Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator

vBulletin Google Sitemaps by vBSEO v.2.5 - vBulletin 3.7.x
Download vB 3.8.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.6.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.5.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.0.x Compatible Version Here

Note: Version 2.5 replaces all previous versions of the vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator, and now includes support for all the new URL types in vBulletin 3.8.x.

Overview
============================

Providing Google, Yahoo, Ask sitemaps is an essential step towards improving your forums.

The "vBSEO Google Sitemaps" plugin provides a solution that allows your forum to be indexed by the Google (and also Yahoo and Ask) search engines faster, more completely, more effectively, and with less bandwidth consumption.

The ultimate goal is to help you achieve more web traffic for your forum.

Originally Posted by Google's Description of GSM

https://services.google.com/inquiry/publishertools?hl=en_US
Google Sitemaps is an easy way for you to help improve your site?s representation in the Google index. It's a collaborative crawling system that enables you to communicate directly with Google. You get a smarter crawl because you can provide Google with specific information about all your web pages, such as when a page was last modified or how frequently it changes.

Note: This plugin is fully compliant with vBSEO 3.x version. The current version is vBSEO 3.2. However, if you are running vBSEO, please upgrade to vBSEO 3.2 or greater before installing.

Compatibility
============================


Fully compatible with:

• vBulletin 3.0.x, 3.5.x, 3.6.x, 3.7.x and 3.8.x
• vBulletin Blogs 1.0.x and 2.0.x *Optional
• vBSEO 2.x, 3.x *Optional

What does it do?
============================

• Auto-generates a Google XML sitemap for all of your specified forum URL types (including vBulletin Blog URLs).
• Auto-generates a Yahoo text sitemap for all of your specified forum URL types.
• Auto-notifies Google when a new sitemap is generated.
• Automatically sends you a summary of the sitemap generation via email each time it is created.
• Includes only publicly accessible forums and threads.
• Allows Google/Yahoo to find all of your forum URLs without having to spider the forum to find the links.
• Allows Google/Yahoo to find your forum URLs without having to account for query string and/or session ID information.
• Allows Google to give precedence to crawling your higher priority forum pages.
• Allows Google to give precedence to crawling your forum pages that change more frequently.
• Allows you to conserve bandwidth by more efficiently facilitating the crawling processes for GoogleBot and Yahoo Slurp.
• Is 100% compatible with the static CRUs (Content Relevant URLs) used by vBSEO-enabled forums.

How does it work?
============================


Whenever it is scheduled or invoked via the URL, this plugin will generate both the Google XML formatted and the Yahoo text formatted sitemaps. If you selected "Yes" to the Google auto-notification setting, Google will be notified each time the sitemap is generated. The Yahoo sitemap must be manually submitted to http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request/.

• Google Sitemap files are gzipped
• Forum and thread pages are listed with pagination (i.e. all pages for each forums/thread are included in the sitemap)
• Maximum Priority is set for Sticky threads.
• Optimization for sitemap generation on large forums.

Automated Reporting Tool
============================

The vBSEO Sitemap includes a report tool, allowing you to track your progress. To access your reports enter the following URL:

http://www.example.com/forums/vbseo_sitemap/

NOTE: Replace "http://www.example.com/forums/" with the full URL to your vB forum root.


You will be required to login by providing your "Sitemap Interface Access Password" from your vBSEO Sitemap settings in:

• vBulletin Admin CP (for 3.5.x/3.6.x/3.7.x/3.8.x users) OR
• vbseo_sitemap.php configuration file (for 3.0.x users) located in the vbseo_sitemap directory in your forum root.

Once you successfully login, you will be provided with a list of 'Useful Links'. Here are the 4 main links:

Show Reports List
The 'Show Reports List' link will display a report of each time your vBSEO Sitemap generator executed, including the (1) date, (2) run time, (3) total URLs included, and (4) and change in # of URLs included from the last generation.

Each vBSEO Sitemap generation record will include a (1) "View details" and (2) "Remove record" link. The "View Details" link shows more detailed information about the sitemap generated. The "Remove record" will permanently delete the record from your reports.

Show Sitemap Downloads Log
The 'Show Sitemap Downloads Log' link will display a report of each time your vBSEO Sitemap was downloaded by either a search engine (GoogleBot or Yahoo) or by another user agent (i.e. Web browser, etc.).

The report includes the (1) date, (2) name of sitemap file downloaded, (3) Bot, (4) IP address of the downloader, and the (5) User-agent.

Each vBSEO Sitemap download record will include a "Remove record" link which will permanently delete the record from your reports.

Run Sitemap Generator
The 'Run Sitemap Generator' link will automatically regenerate your Google and Yahoo sitemaps.

Your Forums Homepage
The 'Your Forums Homepage' link is a quick link back to your forum homepage.

Additional Links
Additional links to various other related SEO resources are also included.


Click "Install"
============================

Please click "Install" to show your support for this script.


Installation & Configuration for vB 3.5.x, 3.6.x, 3.7.x and 3.8.x as a Plugin
============================

Follow the installation/upgrade instructions provided in the docs/readme.html file.


Google Webmaster Accounts
============================

It is NOT required for you to have a Google Webmaster account to run the vBulletin Google Sitemaps plugin. If you decide to setup an account for testing purposes you can do so here:
http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login?sourceid=gsm&subid=us-et-about2


Copyright & Licensing

============================

• vBSEO Google Sitemaps plugin is copyright protected by Crawlability Inc.
• You are free to download and install this plugin on any vBulletin forum for which you hold a valid vB license.
• Unauthorized distribution of any code and/or documentation, whole or in part, included here is strictly prohibited.
• In addition, the following copyright notice must be maintained.

vBSEO(TM) ? 2005-2009 Crawlability, Inc.


Revision History
============================

02/22/2009 - Version 2.5 Released

NEW FEATURE: Blog tags URLs are included.
NEW FEATURE: Social Group Discussion URLs are included.
NEW FEATURE: Smart Priority applied for the following URL types

1. Show Post
2. Member Profiles
3. Forum Display
4. Poll Results
5. Blog Entries
6. Member Profile Albums
7. Social Groups
8. Social Groups Discussions
9. Social Group Pictures
10. Tags
11. Blog Tags

UPDATE: Compatible with vBulletin 3.8.x. Includes the following updated settings:

1. Priority Range - Show Post
2. Priority Range - Member Profiles
3. Priority Range - Forum Display
4. Priority Range - Poll Results
5. Priority Range - Show Thread
6. Priority Range - Blog Entries
7. Priority Range - Member Profile Albums
8. Priority Range - Social Groups
9. Priority Range - Social Group Pictures
10. Priority Range - Tags

Fix: Social Group Discussion database error is fixed.

Upgrade Instructions
============================

(1) Follow the installation/upgrade instructions provided in the docs/readme.html file.

(2) For versions of vBulletin 3.6.x only: Open "Schedule Manager" in the vBulletin Admin Control Panel (admincp); Remove existing scheduled task for Sitemap Generator if you have one.
Note: The new task will be automatically setup when you import the XML product file.

Other vBSEO Plugins

============================

• vBSEO - vBulletin Search Engine Optimization
  
• vBSEO Conditional Signatures for vBulletin

vBSEO Affiliate Program
============================

We welcome you to join the vBSEO Affiliate Program.

[HasanSheriff]

Got it working. I had to allow "Everyone" Full Control.
Still have 3 issues:

1. The file created is located in /vbseo_sitemap/data when it needs to be created in the root of the web. I tried changing this value in the AdminCP, but didn't save in the root.
2. The file is a .gz when it needs to be an uncompressed sitemap.xml
3. The results show [create sitemap index] filename: sitemap_index.xml.gz, number of sitemaps: 1 [3,112.0Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]. The conpressed file is 2Kb and uncompressed 30Kb. Why is this when the report says 3.1MB?

Thanks.

[iojam]

1. files are stored in data/ folder, but are rewritten with rewrite rules in .htaccess file.

2. gzip compressed sitemaps are supported by Google.

3. what is the size of sitemap_1.xml.gz?

[HasanSheriff]

Originally Posted by iojam

1. files are stored in data/ folder, but are rewritten with rewrite rules in .htaccess file.

2. gzip compressed sitemaps are supported by Google.

3. what is the size of sitemap_1.xml.gz?

Thanks for the reply.
1. I'm running IIS7 on Srv 08. How do I proceed?
2. Noted that there is no need to decompress.
3. 1.2Kb. Uncompressed it is 30Kb. But when I open the decompressed file, it looks ok. My concern is that the report says 3.11MB: [create sitemap index] filename: sitemap_index.xml.gz, number of sitemaps: 1 [3,112.0Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)].

[iojam]

Hello,

1. you should use rewrite rules for IIS (check installation instructions), ISAPI_Rewrite module is required

3. This is a PHP memory usage report, it's not related to file size.

[eglyntine]

Hi all,

I have been trying to get this to work for a couple of days now. I've looked all over but I haven't seen the particular error that I'm getting so I thought I would brave the wild and finally ask.

I uploaded all of the files in the upload dir to my forum root, changed the data folder perm to 0777.

I already have an .htaccess file so I added the required lines to it so it looks like this:

Redirect /forums/ http://www.houseofparents.com/
AddHandler php5-script .php
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^((urllist|sitemap).*\.(xml|txt)(\.gz)?)$ vbseo_sitemap/vbseo_getsitemap.php?sitemap=$1 [L]

I installed the product and left the settings pretty much at default. I don't have vbSEO installed so that was changed to "No".

Everything looks great but when I try to generate the sitemap I get the following error:

[homepage] [5,819.8Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[SECTION START] forumdisplay [5,819.9Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 12, total threads: 189, pages: 4 [5,819.9Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 21, total threads: 1377, pages: 28 [5,819.9Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 105, total threads: 40, pages: 1 [5,820.1Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 106, total threads: 9, pages: 1 [5,820.1Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 20, total threads: 173, pages: 4 [5,820.1Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 118, total threads: 34, pages: 1 [5,820.1Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 45, total threads: 23, pages: 1 [5,820.1Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 15, total threads: 125, pages: 3 [5,820.1Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 16, total threads: 457, pages: 10 [5,820.1Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 17, total threads: 54, pages: 2 [5,820.3Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 18, total threads: 15, pages: 1 [5,820.6Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 14, total threads: 190, pages: 4 [5,820.8Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 38, total threads: 0, pages: 1 [5,821.4Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 121, total threads: 1, pages: 1 [5,821.5Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 42, total threads: 3, pages: 1 [5,821.7Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 41, total threads: 91, pages: 2 [5,821.9Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 43, total threads: 3, pages: 1 [5,822.4Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 40, total threads: 66, pages: 2 [5,822.6Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 6, total threads: 0, pages: 1 [5,823.0Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 82, total threads: 8, pages: 1 [5,823.2Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 125, total threads: 60, pages: 2 [5,823.4Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 27, total threads: 84, pages: 2 [5,823.8Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 24, total threads: 252, pages: 6 [5,824.2Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 99, total threads: 8, pages: 1 [5,825.4Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 25, total threads: 43, pages: 1 [5,825.6Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 31, total threads: 0, pages: 1 [5,825.8Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 37, total threads: 31, pages: 1 [5,826.0Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 36, total threads: 32, pages: 1 [5,826.2Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 47, total threads: 35, pages: 1 [5,826.4Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 56, total threads: 0, pages: 1 [5,826.6Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 57, total threads: 55, pages: 2 [5,826.9Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 127, total threads: 2, pages: 1 [5,827.3Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[forumdisplay] forum_id: 53, total threads: 0, pages: 1 [5,827.5Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[SECTION START] showthread [5,827.5Kb mem used] [0s (+0s)]
[create sitemap file] filename: sitemap_1.xml.gz, number of urls: 20000 [5,850.5Kb mem used] [6s (+6s)]
[create sitemap in text format] part #2 [5,850.4Kb mem used] [6s (+0s)]
[create sitemap file] filename: sitemap_2.xml.gz, number of urls: 20000 [5,853.6Kb mem used] [9s (+3s)]
[create sitemap in text format] part #3 [5,853.5Kb mem used] [9s (+0s)]
[SECTION START] member [6,113.4Kb mem used] [11s (+2s)]
[SECTION START] polls [5,876.6Kb mem used] [11s (+0s)]
[SECTION START] blogs [5,900.6Kb mem used] [11s (+0s)]
[SECTION START] albums [5,921.3Kb mem used] [11s (+0s)]
[SECTION START] groups [5,921.4Kb mem used] [11s (+0s)]
[SECTION START] tags [5,921.5Kb mem used] [11s (+0s)]
[addon module] vbseo_sm_downloads.php [5,921.5Kb mem used] [11s (+0s)]
Database Error

No other error codes or anything are displayed so I don't even know where to begin to look. But I do get this generated to my e-mail afterwards:

   Database error in vBulletin 3.7.4:
   
  Invalid SQL:
  SELECT id,name FROM file_cats ORDER BY `order`;
   
  MySQL Error   : Table 'mydatabasename.file_cats' doesn't exist
  Error Number  : 1146
  Request Date  : Saturday, December 13th 2008 @ 11:25:18 PM
  Error Date    : Saturday, December 13th 2008 @ 11:25:30 PM
  Script        : ../vbseo_sitemap/vbseo_sitemap.php
  Referrer      : ../vbseo_sitemap/index.php?rlist=true
  IP Address    : xx.xxx.xxx.xxx
  Username      : Unregistered
  Classname     : vb_database
  MySQL Version :

Do I need to manually create this table or is there something else that I've failed to setup that wasn't in the instructions?

I'm running vBulletin 3.7.4 PL. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to have this Add-on for my site.

Thanks,

[Sherrie]

Originally Posted by Sherrie

Hello,

Thank you for providing this, but is there a particular way that the extra urls text file is meant to be laid out? as I have been getting a mismatched tag error in sitemap 1 file, ever since adding urls to the extra-urls.txt. I couldn't find any reference on how this was to be done so I assumed that I just add them in sitemap format which is what I did. Before adding extra urls everything appeared to be working fine.

Thanks for your help.

Could someone please help me with this because I do not know what I am doing wrong.

When I open up the sitemap_1 file it generates my forum root url first and then it follows with this:

<url>
  <loc><url></loc>
  <priority>1</priority>
  <lastmod>2008-12-14T10:45:24+00:00</lastmod>
  <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
</url>

From then on it is all out of wack until it goes back to my forum urls.

Here is an example of the format that I have used in the extra-urls.txt:

<url>
	<loc></loc>
	<priority>1.00</priority>		
	<lastmod>2007-10-30</lastmod>
	<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
</url>

I am sure this is something really simple and would appreciate any help.

Thank you

[Sherrie]

Nevermind, I finally found the solution on your forums but now I am having a problem with google giving me sitemap errors for all but the last sitemap:

Sitemap file size error
Your Sitemap exceeds the maximum file size limit. Please create multiple Sitemaps containing fewer URLs to meet the file size limit.

[Sherrie]

Okay I found a setting in the control panel to change the maximum urls which has fixed this issue.

cheers

[rock3radio]

Hi I'm having a problem. It works fine most of the time but is missing out a large number of my threads. They're controled by VbGeek's GARS system but surely that shouldn't be a problem? I also have vbSEO installed.

[iojam]

eglyntine,

you should remove all entries from "Add-ons" list option in case if you don't have corresponding modules installed.

rock3radio,

are those threads visible to guests?