control sitemap page size and verify the generated sitemap index.

  • Items per sitemap page controls how many URLs appear in each sitemap page.
  • The dropdown offers values from 500 to 5,000.
  • Preview link shows the generated sitemap index URL and lets you copy it for testing.

How to Use

  1. Open Airygen SEO -> Settings -> Sitemap.
  2. In Scope, select the post types that should appear in your XML sitemap.
  3. In the same section, select the taxonomies that should appear in the sitemap.
  4. Turn on Exclude empty taxonomies if you do not want empty archive pages listed.
  5. In Configuration, choose an Items per sitemap page value that matches your site size and server comfort level.
  6. Copy the Preview link, open it in a new tab, and confirm that the sitemap index includes the sections you expect.
  7. Save the settings and recheck the preview link after major content or taxonomy changes.

Check these items after saving:

  • The sitemap index includes only the post types and taxonomies you want search engines to crawl.
  • Empty taxonomy archives stay out of the sitemap when Exclude empty taxonomies is enabled.
  • The sitemap is split into pages at a size that feels reasonable for your site.

SEO Benefits

A well-scoped sitemap helps search engines focus on your important content and reduces sitemap clutter. It also makes indexing workflows easier to review in tools like Google Search Console.

User Cases

Publisher sites with many content types

Before: A publisher has articles, pages, campaigns, and utility content, but only some of those sections should be emphasized in sitemaps.

After: Sitemap lets the team include only the main publishing areas and keep low-value content out of the sitemap index.

Large taxonomy-driven sites

Before: A site has many categories or tags that exist in the system but do not yet contain useful content.

After: Exclude empty taxonomies keeps those archive URLs out of the sitemap until they become worth crawling.

FAQ

Can I include only certain post types in the sitemap?

Yes. The Post types controls let you choose exactly which post types are included.

Why would I lower the Items per sitemap page setting?

Lower values can be safer on larger sites because each sitemap page contains fewer URLs and is easier for the server to generate.

How do I verify the sitemap result?

Use the Preview link, open the sitemap index in a new tab, and confirm that the expected sections appear.