Google site map xml validation issues with category URLs

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by outofbounds, Aug 11, 2007.

  1. #1
    I was able to quickly create an xml site map for the product urls using google’s python tool. Over 6,000 product urls in one xml file. The product url structure was fairly simple: http://www.kansassampler.com/shopexd.asp?id=142219.
    However, for the category URLs, the URL structure has multiple query parameters and even some bizarre ascii characters which I believe keep causing the python script, and any xml validation I do on the python script configuration xml file to throw an error – something to the effect of: Error: Expected ; after entity name, but got = in unnamed entity at line 61 char 78.

    Line 61 of my python config.xml file contains the one and only category URL I keep testing:
    <url href="http://www.kansassampler.com/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=2&cat=KU+Collection" />
    When I remove the ‘+collection’ part of the URL, I still get the same error (<url href="http://www.kansassampler.com/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=2&cat=KU” “ />)
    When I really truncate the URL to simply: ?id=2, then everything works.

    I cant believe I cant generate valid XML with a complex URL??? what am i doing wrong?

    any help would be appreciated.

    best regards,

    jay
     
    outofbounds, Aug 11, 2007 IP
  2. trichnosis

    trichnosis Prominent Member

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    in my opinion, yoıu must use sef urls for your site and you must use 301 redirect from "kansassampler.com/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=2&cat=KU+Collection" to new sef url
     
    trichnosis, Aug 11, 2007 IP