Static implementation guide
Sitemap Integrity Checks
Generate a small deterministic sitemap whose URLs, dates, canonical metadata, and internal links remain in lockstep.
Last updated 2026-08-25
Generate from validated content
The sitemap is a build artifact derived from the same guide collection that drives static paths and home-page links. It includes the gateway home, about page, and one entry for every real guide. Guide dates come from the content record rather than the build clock, so an unchanged article does not appear newly updated after each deployment.
Every XML value is escaped, URLs are deduplicated, and production locations must use the configured HTTPS gateway origin. The generator rejects placeholders, Vercel deployment hosts, and malformed site URLs. These checks turn configuration mistakes into clear build failures before crawlers see them.
Compare URL sets instead of spot checks
A single valid sitemap entry does not prove the collection is coherent. Compare all guide locations against the gateway’s internal links and the canonical URL rendered for each origin page. Counts should match, and normalized URL sets should have no missing or additional values.
Keep the sitemap intentionally finite. Parameter combinations that do not correspond to authored guides create thin pages and make 404 behavior harder to assess. When a slug changes, update its record and related references together, rebuild both apps, and verify that the old path now returns a genuine 404.