Developing Online Google Sitemap Generator

[Bubb1es]

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Hi All,

I'm currently developing an XML Google sitemap generator. I wanted to get some input from fellow webmasters/users.

Currently the generator will crawl a website and list every link within an XML file ready for Google. I use XML sitemaps on about sixty websites, but found that there are restrictions on free sitemap generators I've been using.

I was toying with the idea of making users link to the site before a sitemap can be generated, to stop people from crawling competitors sites - what do you think about this? do you have any other ideas?

Any ideas from people who use sitemap generators would be seriously considered.

Do any of you use online sitemap generators?

[jhood]

Yes, I used an online XML generator for one of my sites. Had to edit the finished result manually, but it saved a lot of time!

[esnagel]

Similar to verifying your site with Google, you could request a specific meta tag to be present or file exists on the server, to verify the user is, indeed, the site owner.

How will you handle priority?

Do you plan on obeying the robots.txt file and / or robots meta tag?

[Barry]

I run an online sitemap generator

Its a fairly good idea for creating backlinks, but would placing those restrictions give good pr and keep people coming back to the site for its ease of use? Fair do's you may get a few backlinks, but if you can come up with a decent crawler and sitemap maker, you will get alot better links from major sites praising you than you will from a few webmasters who have had a sitemap made for their homepage.

Just thoughts.....

[Bubb1es]

Thanks for the response so far.

Currently you can set the priority, last modified date and frequency on a global scale, you would have to edit the final XML to edit different settings for separate urls.

Obeying the robots.txt file has crossed my mind several times and I'm seriously thinking of adding that feature, although I may introduce at a later date.

[Frostie]

I just use the following once every while;
http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/

[Bubb1es]

I've had some ideas since posting this:

For up to 50 links nothing needs to be set up on the target website
For 51 - 500 links a comment tag needs to be added to the home page code.

Over that I'm still toying with the idea, maybe a link, maybe registration

Because this will be an online completely free XML sitemap generator, I don't want users abusing the system.

I plan to let users go up to around 5000 links.

What do you think?

[jhood]

I just use the following once every while;
http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/

I'd overlooked adding a link to the site!