Manage sitemaps and indexing with Manus
Managing sitemaps and indexing with Manus means asking a task agent to read the sitemap, noindex and nofollow flags StoreSEO holds for your products, collections, pages and posts, and to change them one resource at a time on your say-so.
Last updated: October 2026
Set up Manus for StoreSEO
Skip this if Manus is already connected. The full guide, with the alternatives, is on the Manus page.
- 1
Create an access token in StoreSEO
In the StoreSEO app, open Settings, then AI Toolkit, and generate a named personal access token. Copy it now and keep it out of any chat.
new message to ManusStoreSEO → Settings → AI Toolkit → generate a token
- 2
Add StoreSEO as a custom MCP server
In Manus, open Settings, then Integrations, then Custom MCP Servers, and choose Add Server. Give it a name, paste this URL as the server URL and enter your token as the authentication, as a Bearer token.
server URLhttps://mcp.storeseo.com/mcp
- 3
Check it and use it
Manus verifies it can reach the server and read its tools. Then start a task that names StoreSEO, so Manus uses the connector.
new message to ManusUse StoreSEO to show me my store's SEO score breakdown.
Step-by-step guide in the docs: How to connect StoreSEO MCP to Manus
How does this work in Manus?
A good request names one resource type and a question, for example use StoreSEO to show me every product that is excluded from the sitemap or set to noindex. Manus calls storeseo_start and then storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps, which takes the resource type and filters on sitemap, noindex or nofollow. The result is a table of resources with their three flags. Because noindex pulls a page out of search results, this read is worth doing before any change, and it runs without a pause, so Manus can walk several pages of a large catalog in one task and return a short list.
Changes go through storeseo_update_resource_sitemap, which sets sitemap_disabled, no_index or no_follow on one resource and writes the matching Shopify metafields. Manus should name the resource and the flag it will set, wait for your yes, and then call the tool for that resource. Flags can also be changed in the StoreSEO app while the task runs, so it should list the resource again before it tells you the current state instead of relying on an earlier answer.
The HTML sitemap is a multi-step setup that fits a task agent well, with one human step in the middle. Manus reads storeseo_get_html_sitemap_settings and generates the page with storeseo_update_html_sitemap, then calls storeseo_list_sitemap_menus, which returns your menus with edit links. You add the sitemap link to a menu in Shopify admin, because no tool does it, and then Manus marks setup complete. Any later change to the page settings starts with a read, because an update replaces them.
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You: Use StoreSEO to find products that are noindexed and tell me if any look wrong.
- storeseo_start read-only
- storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps read-only
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Manus: Illustrative result: 3 products are set to noindex. Two are test items, and the third, Linen Shirt, looks like a real bestseller. Should I remove noindex from Linen Shirt?
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You: Yes, remove it from Linen Shirt only.
- storeseo_update_resource_sitemap needs approval
- storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps read-only
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Manus: Linen Shirt is now indexable and still in the sitemap.
What to ask Manus
Tap a prompt to copy it, then paste it into Manus.
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 Manus 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 Manus
Indexing flags are easy to get wrong in bulk, and a general agent can read a bulk instruction literally. Ask for one resource per change, name it, and have Manus list it again afterward. A scheduled Manus task can audit these flags and report which important products are noindex, which is a useful weekly check. It should not set flags, because a scheduled run has nobody to approve and a wrong noindex removes a page from search results until someone notices.
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 Manus add the HTML sitemap link to my menu?
No. Manus can generate the HTML sitemap and list your menus with their edit links, but you add the link to a menu in Shopify admin. Then Manus can mark setup complete.
Why does Manus list my flags again before answering?
The flags can also be changed in the StoreSEO app while the task is open, so an earlier listing may be out of date. Listing again keeps the answer accurate.
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 Manus guides