What is a Dynamic Sitemap?
A dynamic sitemap is an XML sitemap that is automatically generated whenever a person or search engine crawler visits the sitemap’s URL. The sitemap does not exist as a physical file on the site and is only generated when the visitor or bot accesses the sitemap URL.
Difference Between a Static and Dynamic URL
Sitemaps can be static or dynamic. A static sitemap exists as a physical file on the site. This means you can access the sitemap file in the site’s folders. You can also edit it like every other file on your site.
A dynamic sitemap, on the other hand, is created at runtime. It is not physically present on the site and only generated when visitors visit the sitemap URL. If you access your site’s folders, you will not find a dynamic sitemap because it does not exist.
Benefits of Dynamic Sitemaps
Many bloggers prefer dynamic sitemaps over static sitemaps for usability reasons. Dynamic sitemaps are generated at runtime. This means they are more accurate and better reflect the links on a site.
For example, when you publish, update, or delete a page on your site, the changes will immediately reflect in a dynamic sitemap. Meanwhile, you will be required to manually update a static sitemap to reflect such changes.
Dynamic sitemaps are also immune from many pitfalls common with static sitemaps. For example, they cannot be corrupted, moved, or overwritten. They are also unaffected by bugs, server errors, and plugin conflicts.
This ensures that dynamic sitemaps are always available whenever the search engine crawler arrives at the site. Static sitemaps, for comparison, can be affected by these issues. They may also be mistakenly deleted from the site.
Overall, dynamic sitemaps are quicker to generate and easier to use and manage than static sitemaps, making them the preferred sitemaps by bloggers and businesses that want to rank on Google.
How to Identify a Dynamic Sitemap
It is typically difficult to tell a static and dynamic sitemap apart from just looking at them. However, if you generate your sitemap with a third-party plugin, then it is likely a dynamic sitemap.
Rank Math uses dynamic sitemaps to generate your XML sitemap. If you use some other service to generate your sitemap, you may need to contact them to confirm.
However, in most cases, if your published posts appear in your sitemap without you manually editing them, then it is a dynamic sitemap. Static sitemaps usually require you to edit the sitemap manually.