XF 2.1 Sitemap submission in Google Search Console

[JasonBrody]

Hi Everyone
Though on XenForo's Sitemap option settings it claims "Once a sitemap is built, if this option is enabled, the updated version will be automatically submitted to the search engines specified. {$url} is replaced with your sitemap URL automatically",

But still I'd like to know if I want to submit sitemap on Google search console by adding URL, then what should I enter ?

1. only the "sitemap.php" ? (which is mentioned in the sitemap option + also exists as a physical file in file manager)
2. the "sitemap.xml" ? (which is neither mentioned in the sitemap option nor exists as physical file in file manager, but still accessible by opening the link in browser).
3. both the "sitemap.php" and "sitemap.xml" file in Google search console (but I don't know if it will create sitemap conflict or not)

So, looking for suggestions, thank you

 

[bzcomputers]

The full url to your sitemap.xml ONLY.

 

[JasonBrody]

The full url to your sitemap.xml ONLY.

So sitemap.php is not needed ?

 

[bzcomputers]

So sitemap.php is not needed ?

Correct. You can actually use either, but using both will just submit duplicate urls.

 

[JasonBrody]

Got it

 

[Kevin]

(EDIT: See Chris's response below. Google has vexed me again.)

 

[Chris D]

Actually we’d strongly recommend adding sitemap.xml not sitemap.php. This requires friendly URLs to be enabled as it isn’t a file that exists but the software routes it to the same place.

But we saw evidence a while ago that suggested that Google weren’t processing sitemap.php properly especially with regards to sites with multiple sitemaps (over 50,000 URLs).

 

[JasonBrody]

@Chris D ,
so primary is "sitemap.xml" . . . but if I add both XML & PHP = will there be issues ?

Beside, if I add .XML , do I need to add more sitemaps once it reaches the URL limits ?

 

[Chris D]

Just sitemap.xml no others.

 

[MichaelR]

Just sitemap.xml no others.

Will the sitemap.xml also be split automatically with 50k+ pages into more files?

 

[bzcomputers]

Will the sitemap.xml also be split automatically with 50k+ pages into more files?

Yes.