• Installing the Magento 2 SEO Toolkit extension
• Set up cron
• Uninstalling the Magento 2 SEO Toolkit extension
• Extension Compatibility
• Introducing to Magento 2 SEO Toolkit
  • Extension Overview
  • Key Features
• Using Magento 2 SEO Toolkit
  • Extension Configuration
    • Frontend SEO Toolbar
      • Configuration
      • Using the Toolbar
    • Pagination Settings
    • Custom Search URLs
    • Product URL Structure & Canonicalization
    • Redirect Management
    • Hreflang Settings
    • HTML Sitemap
    • Rich Data
      • Rich Data Configuration
      • Rich Data Validation
    • Cross Linking
    • Open Graph Tags
    • URL Rewrite Regeneration
  • Managing Redirects
    • Managing Redirects
    • Creating Redirects
  • Managing XML Sitemaps
    • XML Sitemaps Grid
    • Creating XML Sitemaps
    • XML Sitemaps Generation
  • Managing Keyword Cross Links

Installing the Magento 2 SEO Toolkit extension

Command Line Installation

1. Backup your web directory and store database
2. Download the SEO Toolkit installation package
3. Upload contents of the SEO Toolkit installation package to your store root directory
4. In SSH console of your server navigate to your store root folder:

cd path_to_the_store_root_folder

run the following command: :

php bin/magento module:enable Aheadworks_SEOToolkit

then:

php bin/magento setup:upgrade

after:

php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f

    5. Flush store cache; log out from the backend and log in again

Composer Installation

If you are installing an extension from Aheadworks for the first time, you need to add our composer repository to your Magento store:

     1. Login to your ssh console and navigate to your store folder:

cd path_to_the_store_root_folder

Run the following command:

composer config repositories.aheadworks composer https://dist.aheadworks.com/

After the command was executed successfully, you can use the composer to install the extension.

To install the extension:

     2. Login to your ssh console and navigate to your store folder:

cd path_to_the_store_root_folder

     3. Run the following command to install the latest version of the extension:

composer require aheadworks/module-seo-toolkit

if you need to install a specific version, run this command:

composer require aheadworks/module-seo-toolkit:<version>

When prompted, enter Public Key (Username) and Private Key (Password):

Both Public Key (Username) and Private Key (Password) can be found in My Projects and Licenses in your personal account on our site:

 To upgrade the extension: 

To update or upgrade an extension:

Download the updated extension file. Take note of the module-name and version. Export the contents to your Magento root.

If a composer package exists for the extension, run one of the following.

Update per module name:

composer update aheadworks/module-seo-toolkit

Updater per version:

composer require aheadworks/module-seo-toolkit:<version>

Run the following commands to upgrade, deploy, and clean the cache.

php bin/magento setup:upgrade --keep-generated
php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy
php bin/magento cache:clean

Set up cron

If you have already configured cron jobs for your Magento installation then you can skip this step. Read the following instructions on setting cron job for your Magento store: Magento user guide.

Generally, it would be enough to run in SSH console of your server: 

crontab -e

And insert the following line:  

*/3 * * * * php -c <ini-file-path> <your Magento install dir>/bin/magento cron:run
*/3 * * * * php -c <ini-file-path> <your Magento install dir>/update/cron.php
*/3 * * * * php -c <ini-file-path> <your Magento install dir>/bin/magento setup:cron:run

Remember to confirm the Save request when exiting the installation.

Uninstalling the Magento 2 SEO Toolkit extension

Since Magento introduced declarative Database you need to be very carefull when uninstalling or disabling the module.

Manual Removal

1. Disable the module by executing the following commands:

php bin/magento module:disable Aheadworks_SEOToolkit
php bin/magento setup:upgrade

2. Remove the extension files from the following folder:

app/code/Aheadworks/SEOToolkit

Automatic Removal (via Composer)

1. Disable the module by executing the following commands:

php bin/magento module:uninstall Aheadworks_SEOToolkit

Extension Compatibility

Introducing to Magento 2 SEO Toolkit

Extension Overview

SEO Toolkit for Magento 2 provides a professional-grade suite for automating routine store optimization and scaling organic performance. The extension allows you to perform real-time technical audits via a unique storefront toolbar, manage structured data for rich search results, and maintain a clean site hierarchy through flexible URL path and canonical configurations.

Beyond on-page control, the module features advanced indexing and linking automation, including high-performance XML/HTML sitemap generation and a smart keyword cross-linking system. With built-in intelligent redirects and 404 error tracking, the toolkit ensures your store preserves its SEO authority and provides a seamless navigation experience during large-scale catalog updates.

Key Features

• Eliminate 404 errors by creating automatic redirects for deleted products and categories;

• Win Google Rich Results by adding JSON-LD structured data to display ratings, prices, and availability directly in search;

• Strengthen internal linking by automatically connecting keywords to your most important pages;

• Boost crawl efficiency with high-performance XML and HTML sitemaps to ensure search engines and visitors find all store pages without delay;

• Analyze pages in real-time with a storefront toolbar to inspect canonical tags and meta data;

• Optimize technical SEO by configuring product URL paths and canonical tags to improve site hierarchy and prevent duplicate content.

Using Magento 2 SEO Toolkit

Extension Configuration 

Before configuring the extension, ensure that the native Magento canonical tags for categories are enabled:

1. Navigate to Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog;

2. Open the Search Engine Optimization section;

3. Set the Use Canonical Link Meta Tag For Categories option to Yes;

4. Click Save Config.

To enable the extension, go to Stores > Configuration > AHEADWORKS EXTENSIONS > SEO Toolkit.

Frontend SEO Toolbar

Configuration

The section allows you to enable a tool that displays SEO information for the current page on the storefront.

• Show SEO Toolbar – enables/disables a floating panel on the storefront to inspect SEO data for each page;

• Allowed IP Addresses – defines the IP addresses (separated by commas) that are allowed to see the toolbar. If the field is left empty, the toolbar is visible to all visitors.

Using the Toolbar

When the feature is enabled and your specific IP address is added to the allowed list, a comprehensive SEO toolbar appears at the bottom of your storefront pages. This tool provides a real-time overview of the page's technical health without needing to inspect the source code.

The toolbar displays the following information:

• Meta tags — view the current Page Title, Meta Description, and Meta Keywords to ensure they align with your SEO strategy.

• Canonical URL — confirm that the page points to the correct authoritative version to avoid duplicate content issues.

• Open Graph tags — preview how the page will appear when shared on social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.

• Structured data (JSON-LD) — Verify that schema markup is correctly implemented for products, breadcrumbs, and organizations.

• Heading structure — Check the hierarchy of H1 through H6 tags to ensure logical content organization for crawlers.

• Image alt attributes — Identify any images missing alternative text to improve accessibility and image search rankings.

Pagination Settings

The section provides tools to manage how search engines index pages with product lists.

• Indexing Strategy – sets the indexing method for paginated pages:

• Standard – adds rel="next/prev" links to the page code;

• Consolidated – points all paginated pages to a single "View All" page via a canonical link.

• Off – disables specific pagination instructions.

• Pagination Meta Suffix – adds a suffix  to meta titles and descriptions to make paginated pages unique. If the field is left empty, the feature is disabled.

Custom Search URLs

The section allows you to customize the URL structure for search result pages to improve SEO and readability.

• Search URL Key – sets the URL path for search results (e.g., entering "find" changes the path to /find/query);

• If the field is left empty, the system uses the default Magento URL: catalogsearch/result/?q=....

Product URL Structure & Canonicalization

The section allows you to define how category paths are included in product URLs to manage site structure and SEO.

• Product URL Strategy – determines which category path is used when generating product URLs. Options include:

• Shortest Path – uses the navigation path with the fewest categories;

• Longest Path – uses the navigation path with the most categories;

• Default Rules – applies the standard Magento logic for URL generation;

• Url without Categories – removes category paths entirely, using only the product's URL key.

Redirect Management

The section allows you to configure automatic redirection rules to maintain SEO value and prevent broken links when pages are moved or deleted.

• Home Page Cleanup – determines if the system should clean up the home page URL:

• Yes – automatically sends users from /index.php to your home page using a 301 redirect;

• No – disables automatic redirection from the /index.php path.

• Smart 404 Redirects – manages the behavior for broken links:

• Yes – sends visitors from broken (404) pages to relevant search results based on the URL path;

• No – visitors will see the standard "404 Not Found" page.

• Default Redirect Type – chooses the default HTTP status for all automatic redirects:

• 301 (Permanent) – signals to search engines that a page has moved permanently;

• 302 (Temporary) – signals a temporary move.

• Auto-Cleanup Period, days – sets how many days the system should keep redirects before deleting them automatically.

• Deleted Product Redirect – defines where to send users when a product is removed from the store:

• Associated Lowest-Level Category – redirects to the most specific category the product belonged to (recommended for better SEO relevance);

• Home Page – redirects users to the store's main page;

• None – disables automatic redirection for deleted products.

• Exclude Categories – allows you to select specific categories from the store tree that should not be used as redirect targets.

• Deleted Category Redirect – defines the target page when a category is removed from the store:

• Parent Category – redirects users to the category one level above in the store hierarchy;

• Home Page – redirects users to the main page;

• None – disables automatic redirection for deleted categories.

Hreflang Settings

The section allows you to configure rel="alternate" hreflang tags to serve the correct language or regional URL to users based on their location and browser settings.

• Hreflang URL Scope – sets the scope for generating alternate language links across your installation:

• Global – includes URLs from all websites and store views within the entire Magento instance;

• Website – restricts alternate links to store views within the current website only.

• Locale Source – determines where the system retrieves language and country codes for the tags:

• Default Locale – uses the standard locale settings configured in the Magento General settings;

• Custom Codes – allows for the use of manual, user-defined language and regional codes.

• CMS Hreflang Matching – defines the logic used to link equivalent CMS pages across different store views:

• By Page ID – matches pages that share the same internal database ID;

• By Page Identifier (URL Key) – matches pages that share the exact same URL Key;

• By UUID – matches pages using a Unique Universal Identifier, ensuring links persist even if URL keys differ across languages.

HTML Sitemap

The section allows you to configure a dedicated HTML sitemap page to help visitors and search engines navigate your store's content more easily.

• Enable HTML Sitemap – determines whether the HTML sitemap page is active on the storefront:

• Yes – turns on the HTML sitemap page;

• No – disables the HTML sitemap page.

• Sitemap URL Path – sets the relative URL path for the sitemap;

• Page Title – defines the heading displayed at the top of the sitemap page;

• Meta Title – sets the SEO title tag for the page. If the field is left empty, the system uses the value from the Page Title field;

• Meta Description – defines the metadata description for the sitemap page to be used by search engines;

• Layout Columns – sets the number of columns used to display sitemap sections, allowing you to organize the links into a grid;

• Show Search Field – manages the visibility of a search bar on the sitemap:

• Yes – displays a search input field on the sitemap page;

• No – hides the search input field.

• Show CMS Pages – determines if CMS pages are included in the sitemap listings:

• Yes – includes links to all active CMS pages in the sitemap;

• No – excludes CMS pages from the sitemap.

• CMS Section Title – defines the heading for the CMS Pages block within the sitemap.

• Exclude CMS Pages – allows you to select specific CMS pages that should be hidden from the sitemap.

• Show Categories – determines whether the product category tree is included in the sitemap:

• Yes – includes links to product categories in the sitemap;

• No – excludes the category section from the sitemap.

• Category Section Title – sets the heading for the product categories section.

• Exclude Categories – enables the selection of specific product categories to be omitted from the sitemap display.

• Category Display Format – defines the visual arrangement of categories on the sitemap page. Options include:

• List – displays categories in a simple vertical sequence;

• Tree – displays categories in a hierarchical structure, showing parent and child relationships.

• Show Products – determines whether individual product pages are listed in the sitemap:

• Yes – includes links to product pages in the sitemap;

• No – excludes the product section from the sitemap.

• Products Section Title – defines the heading for the Products block on the sitemap page.

• Group by Letter – manages the organization of the product list:

• Yes – groups products alphabetically by their first letter or number;

• No – displays products in a standard list without alphabetical grouping.

• Hide Out Of Stock Products – controls the visibility of unavailable items:

• Yes – ensures products that are currently out of stock are not included in the sitemap;

• No – includes all products regardless of their stock status.

• Product Limit – sets the maximum number of product links to be displayed on the sitemap page.

• Show Additional Links – determines if custom links are included in the sitemap:

• • Yes – enables the display of a custom links section;

  • No – hides the additional links section.

• Additional Links Section Title – sets the heading for the custom links block.

• Additional Links – a text area used to manually input custom links. Links should be entered one per line using the format: Link text, link URL.

Accessing HTML Sitemap

The HTML sitemap is accessible at: `/sitemap` (or configured URL)

Rich Data

This section manages structured data for the store to enhance search engine visibility.

Rich Data Configuration

Breadcrumbs

• Enabled Breadcrumbs – a toggle to enable or disable the inclusion of navigation path structured data on site pages.

• Yes – adds breadcrumb schema to help search engines understand the site hierarchy.

• No – disables breadcrumb structured data.

Product Rich Data

This subsection controls specific schema properties for product pages.

• Enable Product Schema – determines if structured data is added to product pages.

• Yes – activates the generation of structured data for all products.

• No – deactivates product schema markup.

• Include Product Availability – adds the availability property to show if a product is in stock.

• Yes – informs search engines of the current stock status.

• No – excludes availability data from the markup.

• Include Ratings – adds the aggregateRating property to display star ratings in search results.

• Yes – enables the display of customer ratings in search snippets.

• No – hides rating data from search engines.

• Description Source – selects the source for the product's structured data description:

• Product Short Description – uses the brief summary.

• Product Full Description – uses the detailed description.

• Page Meta Description – uses the SEO meta description.

• Default Price Validity – sets the priceValidUntil property to tell search engines when a price expires:

• Disabled – no expiration is sent.

• Rolling 30 days – sets a 30-day validity period.

• Rolling 90 days – sets a 90-day validity period.

• Rolling 365 days – sets a 365-day validity period.

• Brand Attribute – maps a specific Magento attribute to the brand property.

• GTIN/MPN attribute – maps an attribute to the gtin property for unique product identification.

• Item Condition Attribute – maps an attribute to the itemCondition property to show if a product is new, used, or refurbished.

• Availability Logic – defines how stock status is reported:

• Basic (Stock Only) – reported based strictly on physical inventory.

• Advanced (Backorders and Pre-orders) – accounts for backorders and pre-order status.

• Always In Stock – recommended for digital goods or dropshippers to show items as always available.

• Hide Out-of-Stock Offers – removes the offers property for out-of-stock items to prevent search engines from showing unavailable prices.

• Yes – hides pricing for items that are out of stock.

• No – keeps the offer data visible regardless of stock status.

Category Rich Data

• Category Items Schema – adds the ItemList property to category pages to help search engines recognize the collection of products on the page.

• Yes – enables structured data for the product list on category pages.

• No – disables category-level item list schema.

Rich Data Validation

To ensure your sitemaps and on-page data are correctly interpreted by search engines, it is essential to verify the implementation.

Validate structured data using:

• Google Rich Results Test: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results

• Schema.org Validator: https://validator.schema.org/

Cross Linking

This section allows you to automate internal linking by converting specific keywords into links across your store content.

• Enabled Cross Linking – toggles the automatic creation of internal links for specified keywords:

• Yes – activates the automated internal linking feature;

• No – disables the feature.

• Linking Strategy – determines how frequently keywords are converted into links on a single page:

• First occurrence only (SEO safe) – only the first instance of a keyword is linked, which is generally preferred for SEO;

• All occurrences (Aggressive) – every instance of a keyword on the page becomes a link.

• Maximum Links Per Page – sets a numerical limit on the total number of cross-links added to a single page.

• Custom Link CSS Class – allows you to enter a specific CSS class to style all automatically generated cross-links.

• Product Attributes to Process – a selection list where you choose which product fields should be scanned for cross-linking.

• Exclude Out-of-Stock – manages linking for products not currently in inventory:

• Yes – internal links will only be created for products that are in stock;

• No – links are created regardless of stock status.

• Category Attributes to Process – defines which category-level fields are scanned for keywords.

• Process CMS Pages – determines if cross-linking is applied to static CMS pages:

• Yes – activates cross-linking within your CMS page content;

• No – excludes CMS pages from the process.

Advanced

• Exclude HTML Tags – a comma-separated list of HTML tags where cross-links should never be created to avoid breaking the layout or functionality.

• Prevent Self-Linking – prevents a page from linking to itself if the keyword matches the current page's URL:

• Yes – ensures no link is created if the target URL is the current page;

• No – allows self-linking.

• Link "rel" Attribute – selects the value for the rel attribute on generated links:

• nofollow – instructs search engines not to follow the link;

• noopener – a security measure for links that open in new tabs.

• Open Links in New Tab – defines the browser behavior when a cross-link is clicked:

• Yes – opens the link in a new browser tab;

• No – opens the link in the current tab.

• Word Boundary Regex – sets the regular expression pattern used to match exact words and avoid replacing parts of words.

• Exclude URLs (Blacklist) – a text area to enter specific URLs (one per line) where cross-linking should be entirely disabled.

Open Graph Tags

This section allows you to manage Open Graph metadata, which controls how your store's content appears when shared on social media platforms.

• Enable Open Graph – toggles the activation of Open Graph tags for the storefront:

• Yes – activates Open Graph tags to ensure better social sharing visibility;

• No – disables Open Graph tags.

• Fallback Image – allows you to upload an image that the system will use for social shares if no other specific image is found on a page.

• Product Title Source – selects the product attribute used to generate the og:title tag.

• Product Description Source – selects the product attribute used to generate the og:description tag.

• Category Title Source – selects the category attribute used to generate the og:title tag.

• Category Description Source – selects the category attribute used to generate the og:description tag.

• CMS Title Source – selects the source field from CMS pages to generate the og:title tag.

• CMS Description Source – selects the source field from CMS pages to generate the og:description tag.

URL Rewrite Regeneration

This section provides tools to regenerate SEO-friendly URL rewrites for your store's catalog.

• Start Regeneration – a global action button used to initiate the URL rewrite process after the settings below have been configured.

Entity Selection

• Entity Type – a selection list where you choose which types of catalog entities to process during the regeneration:

• Products – includes all product URLs in the regeneration process.

• Categories – includes all category URLs in the regeneration process.

• Process By – defines the scope of the entities to be processed:

• All – processes every entity within the selected types across the store.

• ID Range – allows you to specify a specific range of entity IDs for processing (useful for targeted updates in large catalogs).

Processing Settings

These settings define how the regeneration process handles specific data conditions and post-processing actions.

• Store View to Process — allows you to select which specific store view to include in the URL rewrite process.

• All store view — processes rewrites for every store view configured in the system.

• Default Store View — processes rewrites only for the primary store view.

• Skip Custom Rewrites — determines whether manually created URL rewrites are preserved or overwritten.

• Yes — the system will not process or change manually created URL rewrites.

• No — manually created rewrites may be included in the regeneration.

• Skip Reindex — controls whether the indexer runs automatically after the regeneration is complete.

• Yes — the indexer will not run after regenerating URL rewrites.

• No — the indexer will run automatically to update the database with the new rewrites.

• Skip Cache Flush — determines if the system cache is cleared following the process.

• Yes — the cache will not be cleared after the regeneration.

• No — the system will automatically flush the cache to ensure the new URLs are active.

• Conflict Resolution — defines how the system handles duplicate URL rewrites encountered during the process.

• Skip Duplicates — the system will bypass any entries that would result in a duplicate URL rewrite.

• Overwrite Existing — the system will replace existing duplicate entries with the newly generated rewrites.

Managing Redirects

To manage URL redirects, navigate to Marketing > Aheadworks SEO Toolkit > Redirects.

Managing Redirects

The Redirects workspace allows you to monitor and manage all active and inactive URL redirection rules within your store. This grid provides a comprehensive overview of how traffic is being rerouted across different store views.

• Add New Redirect — сlick this button to open the configuration form for creating a new redirection rule.

• Actions Menu — use this dropdown to perform bulk operations (such as Delete or Change Status) on multiple selected records.

• Filters — open the filter panel to search for specific redirects by ID, Request Path, or Target Path, etc.

Creating Redirects

General

This section allows you to manually create and configure individual URL redirects for your store.

• Status – a toggle to set the redirect as active or inactive.

• Enabled – the redirect rule is active.

• Disabled – the redirect rule is inactive.

• Description – a text area to provide internal notes or a summary of why this redirect was created.

• Redirect Type – a dropdown to select the HTTP status code for the redirect (e.g., 302 Temporary).

• Request Path – the original URL path that needs to be redirected.

• You should include the suffix used in your Search Engine Optimization settings.

• You can use an asterisk (*) to match all paths after a specific folder.

• Target Path – the destination URL path where the user should be sent.

• You should include the suffix used in your Search Engine Optimization settings.

• Use an asterisk (*) to receive wildcard traffic.

• For external links, use the full URL starting with https://.

• Redirect Broken Links – a toggle to focus the redirect specifically on non-existent pages.

• Yes – the rule only applies to broken (404) pages; this can be used with a wildcard to send all errors to a specific page like the homepage.

• No – the redirect applies to the path regardless of whether the original page exists.

• Store Views – a selection list to determine which store views (e.g., All Store Views, Main Website Store) the redirect rule will apply to.

• Priority – a numerical field to define the order of execution.

• If multiple paths are the same, only the rule with the highest priority works.

• Priority 1 is the highest.

Managing XML Sitemaps

To manage URL redirects, navigate to Marketing > Aheadworks SEO Toolkit > XML Sitemaps.

XML Sitemaps Grid

This grid displays all existing sitemaps and their current status:

• Add New Sitemap – A button to initiate the creation of a new XML sitemap configuration.

Creating XML Sitemaps 

General

The General section allows you to configure basic file properties:

• Name – a required field to provide an internal name for the sitemap.

• Store – a required selection to assign the sitemap to a specific store view.

• Sitemap File Path – a required field to define the destination path and filename. This path must be writable and accessible online.

• Max Items per File – sets a limit on the number of URLs in a single file. If this limit is reached, the system automatically creates additional files and a sitemap index.

• Max File Size (kB) – sets a limit on the file size. If reached, the system creates additional files and an index.

• Exclude Paths – a text area to enter specific paths (one per line) that should not be included in the sitemap. You can use the * wildcard to exclude entire folders (e.g., private/*).

• Date Format – A dropdown to select how dates are represented in the sitemap 

• Date only — Includes only the calendar date in the sitemap.

• Date and time — Includes the full timestamp..

Products

This tab controls how product-related data is indexed and presented within your sitemap files.

• Include Products – a toggle switch to enable or disable product indexing in the sitemap:

• Yes – reveals advanced product settings and includes product URLs;

• No – excludes all product data from the sitemap.

• Generation Strategy – determines how product links are organized:

• Add to Main Sitemap – includes product URLs within the primary sitemap file;

• Create Separate File – generates a standalone XML file exclusively for product links.

• Add Hreflang Tags – toggles the inclusion of language and regional URLs for products, which is essential for multi-language stores to avoid duplicate content issues.

• Add Image Links – enables the addition of product image URLs using <image:image> and <image:loc> tags to help images appear in search results.

• Include Last Modified – includes the <lastmod> tag for each product, indicating to search engines when the product information was last updated.

• Exclude out of Stock Products – manages the visibility of unavailable inventory:

• Yes – removes products from the sitemap once they are out of stock;

• No – keeps all products in the sitemap regardless of stock status.

• Exclude Product Types – a selection list allowing you to prevent specific product types (e.g., Virtual Product, Bundle Product, Grouped Product) from being indexed.

Categories

This tab allows you to manage how category pages are indexed and structured within your sitemap files.

• Include Categories – a toggle switch used to enable or disable the inclusion of category URLs in the sitemap:

• Yes – activates additional configuration settings for category indexing;

• No – excludes all category data from the generated sitemap.

• Generation Strategy – determines the file structure for category links:

• Add to Main Sitemap – incorporates category URLs directly into the primary sitemap file;

• Create Separate File – generates a dedicated XML file specifically for category links.

• Add Hreflang Tags – toggles the inclusion of hreflang attributes for categories. This is used to signal to search engines which localized version of a category page should be shown to users based on their region or language.

• Add Image Links – enables the addition of category image URLs using <image:image> and <image:loc> tags to assist search engines in indexing category-level imagery.

• Include Last Modified – includes the <lastmod> tag for each category entry, informing search engines when the category was last updated.

• Exclude Categories – a dropdown selection list that allows you to manually specify particular categories to be omitted from the sitemap generation.

CMS Pages

This section allows you to manage the inclusion of your store's static content pages within the XML sitemap.

• Include Pages — a toggle switch that determines if CMS pages are indexed in the sitemap:

• Yes — enables the inclusion of static pages and reveals settings for generation strategy, hreflang tags, and last modified timestamps.

• No — all CMS pages are excluded from the sitemap generation, and advanced configuration options are hidden.

• Generation Strategy — a dropdown menu to choose how CMS links are organized:

• Add to Main Sitemap — incorporates the CMS page URLs directly into the primary sitemap file.

• Create Separate File — generates a dedicated XML file specifically for CMS pages.

• Add Hreflang Tags — a toggle to include language and regional annotations for CMS pages, which helps search engines serve the correct version of a page to users in different locales.

• Include Last Modified — a toggle to add the <lastmod> tag for each CMS page, providing search engines with the date and time the page was last updated.

Extra Links

This tab allows you to manually add custom URLs to your sitemap that are not automatically captured by standard catalog or CMS settings.

• Include Extra Links — a toggle switch to enable or disable the manual addition of URLs:

• Yes — enables custom URL entry and reveals advanced configuration options.

• No — disables the manual link feature.

• Generation Strategy — a dropdown menu used to determine where these custom links are stored:

• Add to Main Sitemap — includes the manual URLs within the primary sitemap file.

• Create Separate File — generates a standalone XML file for the extra links.

• Priority — a numerical field (ranging from 0.01 to 1.0) that suggests the importance of these URLs to search engine crawlers relative to other pages on your site.

• Frequency — a dropdown selection that indicates how often the content at these URLs is expected to change. 

• Extra Links to include — a text area where you can enter the specific URL paths you wish to add to the sitemap.

XML Sitemaps Generation

If you need to update your sitemap files immediately without waiting for the scheduled cron job, you can trigger the process manually from the admin panel.

1. Go to Marketing > SEO & Search > XML Sitemaps.

2. Select the specific sitemap configuration you wish to update.

3. Click the Actions dropdown menu located above the grid and select Generate.

4. Confirm the action if prompted. The system will process the links for products, categories, and CMS pages based on your saved settings.

5. Once the "Generation completed" message appears, the Last Generated column in the grid will update with the current timestamp.

Managing Keyword Cross Links

To manage URL redirects, navigate to Marketing > Aheadworks SEO Toolkit > Keyword Cross Links.

Keyword Cross Links Grid

The main workspace for managing internal linking. This grid allows you to monitor all automated cross-linking rules within your store:

• Add New Link – Click this button to create a new keyword-based linking rule.

General Settings

When creating or editing a link, the General section defines the rule's behavior:

• Status – use the toggle to enable or disable the rule.

• Title – a required field for the internal name of the rule.

• Keywords – a required field where you enter one keyword per line. These words will link automatically whenever they appear in your text.

• Link Type – a required selection to define the destination category. You can choose from Custom URL, Product, Category.

• Link Destination – a required field where you enter the full path for a Custom URL or the specific Item ID for a Product or Category.

• Link Opens In – sets the HTML target attribute for the link. Options include:

• Same tab (standard for internal links).

• New tab (standard for external or auxiliary content).

• Links Per Page – set a limit for how many times this specific link appears on a single page. Use 0 for unlimited occurrences.

• Priority – a numerical value where 0 represents the highest priority.

• Link Authority – atoggle to add rel="nofollow" to the link, which stops "link juice" from being passed to the destination.

• Store Views – a required field to select which store views will utilize this cross-linking rule.