A sitemap lists the production URLs you want search engines to discover. It complements navigation but does not guarantee indexing.
Include intended canonical pages
List valid public URLs that represent the preferred version of their content. Exclude staging pages, broken URLs and destinations intentionally kept out of search. Keep protocol, hostname and trailing-slash conventions consistent with the site. A sitemap should not contradict the canonical and indexing rules on its own pages.
Generate from the publishing source
Automate updates from the page collection where practical. Use accurate modification dates when supplied, rather than marking every page changed on each build. Larger sites may use a sitemap index. Validate that both language versions appear at their intended URLs after a content release.
Monitor discovery separately from inclusion
Submit the sitemap through the appropriate search tool and inspect processing errors. Compare listed URLs with live responses. If pages remain unindexed, investigate their content, links and directives instead of repeatedly resubmitting the same file. Keep the sitemap reachable after hosting or domain changes.