Automated Sitemap Generation

Automation

Keep your XML sitemap automatically updated using webhooks, GitHub Actions, or scheduled tasks whenever your content changes.

Why Automate Sitemap Generation?

Your sitemap should stay fresh as your content changes. Manual updates are error-prone and easy to forget. Automation ensures search engines always have the latest information about your site structure.

Always Current

Sitemap updates automatically when content changes

Better SEO

Search engines discover new content faster

Zero Maintenance

Set it up once and forget about it

Sitemap Generation API

The endpoint that triggers sitemap regeneration

POST/api/admin/sitemap/generate

Requires admin authentication. Returns the number of URLs generated and timestamp.

Example Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "urlCount": 42,
  "lastGenerated": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Authentication Required: This endpoint requires admin authentication. You'll need to create an API key or use session-based auth.

Method 1: GitHub Actions

Trigger sitemap generation on deployments or schedule

Perfect for sites deployed from GitHub. Automatically regenerate your sitemap when you deploy new content or on a schedule.

1. Create Workflow File

Create .github/workflows/sitemap.yml in your repository:

name: Update Sitemap

on:
  # Trigger after successful deployment
  workflow_run:
    workflows: ["Deploy"]
    types: [completed]
    branches: [main]
  
  # Or run on a schedule (daily at 2 AM UTC)
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 2 * * *'
  
  # Allow manual trigger
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  update-sitemap:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    if: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success' || github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' }}
    
    steps:
      - name: Trigger Sitemap Generation
        run: |
          curl -X POST \
            -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.SITEMAP_API_KEY }}" \
            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
            -d '{}' \
            "${{ secrets.SITE_URL }}/api/admin/sitemap/generate"

2. Add Repository Secrets

Go to your GitHub repository → Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions:

SITE_URL→https://yourdomain.com

SITEMAP_API_KEY→Your admin API key

Method 2: Coolify Scheduled Tasks

Use Coolify's built-in task scheduler

If you're using Coolify for deployment, you can set up scheduled tasks directly in the Coolify dashboard.

1. Access Scheduled Tasks

Open your Coolify dashboard
Navigate to your application
Go to "Scheduled Tasks" tab
Click "Add New Task"

2. Configure the Task

Name

Update Sitemap

Schedule

0 2 * * *

Command

curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SITEMAP_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{}' \
  "$SITE_URL/api/admin/sitemap/generate"

3. Set Environment Variables

Add these to your application's environment variables in Coolify:

SITE_URL→https://yourdomain.com

SITEMAP_API_KEY→Your admin API key

Method 3: Webhooks

Trigger from CMS updates or external events

Set up webhooks to regenerate your sitemap when content changes in your CMS, forms are submitted, or other events occur.

Webhook Endpoint Setup

Configure your CMS or service to send a POST request to:

https://yourdomain.com/api/admin/sitemap/generate

Required Headers

All webhook requests must include these headers:

Authorization→Bearer your-sitemap-api-key

Content-Type→application/json

Postman Setup

Test your webhook endpoint using Postman:

1. Create New Request

• Method: POST
• URL: https://yourdomain.com/api/admin/sitemap/generate

2. Set Headers

Key

Authorization

Content-Type

Value

Bearer your-sitemap-api-key

application/json

3. Set Body

Select "raw" and "JSON" format, then use:

{}

4. Expected Response

{
  "success": true,
  "urlCount": 42,
  "lastGenerated": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Common Webhook Sources

Content Management

• Strapi
• Contentful
• Sanity
• Ghost

E-commerce

• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• Medusa
• Saleor

Example: Strapi Webhook

Go to Settings → Webhooks in your Strapi admin
Click "Create new webhook"
Set URL to your sitemap generation endpoint
Add Authorization header with your API key
Select events: Entry create, update, delete

Authentication Setup

Secure your sitemap generation endpoint

The sitemap generation endpoint requires admin authentication. You'll need to set up API key authentication or use session-based auth.

Option 1: API Key (Recommended)

Create a dedicated API key for sitemap generation:

# Add to your environment variables
SITEMAP_API_KEY=your-secure-api-key-here

# Use in Authorization header
Authorization: Bearer your-secure-api-key-here

Option 2: Session-Based

Use your existing admin session cookies (less suitable for automation).

Testing Your Setup

Verify everything works correctly

Manual Test

Test the endpoint manually using curl:

curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{}' \
  "https://yourdomain.com/api/admin/sitemap/generate"

Verify Results

Check the API response for success status
Visit /sitemap.xml to see the updated sitemap
Check the admin panel for the last generation timestamp
Monitor your automation logs for any errors

Best Practices

✅ Do

• Set up monitoring for failed generations
• Use secure API keys with limited scope
• Test in staging before production
• Set reasonable rate limits
• Monitor sitemap file size

❌ Don't

• Generate sitemaps too frequently (1 hour)
• Expose API keys in client-side code
• Skip error handling in automation
• Forget to update webhooks when URLs change
• Generate sitemaps for every minor change

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

401 Unauthorized

Check your API key or authentication headers. Ensure SITEMAP_API_KEY is set in your environment variables.

Invalid Input: Expected Object, Received Undefined

Include an empty JSON object {} in the request body, even if no data is needed. Set Content-Type to application/json.

500 Server Error

Check server logs and database connectivity. Verify SITEMAP_API_KEY environment variable is configured.

Webhook Not Triggering

Verify webhook URL and check CMS webhook logs. Ensure the Authorization header is properly formatted.