What if sitemap URL Canonicalization?

[sulbha]

I know about page URL canonicalization but what is about sitemap canonical, I found 3 different formats for XML sitemap like:

https://www.example.in/sitemap.xml
http://www.example.in/sitemap.xml
http://example.in/sitemap.xml

[naeemgari]

The XML sitemap page does not need to have a canonical URL setup. Based on the example URLs shared, I would recommend you to setup:

a) An http to https redirect - so that all pages in your website open as https
b) Depending on your website, setup either www to non-www redirection or non-www to www redirection. This will ensure that all URLs open as either in www version or non-www version depending on the rule you set but it won't open both page versions which is a duplication case at the moment.

After you have completed (a) & (b) you should see only one page open for your xml sitemap which you can then submit to Google search console and/or to Bing webmaster tools.

[mayurgupta]

Your XML Sitemap should only contain URLs you wish for search engines to index. If a URL is canonicalized, this is an explicit statement to search engines that you do NOT wish for the URL to be indexed, and instead wish for the canonical URL to consolidate indexing signals.

[priya.du]

Sitemap URL canonicalization refers to making sure that the URLs listed in your sitemap are the preferred versions you want search engines to index. For example, if your website can be accessed through both "http://" and "https://", or with and without "www", you need to pick one version and stick to it. This prevents search engines from seeing the same page as different URLs, which could split the ranking power and hurt your SEO.

By ensuring consistent, canonical URLs in your sitemap, you tell search engines which version to prioritize. It helps avoid duplicate content issues and ensures that the correct pages are indexed and ranked. Simply put, it helps keep your site organized and improves your chances of ranking higher in search results.