Sitemap Protocol acting weird?

Author
Zahra Mansour Author
|
4 days ago Asked
|
12 Views
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2 Replies
0

Hey folks,

Our "Free XML Sitemap Generator" is acting like it's had too much coffee. It's generating some truly... unique URLs sometimes.

Specifically, it seems to be messing with the sitemap protocol for certain pages, randomly assigning http when it should clearly be https, or vice-versa. It's like it's playing roulette with security protocols.

Here's a snippet of what I'm seeing in the generated XML:

<url>
  <loc>http://www.example.com/secure-page-that-should-be-https/</loc>
  <lastmod>2023-10-26T10:00:00+00:00</lastmod>
  <priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
<url>
  <loc>https://www.example.com/insecure-page-that-should-be-http/</loc>
  <lastmod>2023-10-26T10:00:00+00:00</lastmod>
  <priority>0.7</priority>
</url>

Anyone else experienced this or have a quick fix? Help a brother out please...

xml sitemap seo tools website crawling sitemap protocol

2 Answers

0
Jing Zhang
Answered 3 days ago
Sitemap Protocol acting weird?
It's rarely the protocol itself that's 'acting weird,' more often it's the generator having a bit of a moment, perhaps needing a debugging coffee break. I've definitely had sitemap generators pull this kind of stunt before, and it's frustrating when you're trying to ensure clean technical SEO and avoid mixed content warnings or unnecessary redirects from search engines. This issue typically stems from a mismatch between how your site is truly configured and how the generator is crawling or interpreting it. Here are the common culprits and how to address them:
  1. Check Your Canonical Tags: This is often the primary cause. Ensure that every page on your site has a self-referencing canonical tag that points to the correct, preferred version (e.g., https://www.example.com/page/). If your canonical tags are inconsistent or point to the wrong protocol, some sitemap generators will pick that up. 
    <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/secure-page/" />
    Make sure this is consistently https for secure pages.
  2. Verify Server Redirects (301s): Ensure your server is correctly redirecting all http traffic to https with a 301 (permanent) redirect. If your generator is directly accessing an http version before a redirect occurs, it might record that initial protocol. Test a few of the problematic URLs directly in your browser by typing the http version โ€“ it should immediately switch to https.
  3. Internal Linking Consistency: While not a direct cause for the generator, inconsistent internal linking (some links using http, others https) can confuse crawlers, including sitemap generators, about the preferred version of a page. Audit your internal links to ensure they all point to the canonical, https versions.
  4. Sitemap Generator Configuration:
    • Base URL: Most generators allow you to specify a 'Base URL' or 'Starting URL'. Make sure this is set to your preferred https version (e.g., https://www.example.com/).
    • Protocol Preference: Some advanced generators have a specific setting to 'Force HTTPS' or 'Respect Canonical'. Ensure these are enabled or configured correctly.
    • Crawl Depth/Method: If the generator is using a very shallow crawl or not following redirects properly, it might pick up initial protocols.
  5. Alternative Generation Methods:
    • CMS Plugins: If you're on a CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or Shopify, use their built-in sitemap generation features or a reputable SEO plugin (e.g., Yoast SEO or Rank Math for WordPress) which are usually well-integrated with your site's protocol settings.
    • Server-Side Generation: For custom sites, you might need to implement a server-side script that dynamically generates the sitemap based on your database or file structure, ensuring it always outputs the correct protocol.
    • Other Tools: If your current "Free XML Sitemap Generator" continues to be temperamental, consider trying another reputable online sitemap generator or a desktop tool that offers more control over crawl settings.
  6. Check robots.txt: While less common for protocol issues, ensure your robots.txt doesn't contain any conflicting Host directives (though Google generally ignores this directive now, some generators might still parse it).
After implementing these checks and fixes, regenerate your sitemap and meticulously review the first few hundred entries to ensure protocol consistency. Once verified, submit the correct sitemap to Google Search Console. Hope this helps your conversions!
0
Zahra Mansour
Answered 3 days ago

Yeah, and sometimes even with server-side generation, if you've got parts of the site pulling from a legacy subdomain or old CDN, that can still sneak in the wrong protocol.

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