Why Doesn't diib Recognize My Sitemap?

Overview

When diib scans your website, it checks for the presence of an XML sitemap to help search engines index your content more effectively. However, you may receive a notification that your sitemap was not detected, even though you know it exists on your site. This article explains why this happens and how you can verify that your sitemap is properly installed.

Why diib May Not Detect Your Sitemap

Standard Path Locations

diib looks for sitemaps in what are called "standard paths." These are the most common locations where websites place their XML sitemaps. The standard paths include:

• Root directory: yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
• Root directory with variations: yourwebsite.com/sitemap-index.xml or yourwebsite.com/sitemap1.xml
• Specified in robots.txt: A reference to your sitemap location within your robots.txt file

When a sitemap is placed in these standard locations, our software can easily identify and verify its existence. If your sitemap is located elsewhere on your website—such as in a subdirectory, under a different name, or in a non-standard format—diib may not be able to detect it during its scan.

Non-Standard Path Example

Some websites place their sitemaps in locations that are similar to, but not exactly matching, the standard paths. For example, a sitemap located at yourwebsite.com/sitemap_index.xml (using an underscore instead of a hyphen) would be considered a non-standard path. While this naming convention is close to the standard sitemap-index.xml, it is not recognized as a standard location by diib or most search engines. If your sitemap is at a non-standard path like this, diib will not be able to detect it through a standard scan. However, you can still ensure search engines find your sitemap by referencing it in your robots.txt file with a Sitemap: directive, as described in Step 2 of the verification process below.

XML Sitemaps Only

It's important to note that diib only scans for XML sitemaps. We do not detect or scan for HTML sitemaps. XML sitemaps are the format that search engines like Google and Bing use to crawl and index your website more efficiently. If you only have an HTML sitemap on your site, diib will not identify it.

How to Verify Your Sitemap Exists

If you believe your sitemap is installed but diib has not detected it, follow these steps to confirm its existence:

Step 1: Check the Standard Locations

Open your web browser and try accessing your sitemap directly by typing these URLs into your address bar (replace yourwebsite.com with your actual domain):

• yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
• yourwebsite.com/sitemap-index.xml

If your sitemap exists in one of these locations, you should see an XML file displayed in your browser (it may show as raw code or a formatted view, depending on your browser).

Step 2: Check Your robots.txt File

Your sitemap location may be referenced in your robots.txt file. To view this file, navigate to:

• yourwebsite.com/robots.txt

Open this file and look for a line that starts with Sitemap: followed by a URL. For example: 

Sitemap: https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml

If you see this line, your sitemap exists at the location specified.

Step 3: Verify the File Content

Once you've found your sitemap file, verify that it contains actual content. A valid XML sitemap will show a structured format with <url> entries, each containing information about pages on your website. It should look similar to this: 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://yourwebsite.com/page1</loc>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://yourwebsite.com/page2</loc>
  </url>
</urlset>

What to Do If You Confirm Your Sitemap Exists

If you've successfully verified that your XML sitemap exists and is accessible at a standard location or referenced in your robots.txt file, you can safely ignore the diib notification about a missing sitemap. Your sitemap is properly installed and functioning.

However, if your sitemap is located in a non-standard path that diib cannot detect, we recommend considering moving it to one of the standard locations listed above. This will ensure that not only does diib detect it, but search engines can also more reliably find and use your sitemap for indexing your site.

Summary

• diib detects XML sitemaps only, not HTML sitemaps
• diib looks in standard locations: the root directory and references in robots.txt
• You can verify your sitemap exists by accessing it directly in your browser or checking your robots.txt file
• Once confirmed, you can ignore the diib notification if your sitemap is properly installed