XML Sitemap and unwanted URL parameters

[jfmonfette]

We currently don't have an XML sitemap for our site. I generated one using Screaming Frog and it looks ok, but it also contains my tracking url parameters (ref=), which I don't want Google to use, as specified in GWT. Cleaning it will require time and effort which I currently don't have. I also think that having one could help us on Bing.

So my question is: Is it better to submit a "so-so" sitemap than having none at all, or the risks are just too high? Could you explain what could go wrong?

Thanks !

[adammason]

HI Jean-Francois

I would try to keep you sitemap as clean as possible. But could you export all the data into a CSV and clean up the pages using a formula. If you got a full list of your URLs in column A in Excel. Then used the following formula

=LEFT(A1,Find("ref=",A1)-1)

Put this formula into cell B1 and drag the formula down all the rows. This should strip out all of the parameters you do not want. Then simply remove the duplicates and you have your list of URLs to create a clean sitemap.

Let me know if this helps.

[jfmonfette]

Thanks, I really like your answer.

I should have thought about cleaning it in Excel. I will get right on it !

[adammason]

Glad I could help

The only other issue I see with this is your sitemap will get outdated quickly if you have a lot of content/pages being added to your site. Additional work or development may be needed to create a fluent sitemap that auto-updates alongside the website.

[jfmonfette]

Our IT department is on a big project and we won't have any support for almost a year, that's why I was looking at other solutions.

We currently add about 10 to 20 pages a month, so I probably could redo the sitemap once a month, right after the new content is published.