Sitemap Change Loop
Check competitor or reference sitemaps and report new URLs, changed patterns, and possible keyword opportunities.
What this Loop Engineering template does
Detect new and removed URLs across reference sitemaps and summarize patterns and opportunities.
Only read public sitemaps. Respect robots and rate limits. Do not scrape private pages.
When to use it
When not to use it
Validation checks
Boundaries & stop rule
Copy the loop prompt
/goal Detect new and removed URLs across reference sitemaps and summarize patterns and opportunities.Task type: Sitemap MonitoringTarget tool: Generic AgentWork toward this goal until all validation checks pass or the stop rule is reached.Design hypothesis:This sitemap change loop can produce a safer result if the scope stays narrow, validation is explicit, and a checker can reject shortcut work.Smallest useful run:Run one bounded pass on the newest relevant signal before expanding scope or adding a schedule.Loop cycle:1. Discovery — Read the latest signal for this template before acting: CI output, issue detail, review comment, dataset report, or content brief.2. Handoff — Hand the work to one agent in an isolated branch, worktree, or clearly scoped session. Keep final approval with a human.3. Verification — Use an independent review pass to confirm the result, inspect the diff or artifact, and reject shortcut work.4. Persistence — Save a short run note with the signal reviewed, actions taken, validation result, and next recommended step.5. Scheduling — Run manually until the loop is reliable; only then consider a scheduled or event-triggered run.Context:Only read public sitemaps. Respect robots and rate limits. Do not scrape private pages.Validation:New URLs are identifiedRemoved URLs are identifiedURL patterns are groupedRecommended actions are summarizedValidation evidence:Record the original signal, checks run, final result, changed files or artifacts, and any checker rejection.Independent checker:Use an independent review pass to confirm the result, inspect the diff or artifact, and reject shortcut work.Boundaries:Do not scrape private or restricted pagesDo not overload target websitesRespect robots and rate limitsStop rule:Stop when the diff and grouped patterns are reported.Maximum iterations: 3Budget:Example only: stop before exceeding the agreed per-run token budget.Human approval:Required before merge, deploy, delete, purchase, or external communication.Fallback:If a sitemap is unavailable or restricted, skip it and note why.Loop Validation Log:- Hypothesis: This sitemap change loop can produce a safer result if the scope stays narrow, validation is explicit, and a checker can reject shortcut work.- Smallest useful run: Run one bounded pass on the newest relevant signal before expanding scope or adding a schedule.- Expected evidence: Record the original signal, checks run, final result, changed files or artifacts, and any checker rejection.- Actual evidence: [fill in after the run]- Passed? [yes / no / partial]- Feedback: After the run, note what the loop learned, what failed, and what should change before the next pass.- Next step: [stop / adjust the loop / run the next pass]Do not delete tests, bypass checks, or modify unrelated files just to satisfy the validation condition. If blocked, stop and summarize the blocker, attempted fixes, and recommended next action.
Failure modes to watch
Review receipt
This is a bounded review exercise for the template, not a claim about a production deployment.
Scenario
Twenty-three thin routes are consolidated into stronger parent pages and must disappear from discovery without becoming dead ends.
Baseline evidence
The review inventories every old URL, destination, internal link, sitemap entry, generated page, and both trailing-slash forms before the consolidation is released.
Validation result
All retired URLs have direct permanent redirects, none remain in the generated sitemap or internal navigation, retained destinations render, and the page count falls as planned.
Shortcut rejected
Removing URLs from the sitemap alone is rejected because crawlers and saved user links would still reach thin or missing pages.
Human gate
A site owner reviews redirect relevance and approves publication; Search Console removal or resubmission waits until the live redirects and new sitemap are verified.
Loop Engineering FAQ
Public sitemaps are intended to be read, but you must still respect robots rules and rate limits, and never fetch private or restricted pages.