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Troubleshooting Category and Taxonomy Priority Issues in XML Sitemap Generator for Google

20 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Xml sitemap generator for google

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If you've noticed that the priority settings for your WordPress categories or custom taxonomies aren't working as expected in your XML sitemap, you're not alone. A common issue reported by users of the 'XML Sitemap Generator for Google' plugin is that the priority for categories seems to be controlled by the 'Tag pages' setting instead of its own dedicated option. This guide will help you understand why this happens and what you can do about it.

Understanding the Problem

Based on numerous user reports, a known bug existed in the plugin where the priority and change frequency for standard WordPress categories and custom taxonomies (like WooCommerce's product_cat) were incorrectly pulling their values from the 'Tag pages' global setting. This meant that changing the 'Categories' priority had no effect, while changing the 'Tag pages' priority would alter the values for both tags AND categories in the generated sitemap.

Why This Happened

This behavior was a confirmed bug within the plugin's code. The issue was specifically related to how the plugin handled taxonomies when building the sitemap XML files. A fix for this was implemented and released in plugin version 4.1.18.

How to Check and Fix the Issue

Step 1: Verify Your Plugin Version

The first step is to check if you are running an affected version. Navigate to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and look for 'XML Sitemap Generator for Google'. The version number is listed next to it. If your version is older than 4.1.18, you are likely experiencing this bug.

Step 2: Update the Plugin

The primary and recommended solution is to update the plugin to the latest available version. The 'XML Sitemap Generator for Google' team addressed this bug in version 4.1.18. Updating should resolve the issue, allowing the 'Categories' and individual taxonomy settings to work independently from the 'Tag pages' setting.

  1. Go to Dashboard → Updates.
  2. If an update for the plugin is available, select it and click Update Plugins.
  3. After updating, clear any caching plugins or server-side caches you may be using.
  4. Finally, regenerate your sitemap by visiting the plugin's settings page (Settings → XML Sitemap) and clicking the relevant ' Update' or 'Build' button.

Step 3: Verify the Fix

After updating, revisit your sitemap settings. You should now be able to set a priority for 'Categories' and have it reflect correctly in your sitemap-tax-category.xml file. Similarly, custom taxonomies should now respect their own priority settings. You can view your sitemap by visiting https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.

Important Limitations to Be Aware Of

  • Per-Page Priority: It is not possible to set a custom priority for individual pages or posts. The plugin only allows for global settings by content type (e.g., all static pages, all posts).
  • Custom Taxonomy Control: While the bug fix restored functionality, the level of control for custom taxonomies depends on the options the plugin provides. Some very custom taxonomies might still inherit from a general setting.
  • Sitemap Ordering: The order in which the sitemap indexes appear (e.g., pages first, then tags) is not configurable within the plugin's settings.

What If Updating Doesn't Work?

If you are on version 4.1.18 or newer and are still experiencing problems, try these steps:

  1. Resave Your Settings: Go to Settings → XML Sitemap → Priorities, reconfigure your desired priorities, and click 'Save Changes'.
  2. Force Regenerate the Sitemap: Use the 'Build' option on the main sitemap settings page.
  3. Check for Conflicts: Temporarily disable other plugins (especially other SEO or sitemap plugins) to see if a conflict is causing the issue.

This issue was a common source of confusion, but it has been officially resolved. Keeping your plugins updated is the best way to ensure optimal functionality and compatibility with your WordPress site.

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