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Sitemap questions (7 posts)

  1. WWDay3
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Question 1. I downloaded and dropped the XML site-wide sitemap into my MU-plugins folder (the sitemap from wpmudev.org). The instructions have a couple .htaccess mods. Does it matter where in the "flow" of the .htaccess file those mods go? Since the plugin is now in the MU-plugins folder, should I see something somewhere (options? manage?). Should I disable he "regular" sitemap plugin I have installed? The plugin description says to visit the suthors blog for more info, but a blog URL is not listed.

    Question 2. Concerning the "regular" sitemap plugin (Google Sitemaps 2.7.1), from reading through posts, I get the idea the sitemap.xml file is supposed to "live" somewhere in the blogs.dir folder. However, I cannot find it anywhere. There does not seem to be a blogs.dir/5/files folder (is that where it should be?) In fact, not all of the blogs I have created have a corresponding numbered folder in blogs.dir - only the blogs I have set up with userthemes. I'm getting quite confused here.

    Thanks,
    Wally

    P.S. - If I'm not making sense, it's probably because I'm not yet asking the questions correctly :(

  2. drmiketemp
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Suggestion: Please go a search for 'Google Sitemap' as this plugin has been discussed at great length with a number of threads in the past along with ways to get the individual blogs validated. (*chuckle* In your last thread, you went to great length about how you searched. Did you pass on it this time?)

    1) I add the rules in with the uploaded files lines. I don't recall if they have to go in the front or behind the ones already present.

    Do not put it in the mu-plugins directory. Put it in the plugins subdiretcory and make it optional for your endusers. It'll screw up all the importing and get your site banned pretty quick.

    2) The regular sitemap downloaded from Anne's site does not work on mu. Fixes were discussed previously here on the forums .

    The upload directory is created when the first upload is made. It is not made upon blog creation. (Also been discussed in the past.) Another good reason to make the plugin optional.

    Hope this helps,
    -drmike

  3. WWDay3
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    The problem I have with searching this site is two-fold.

    First, it seems that if I get a "hit" on a thread, many times that thread detours away from the subject or other "mini-conversations" start up that I don't seem to be privvy to. The second issue is the google indexing on this site seems to be way off. Yesterday I tried a search term, it looked like I got a good hit, and the RSS feed it displayed had nothing to do with the search term?? I tried to "re-find" the thread by doing alternate searches, and no matches came up.

    So, to answer the first question - yes, I did try various searches. Just didn't get anywhere. I don't do well with 1/4 answer here and 1/8 answer there... (my fault)

    For example. I started out by determining that when I manually built a site-map, I could not display it. Hmmm. That's not good. So, I searched for "google sitemap". I found posts on .htaccess and then some on where it "lives" in the files folder. Say whaaat?. Well, I wanted to see if the sitemap I had generated was there. I found a files folder in one blog, none for other blogs, not even a tree for other blogs, and the only thing in the one I did find was an image I had uploaded (I understand that part *now*). At this point I was totally confused and frustrated, and I really thought the folders must have been created using userthemes (the obvious conclusion for me at that time), which should *not* be a requirement to run anything. Like they say - you don't know what you don't know.

    Back to the questions. You're saying don't put the MU-sitemap plug-in into the MU-plugins directory? I was following the instructions listed inside the plug-in. How is it supposed to index all blogs if it's not in that directory?

    And, now I'm even more confused. Site maps have to reside in a directory that may or may not be created? What's up with that?

  4. WWDay3
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Addendum: I assume if I see 'wp-inst/' in a post I should now read that as just '/'?

  5. drmiketemp
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Search with the link in the sticky, not the one on the top of the site. (I believe it says something to that effect in the sticky)

    You're saying don't put the MU-sitemap plug-in into the MU-plugins directory?

    That's what I said. :) Put it in the plugins subdirectory for the reasons I mention up above. The person who did the fixes for that plugin didn't realize the issues I discussed up above. Note there's a reason why I mentioned that it will get your sites banned. :)

    If you make it optional, your end users will be able to turn the plugin off during an import. If they don't and import a 1300 post file from somewhere else, then if they leave the plugin turned on, it will ping Google 1300 times plus slow down the import as well.

    How is it supposed to index all blogs if it's not in that directory?

    It will if your end users turn on that plugin if they want to. Also remember that the sitemap is pretty much useless unless your end users have a method of validating their sites. Either you're going to have to work out a plugin for them to place in a meta tag (which would probably be best so they can leave it in there like google wants) or setup a rewrite rule like wp.com has it. With that rewrite rule, you can get Google to verify your blogs using this method.

    Site maps have to reside in a directory that may or may not be created? What's up with that?

    Exactly what I said. The blog's upload directory doesn't get created until something is uploaded. I've brought it up on trac but it got closed. Another plus for making it optional for your end users.

  6. WWDay3
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Hmmm. I've started from the sticky, but I usually refine a search by using the search box at the top of the page. My bad (or forum bad).

  7. chtaca
    Member
    Posted 15 years ago #

    I have obtained a site map for my web page but do not know where to insert it in the html.

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