Sitemap Generation

The Blocklet SDK includes a powerful middleware for dynamically generating sitemap XML files. This is essential for search engine optimization (SEO), allowing search engines to efficiently crawl and index the content of your Blocklet application. This middleware integrates seamlessly with Express.js.

For an overview of all available Express.js middleware, refer to the Middleware Reference section.

How it Works#

The sitemap middleware takes a generator function as an argument. This function is responsible for defining the URLs and associated metadata that should be included in your sitemap. The middleware then handles the XML formatting and sends the sitemap as a response.

Here's a sequence diagram illustrating the flow:

Usage#

To use the sitemap middleware, you need to import it and register it with your Express application. You must provide a generatorFn that will populate the sitemap.

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
generatorFn	(write: (item: SitemapItem) => void, req?: Request) => Promise<void>	An asynchronous function that receives a write function and the Express Request object. Use write(item) to add each SitemapItem to the sitemap.

Returns

Name	Type	Description
middleware	(req: Request, res: Response) => Promise<void>	An Express.js middleware function that can be used with app.get().

SitemapItem Structure#

The SitemapItem type defines the structure for each entry in your sitemap. It includes the URL and optional fields for images, videos, alternate language links, Android app links, and news-specific metadata.

Field	Type	Description
url	string	The URL of the page. This is the only required field.
img	Image[]	Optional. An array of image details associated with the URL.
video	Video[]	Optional. An array of video details associated with the URL.
links	Link[]	Optional. An array of alternate language links for the URL.
androidLink	string	Optional. An Android app link for the URL.
news	News	Optional. News-specific metadata for the URL.

Nested Types

Image

Field	Type	Description
url	string	The URL of the image.
caption	string	A caption for the image.
title	string	The title of the image.
geoLocation	string	Geographic location of the image.
license	string	URL to the license of the image.

Video

Field	Type	Description
thumbnail_loc	string	The URL of the video thumbnail.
title	string	The title of the video.
description	string	A description of the video.
player_loc	string	Optional. The URL of the video player.
'player_loc:autoplay'	string	Optional. Autoplay setting for the player.
'player_loc:allow_embed'	string	Optional. Embed allowance setting for the player.

Link

Field	Type	Description
lang	string	The language code (e.g., 'en', 'es').
url	string	The URL in the specified language.

News

Field	Type	Description
publication	Publication	Details about the news publication.
genres	string	A comma-separated list of genres.
publication_date	string	The publication date in W3C format.
title	string	The title of the news article.
keywords	string	A comma-separated list of keywords.
stock_tickers	string	A comma-separated list of stock tickers.

Publication (nested within News)

Field	Type	Description
name	string	The name of the publication.
language	string	The language of the publication (e.g., 'en', 'es').

Example#

This example demonstrates how to create a sitemap that includes a homepage and an about page. The generatorFn dynamically adds these pages to the sitemap.

Example Response (Simplified XML Output)

This middleware streamlines the process of providing up-to-date sitemaps for search engines, improving the discoverability of your Blocklet application's content.

Continue exploring other middleware functionalities in the Authentication section.