Dynamic SiteMap V 1.0

[michael_s]

We've used the Dynamic SiteMap 2.0 for a while and liked the map it provided for users of our web site but needed something that would generate XML sitemaps for the search engines. I had also noticed that the category paths generated by Dynamic SiteMap weren't complete. Unfortunately I couldn't seem to find a contribution that provided both a user sitemap and a complete XML sitemap.

This version corrects the user sitemap with completely nested category links that will show the complete path in the navigation bar. Some extraneous code was removed from the file and all code for the catalog side dynamic sitemap has been condensed into one file rather than being spread among four files.

The ability to create XML sitemaps has been added to the admin side using the sitemap maintenance module provided by the dynamic sitemaps contribution as a starting point. Creating a new set of XML sitemaps is as simple as choosing file change frequencies and your time zone (or accepting the defaults) and clicking a button. Files excluded from the dynamic sitemap will also be excluded from the XML sitemap.

Many of the XML sitemap contributions I looked at create only partial sitemaps. One only listed products and left out the critical time zone information from the sitemap. Others I've seen only listed categories. This contribution creates a complete set of site maps that cover every possible page of your web site with a site map index to point search engines to the other site map files.

Every main page in your web site will be listed in the XML map except for those that you specifically mark as excluded in site map maintenance. Every in stock product will be listed in the XML maps as will every page of specials, categories and manufacturers. Note that means EVERY page of every category, special and manufacturer is listed. It doesn't point search engines to the first page and hope that they find the following pages themselves, it shows them where EVERYTHING is located. Since each type of sitemap is created in its own file only the largest of stores should have to worry about the site map files exceeding the 50,000 listing limit.

More...