How to create and upload a sitemap when pages can be created by multiple users?

Question

I am using Google Webmaster Tools for my web site.

There are multiple users in my website and they dynamically create pages like the following and many more combinations.

• /site1/Home
• /site1/Topic/Details
• /site1/page2
• /site2/Home
• /site2/Custompage
• /site4/Login
• /site100/Register
• /site20/Home

How I can create a sitemap with all these dynamic URLs and submit it to Google Webmaster Tools?

Answer 1

First, we have to assume that all of your users want all of their files to be indexed by search engines.

Second, we need a method to get the sitemap to Google. Especially in your case, the easiest way is to use robots.txt.

Sitemap: http://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

Third, you need a sitemap. If you don't already have a way to generate a sitemap for all of your users, then just remember that a sitemap is merely a list of files in a special format. Use some simple scripting to list all of the files on the server in the proper XML format, then set the script as a chron job to run every day or week or how often you think it needs to run.

Answer 2

Could each of your users maintain their own sitemap?

If so, you could use a sitemap index. Its intended use is for when your sitemap is too big, I believe, but you could as well list all the sitemaps you expect your users to create.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<sitemapindex xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
   <sitemap>
   <loc>http://www.example.com/site1/sitemap.xml.gz</loc>
      <lastmod>2004-10-01T18:23:17+00:00</lastmod>
   </sitemap>

   <sitemap>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/site2/sitemap.xml.gz</loc>
      <lastmod>2005-01-01</lastmod>
   </sitemap>

</sitemapindex>

Another option is to do as Google does, and include a list of sitemaps in your robots.txt file.

Sitemap: https://www.google.com/edu/sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://www.google.com/work/sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://www.google.com/intx/sitemap.xml

In your case

Sitemap: https://example.com/site1/sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://example.com/site2/sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://example.com/site100/sitemap.xml

Again, each user would need to maintain a sitemap and I don't know how well or widely either of those solutions is supported.