⚙️ Sitemap Options
The Advanced Sitemap Generator offers multiple options to customize your sitemap output:
XML Header Option
When the checkbox "Include XML header and namespace declarations" is checked, your sitemap will include the XML declaration and urlset namespace:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://zgame.in/category/adventure_games</loc>
</url>
</urlset>
LastMod (Last Modification Date)
When "Include lastmod" is checked, each URL entry will include a last modification date in ISO 8601 format with timezone:
<url>
<loc>https://zgame.in/category/adventure_games</loc>
<lastmod>2025-10-05T09:27:26+00:00</lastmod>
</url>
You can set a custom date/time using the date picker or click "Use Current Time" to automatically set it to now.
Priority
When "Include priority" is checked, each URL will include a priority value between 0.0 and 1.0:
<url>
<loc>https://zgame.in/category/adventure_games</loc>
<priority>0.80</priority>
</url>
Default priority is 0.80, but you can adjust it based on page importance. Homepage is typically 1.0, major sections 0.8, and regular pages 0.5-0.6.
Change Frequency
When "Include changefreq" is checked, each URL will include how often the page is likely to change:
<url>
<loc>https://zgame.in/category/adventure_games</loc>
<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
</url>
Available options: always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, never. Choose based on your update frequency.
Complete Example with All Options
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://zgame.in/category/adventure_games</loc>
<lastmod>2025-10-05T09:27:26+00:00</lastmod>
<priority>0.80</priority>
<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
</url>
</urlset>
✅ Recommended Setting
For best SEO results, include all metadata fields. This gives search engines more information about your content and helps with crawl prioritization.
🛠️ Additional Features
Validate URLs
Click the "Validate URLs" button to check if all entered URLs are properly formatted. The tool will show you:
- Total number of valid URLs
- Number of invalid URLs (if any)
- Error messages for problematic URLs
Use Current Time
The "Use Current Time" button automatically sets the lastmod date/time to the current moment. Perfect for fresh content or regular updates.
Clear All
Use the "Clear All" button to reset the tool and start fresh. This removes all input and output data.
Copy to Clipboard
Click the "Copy" button to instantly copy the generated sitemap to your clipboard. Perfect for pasting into files or other tools.
Download Sitemap
The "Download" button saves your sitemap as a sitemap.xml file, ready to upload to your website's root directory.
Real-Time Updates
When you change any option (checkboxes, priority, changefreq, date), the sitemap automatically regenerates if URLs are already loaded. No need to click convert again!
💡 Tips & Tricks
🎯 Organize Your URLs
Before converting, organize your URLs in a text editor. Group similar pages together and remove duplicates to create a clean, efficient sitemap.
📊 Track Your Statistics
The tool shows the total URL count. Use this to ensure you're within sitemap limits (50,000 URLs per file).
🔄 Regular Updates
Update your sitemap regularly when adding new pages. Use current timestamps for new content and keep existing lastmod dates accurate.
✨ Clean URLs
Remove tracking parameters, session IDs, and unnecessary query strings from URLs before adding them to your sitemap.
⚡ Use Metadata Wisely
Don't include metadata just because you can. Use priority to highlight important pages, changefreq for pages that actually change, and lastmod only for pages that have been modified.
🎨 Priority Strategy
Create a priority hierarchy: Homepage (1.0) → Main Categories (0.8) → Subcategories (0.6) → Individual Pages (0.5) → Archives (0.3). This helps search engines understand your site structure.
📅 Date Formats
The tool automatically formats dates in ISO 8601 format with timezone (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS±HH:MM). This is the standard format required by search engines.
🔍 Test Your Sitemap
After generating, validate your sitemap using Google Search Console's sitemap testing tool or online XML validators before submitting.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need to include all metadata fields?
A: No, only <loc> is required. Include lastmod, priority, and changefreq only if you have meaningful data for them. Search engines can work with minimal sitemaps.
Q: What priority should I use for different pages?
A: Homepage: 1.0, Main sections: 0.8, Category pages: 0.6-0.7, Individual content: 0.5, Archives: 0.3-0.4. Adjust based on your site's structure.
Q: How often should I update my sitemap?
A: Update whenever you add new pages or make significant changes. For dynamic sites, automate sitemap generation. For static sites, monthly updates are usually sufficient.
Q: Can I create multiple sitemaps?
A: Yes! Create separate sitemaps for different sections (e.g., products, blog posts, static pages) and reference them in a sitemap index file.
Q: What's the best changefreq setting?
A: Be honest: "always" for real-time content, "daily" for news/blogs, "weekly" for regularly updated sections, "monthly" for stable pages, "yearly" for archives.
Q: Should lastmod be the same for all URLs?
A: No! Use actual modification dates. If all dates are the same, search engines may ignore this field. Use "Use Current Time" only for new/updated content.