What to change
A sitemap can be correct on a developer's machine and unavailable on the public site. Ask for evidence from the exact address advertised to search engines, including its response and document contents. A redirect, access challenge or missing deployment can each break retrieval for different reasons. Compare the public output with the expected inventory and assign the fix to the layer that actually serves that address.
A worked example
Illustrative example
Illustrative test: Compare the local generated file with the response received at the public URL. The supplier may show a correct sitemap file locally while the advertised public address returns a branded error page. Ask them to compare the expected document with the live response at that exact address. The responsible hosting or release owner fixes the route, then your review follows the public signpost again. The completion record concerns the delivered inventory, not the existence of a file that never reached visitors or search engines.
What this means for your practice
A sitemap saved on a developer's computer does not establish that the published address works. Ask your supplier to open the exact public address advertised for search engines and compare its contents with the expected inventory. It may be missing, redirected incorrectly or blocked by an access challenge even while ordinary pages work. Your team should receive a clear result for that address, with the responsible hosting or publishing owner assigned if it fails. Include the live check in the release record. The purpose is straightforward: the guide list you intend to offer should be the guide list the public website actually delivers.
How to check the result
The advertised address returns the expected public sitemap document.
A mistake to avoid
A successful local file read says nothing about public availability.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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