Sitemap not as expected 
Author: P. SPlease can someone help with my sitemap problems?
I have X5 professional, and have ticked "Created a sitemap automatically", I have removed all site files, and re-uploaded. I have checked and double checked the advanced settings "Add" to sitemap" are as required.
When i look at the files uploaded, i can see these: imsitemap.html and sitemap.xml, the files show in imsitemap include pages clearly marked as "do not include in sitemap" i.e. unticked.
Why are they there? They may have been previously set but not now, and i have cleared the browser.
Also, when viewing the sitemap.xml file from within google webtools the file imsitemap.html is shown as a file included in the sitemap, why?
I do not want the sitemap to be shown in google results, how do i remove it?
I have tried to get help from Incomedia, but no response.
(sitemap.xml is included in the robots file when view on google robots tester)
Thanks
PS,
Thanks for your question, let me try and answer these.
First of all don't mixup sitemap.xml file with imsitemap.html, these are two totally different files.
The sitemap that google uses is sitemap.xlm, they introduced this file to make crawling the internet more easy and faster.
The site you set in the expert page of every page using the properties button in step 2 are specially for sitemap.xlm only.
This brings me to imsitemap.html this is a page that shows your menu in a different way then on your site, it is a seperate file and a copy your menu.
So if you remove a page from sitemap in the expert section it will be removed form the sitemap.xlm file no more then that, this way google bot will not index it through the sitemap.xml.
If you hide a page from your main menu (step2 hide button on top) it will be displayed in sitemap.xml if set so in the expert section but will be removed from imsitemap.html.
Your other question about the sitemap not wanted in the sitemap.xml file;
You can set it also not to show by using properties button in step 2 on the general sitemap (special pages area in step2)
Hope this helps !
Author
Thankyou for your help, this is exactly what i was looking for.
Just one issue, i can not find any thing called sitemap in special pages for the last point i mentioned.
I have a "Special Pages" folder, but it only has a sub folder called "Private Area", nothing about sitemap. I have password protected pages so i assume it is for that.
If i look at the properties for the "Private Area", add to sitemap it is unticked.
Am i missing something?
Thanks
Ha je spreekt NL zie, is veel makkelijker, maar dan komen er vast weer andere vragen, naar het Engels maar even.....
The sitemap is always automaticly created (although not used untill you say so)
You can find it in special pages in step 2. see prtscrn, goto properties button to disable it from the google sitemap file.
Author
I don't have that, i have the "Special Pages" as in your picture, but no "General Sitemap", just "Private Area".
I can see the option to "Automatically Create Sitemap" in section 4, is this the same?
I am using X5 Professional.
Thanks
No that is the google sitemap (xls file), let me check if i can find it. It starts up for me even with a brand new project, I'm testing in Pro version as well.
I can't find it, just create one then it should be added in special pages as well.
select in step 2 new level , use properties button, in the pop up menu select site map.
then prview. Hope it fills it in then. I can't test it because it''s already filled in from the start .... strangly ....
Author
Ok, when i create a new project the "General Sitemap" is created and appears in the special pages.
But in my project, which has been imported from the previous versions of X5 it is not created.
It won't let me add a level to "Special Pages", so i am not sure how to create the page.
Something must be wrong with my files...
Just tested further cause another question, the sitemap is created the moment you create a footer menu.
Then you can remove it from the google sitemap.
If you have no footer menu it is standard in the google sitemap. This can then only be removed manually at this point. I suggest to create an IDEA post for Incomedia, to make an option for removing the imsitemap from sitemap.xls if not used in your site (eather as level or in the /with footer menu).
Author
Ok, now i have got the footer menu displayed, and as you say, the "General Sitemap" appears in the "Special Pages" section and i can go into properties and untick the "Add to sitemap".
However, if i then remove the footer menu, so it's not displayed on the webpage, will it remember not to publish the imsitemap.html?
Thanks for all your help.
Author
I have now checked everything.
So the imsitmap.html will be added to the sitemap.xml automatically and could be shown in google search results, unless you untick "Add To Sitemap" in the "General Sitemap" page under "Special Pages".
If this page is missing, you must add a footer menu, make it appear, then untick the box as above, then remove the footer menu.
I have checked that it is then not added to the sitemap.xml.