Sitemaps and indexing Manage sitemaps and indexing with Claude
Managing sitemaps and indexing with Claude means asking Anthropic's chat assistant which of your Shopify products, collections, pages and posts are left out of the XML sitemap or set to noindex or nofollow in StoreSEO, changing those flags one resource at a time, and setting up an HTML sitemap page from the same conversation.
Last updated: October 2026
Set up Claude for StoreSEO
Skip this if Claude is already connected. The full guide, with the alternatives, is on the Claude page.
- 1
Add StoreSEO as a custom connector
In Claude, open Customize, then Connectors, choose + Add and then Add custom connector. Name it StoreSEO and paste this URL as the remote MCP server URL.
URLhttps://mcp.storeseo.com/mcp
- 2
Approve your store
Claude opens the StoreSEO sign-in in your browser. Pick your Shopify store and approve access. Then start a new chat and ask this to confirm the connection works.
PromptUse StoreSEO to show me my store's SEO score breakdown.
How does this work in Claude?
You work in a Claude chat on the web or in Claude Desktop, with the StoreSEO custom connector switched on for that conversation. A typical first message is which products are set to noindex right now. Claude calls storeseo_start, which returns the conversation id every other tool needs, and then storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps for products with the noindex filter on. The reply is a short table in the chat with each resource's sitemap, noindex and nofollow state, and because the tool also takes a search term and a resource type, you can narrow it to a collection, a page or your blog posts by saying so in plain words.
Changing a flag is a separate step. When you say to exclude a draft product from the sitemap and set it to noindex, Claude names that one resource and the two flags it is about to set, and waits for your yes, because noindex removes a page from search results. After you agree, it calls storeseo_update_resource_sitemap, which writes the matching Shopify metafields, and then lists the resource again so the answer you get reflects the store rather than the call it just made. Flags can also be changed in the StoreSEO app between messages, which is why that second read matters.
The HTML sitemap runs the same way. Claude reads storeseo_get_html_sitemap_settings first, then generates and enables the page with storeseo_update_html_sitemap, and calls storeseo_list_sitemap_menus so it can show your navigation menus with their edit links. Adding the sitemap link to a menu is something you do in Shopify admin; Claude tells you which menu suits and then marks setup complete once you say it is done.
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You: Which of my products are set to noindex or left out of the sitemap?
- storeseo_start read-only
- storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps read-only
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Claude: Three products are noindex and one of them, Summer Linen Shirt, is also excluded from the sitemap, which looks unintended for a live product. Want me to turn both flags off for Summer Linen Shirt?
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You: Yes, remove both flags on that one only.
- storeseo_update_resource_sitemap needs approval
- storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps read-only
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Claude: Summer Linen Shirt is now back in the sitemap and no longer noindex. The other two are unchanged.
What to ask Claude
Use StoreSEO to list my products that are set to noindex or excluded from the sitemap, and tell me which ones look like a mistake.
Exclude the product Gift Card Test from the sitemap and set it to noindex. Show me the flags afterwards.
Set up an HTML sitemap for my store, then show me my menus so I can add the link in the footer menu.
- Which of my products are set to noindex or excluded from the sitemap?
- Exclude the product Gift Card Test from the sitemap and set it to noindex.
- Set up an HTML sitemap for my store and tell me which menu to add it to.
- Are any of my blog posts set to nofollow?
- Remove noindex from the page About Us.
What StoreSEO does: sitemaps and indexing
StoreSEO controls two things here: per-resource sitemap flags (left out of the XML sitemap, noindex, nofollow) and an HTML sitemap page. The agent lists flags, changes them one resource at a time and walks you through the HTML sitemap setup.
- 1
List the flags
The agent lists products, collections, pages or articles with their sitemap, noindex and nofollow flags, filtered as you ask.
- 2
Change one resource
After your yes it sets the flags on one resource, which writes the matching Shopify metafields.
- 3
Re-read before reporting
Flags can also change in the StoreSEO app, so the agent re-lists before telling you the current state.
- 4
Create the HTML sitemap
It reads the HTML sitemap settings, then generates and enables the page.
- 5
Add it to a menu
It lists your navigation menus with their edit links; you add the sitemap link to a menu in Shopify admin, then the agent marks setup complete.
Sitemaps and indexing reference
| Flags per resource | Excluded from sitemap, noindex, nofollow |
|---|---|
| Resource types | Products, collections, pages and articles |
| Where flags live | Shopify metafields on the resource |
| HTML sitemap steps | Generate and enable, add the link to a menu yourself, mark complete |
| HTML sitemap settings | Replaced wholesale on update; read first |
| Menus | Listed with edit links; the menu you choose is not stored |
| Plan | Every active plan |
Rules Claude follows
- A noindex flag removes a page from search results, so the agent names the resource and waits for your yes.
- The agent re-lists flags in the same turn before telling you their current state.
- Adding the sitemap link to a menu is a step you do in Shopify admin; no tool does it.
- HTML sitemap settings are read before every update, because an update replaces them.
In Claude
Claude's own prompts for write actions are the hard stop, and the connector menu lets you act on that: open Search and Tools and switch off storeseo_update_resource_sitemap and storeseo_update_html_sitemap for a conversation that should only inspect flags. If you pick Allow always on those two, a noindex change is no longer held by Claude's prompt, and the only check left is the yes StoreSEO tells Claude to wait for. Also remember the Free plan allows one custom connector, so StoreSEO uses that slot.
What runs without asking. Reads such as SEO scores, store listings, settings and Google reports run straight away. Generating a preview spends AI credit but writes nothing, and StoreSEO tells the agent to say what a generation will cost before it runs one. Applying content, optimizing images, changing settings, publishing llms.txt or agents.md, writing a product description and deleting anything wait for your yes in the conversation. That yes is an instruction the agent follows, not a lock on the server, so your client's own tool-approval setting is the hard stop.
Questions
Can Claude set a product to noindex in StoreSEO from a chat?
Yes. Claude calls storeseo_update_resource_sitemap for one resource at a time, after you agree. It writes the noindex flag as a Shopify metafield and then lists the resource again so you see the current state.
Will Claude add the HTML sitemap link to my store's menu?
No. Claude generates the HTML sitemap and lists your menus with their edit links, but you add the link to a menu in Shopify admin. Then you tell Claude, and it marks setup complete.
What is the difference between excluding a page from the sitemap and noindex?
Excluding a resource leaves it out of your XML sitemap, so crawlers are not pointed at it. Noindex tells search engines not to show the page in results even if they find it. StoreSEO sets each flag separately per resource.
Can the agent add the HTML sitemap to my menu?
No. The agent generates the HTML sitemap and lists your menus with their edit links, and you add the sitemap link to a menu in Shopify admin. Then the agent can mark setup complete.
Do sitemap tools need a paid plan?
No. The sitemap tools work on every active StoreSEO plan.
Why does the agent check the flags again before answering?
Sitemap flags can also be changed in the StoreSEO app outside the conversation, so an earlier listing may be stale. Re-reading in the same turn keeps the answer accurate.
Keep going
Sitemaps and indexing with other agents
More Claude guides