[Forum] How to set up sitemap please

[kozzie]

Hi there,

Just wondering if someone can explain how to set up a sitemap.

step by step please have vb 4.02.

When the sitemap is set up how do users access it?

kind regards and thanks,

Kozzie - Caroline

[ENF]

A Quick note:

A Site map is not for users. It's for search engines to index your site. Have a look at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitemaps

After you setup your site map, you can submit to search engines such as Google, Yahoo etc.

The search engines will use your site map to learn your site and begin crawling it for content to index.

[kozzie]

thanks alot and how do i do that?

Set it up the sitemap?

I had a look at the link u posted - wow that looks complicated - please simplify

[ENF]

AdminCP -> Options -> XML Sitemap

Set the information as required including a location where the sitemap can be written to your website. This location also needs to be accessible to the search engine bots. If your site is new, I wouldn't worry too much about changing the default settings until you understand how sitemaps work a little better.

So....

Enable: Yes
Automatic Sitemap Generation: 14 Days is the default, I believe.
Default Priority: 0.5 (no reason to adjust this yet)
Automatic Sitemap Submissing: Check the search engines yiou want.
Sitemap File Path: Needs to be a relative path in your web directory that is writable for vBulletin and readable by a web search engine.
Sitempa Per Page: No reason to adjust if your site is new...

Save those options and then go to AdminCP -> XLM Sitemap -> Rebuild Sitemap

Run he rebuild to see if you get any errors. If it cannot write to the specified location, it will let you know.

Good Luck.

[kozzie]

hi,

thank u for replying.

How do I do this

Sitemap File Path: Needs to be a relative path in your web directory that is writable for vBulletin and readable by a web search engine.

I have made a new folder in the main forum for the above but how do i make writable?

Sorry I am very new lol

The rest makes sense.

Regards and thanks for patience.

Caroline

[ENF]

For example:

In that path for your sitemap file, you can put ../sitemaps

That would put the files in a folder at your webroot, so something like this: http://www.yourwebsite.com/sitemaps

I don't know who your host is or what kind of plan you have, but you can try to see if works without making modifications to the folder rights. (Run the Sitemap Rebuild command...)

The correct rights would be CHMOD 777 for this purpose, if you need to adjust the rights for writing to this folder.

[kozzie]

ok did what u said =

changed the chmod to 777 which main everything writable

put full path of folder as stated and it comes up with

Error:You did not enter a valid value for this setting.



The above value is showing under the heading:

Sitemap File Path

I put the complete link to the folder as u stated above

what did i do wrong//

Is it possible that my server doesnt allow it?

[ENF]

Yeah, I don't know what your setup is as far as the path goes.

Try these:

If your forum URL is: http://www.yoursite.com/forum -> Create a folder called 'sitemaps' under in the 'forum' folder and then set the path as ./forum/sitemaps
If your forum URL is: http://www.yoursite.com -> create a folder called 'sitemaps' the root of your websiote and then set the path as ./sitemaps

Make sure that the folder 'sitemaps' is CHMOD 777

That's my best guess... let me know how it works out.

[kozzie]

ok,

i have created a file called sitemaps my forum is like this

./forums/sitemaps

I put that in theplace where it shud go and also right click on folder and enabled 777

it comes up again:
This directory must be writable by the webserver.

Error:You did not enter a valid value for this setting.

Sitemap Per Page
As u see I have copied and pasted it exactly.

Bum thats all I can say..

Is there a chance that my server doesnt allow writable folders for security or maybe they ahve a firewall??

Is tht normal??

regards and thanks

[ENF]

Bah...

It wouldn't be a firewall, it's probably simply a rights issue for that folder.

Let me search around and if I can find another answer.

[kozzie]

thank u i am here working on the forum

[ENF]

Do you happen to know the full relative path?

It would be something like: /usr/somenamehere/public_html/forums/sitemaps

If so, try that instead of the abbreviated versions I gave you before. I checked my test install on a windows box and i have the full path in site map path (Windows example: d:/sites/testvb40/sitemaps)

[kozzie]

Dear ENF,

think i am going to forget a sitemap.

i tried all the paths u suggested and even a few others and nothing worked.

Never mind.

Thanks anyway - going away now to cry in my coffee.

thanks anyway

[ENF]

Thanks anyway - going away now to cry in my coffee.

thanks anyway

Well, no need to cry in the coffee... maybe these allergy medicines I am taking are warping my mind so I can't think properly. :P

[kozzie]

oh no - i am on those too.

the forum is looking great - its just a few hairy bits that need fixing

wont be the end of the world if i dont have a sitemap

regards and thanks