How to include featured + attached images in XML sitemap (not one or the other)?

  • Resolved trueteller222

    (@trueteller222)


    3 weeks, 3 days ago

    Hi everyone,

    I’m configuring my XML sitemap using the XML Sitemap plugin and noticed that for each post type (Posts, Pages, Templates, etc.), I can choose to include either:

    • Featured Images
    • Attached Images

    …but not both at the same time.
    There’s no combined option, and no way to enable both for a single post type. My questions:

    1. Why is only one option allowed? Shouldn’t it be possible to include both featured and attached images for the same post type?
    2. What’s the reasoning behind separating these options?
    3. How do I ensure that all relevant images (featured + inside content) are included for SEO and Google Images?
    4. Does choosing only one of these options affect SEO negatively — especially for image indexing?

    Thanks in advance for any insight or best practices.

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
  • Plugin Author Rolf Allard van Hagen

    (@ravanh)

    3 weeks, 3 days ago

    Hi, thank you for this excellent question. It is a subject that needs (upcoming) documentation…

    The reason for the separation between the two is mainly speed. A combination of the two needs multiple queries, making the sitemap generation much slower. And in most cases, when “Attached images” is selected, featured images will be included.

    If you upload an image to a post and set it as featured image (even without adding it to the post content) that image will be marked as attached to that post. If you set the option to “Attached images” the featured image should appear in the sitemap.

    To make sure that all images are included in your sitemap, go to your Media Library admin page and switch to the List view. Then look at the Uploaded to column. If you do not see such a column, go to Screen Options in the top right corner and activate the column under the Columns options.

    If there are images that are marked as (Unattached) there, but you wish to include them, then follow the Attach link and select a post to which you want to attribute them to. Ideally a post or page where the image in question is used.

    If there are images that you wish to exclude from the sitemap: make sure to Detach those images.

    So for SEO, the option “Attached images” with attention to the above instructions gives you the most control.

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
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