Manage sitemaps and indexing with Paperclip
Managing sitemaps and indexing from Paperclip means letting an agent report from StoreSEO which products, collections, pages and posts are noindex, nofollow or left out of the sitemap, and changing a flag only in a task that names the exact resource.
Last updated: October 2026
Set up Paperclip for StoreSEO
Skip this if Paperclip is already connected. The full guide, with the alternatives, is on the Paperclip page.
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Add StoreSEO to the agent Paperclip runs
Run this on the machine that hosts the agent, as the same OS user the Paperclip heartbeat runs as, from the agent's working directory. It is the claude_local adapter path, and user scope makes StoreSEO available to every Claude Code agent that user runs.
terminalclaude mcp add --transport http --scope user storeseo https://mcp.storeseo.com/mcp
- 2
Sign in once, then let Paperclip run headless
Start claude interactively as that same user, run /mcp, choose storeseo and finish the browser sign-in: pick your Shopify store and approve. Claude Code keeps the credentials, so later Paperclip runs need no browser. Check with claude mcp get storeseo.
new message to Paperclip/mcp
Step-by-step guide in the docs: How to connect StoreSEO MCP to Paperclip
How does this work in Paperclip?
The sitemap flags are quiet settings with loud consequences, which makes them a good fit for a watching routine. The agent calls storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps for products, collections, pages or articles and reports which ones are left out of the XML sitemap, set to noindex or set to nofollow. A Monday task that lists everything flagged, with a note on anything that looks accidental, such as a bestselling product marked noindex, catches a mistake before search traffic shows it. It is all reads, and because flags can also change in the StoreSEO app, the agent should re-list in the same run rather than trusting last week's comment.
Changing a flag is one resource per call through storeseo_update_resource_sitemap, which writes Shopify metafields. A noindex flag removes a page from search results, so the task text should name the resource and the flag, and the agent should ask in a comment before it writes. The HTML sitemap is a second, longer task: the agent reads storeseo_get_html_sitemap_settings, generates and enables the page with storeseo_update_html_sitemap, then lists your menus with storeseo_list_sitemap_menus and gives you the edit links.
That last step stays with you. Adding the sitemap link to a menu happens in Shopify admin, and no tool does it, so the ticket stays open until you confirm. Leave the choice of menu to a person too: StoreSEO does not store which menu you picked, so the comment on the task is the only record that the link exists.
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You: Ticket: which of my products are noindex or out of the sitemap?
- storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps read-only
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Paperclip: Three products are flagged: Gift Card Test and Sample Pack are intentionally excluded, but Linen Shirt is set to noindex and it is a top product. Remove noindex from Linen Shirt?
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You: Yes, remove noindex from Linen Shirt only.
- storeseo_update_resource_sitemap needs approval
- storeseo_list_resource_sitemaps read-only
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Paperclip: Linen Shirt is no longer noindex; I re-listed to confirm and the other two flags are unchanged.
What to ask Paperclip
Tap a prompt to copy it, then paste it into Paperclip.
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.
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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.
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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 Paperclip 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 Paperclip
The one flag that can hurt overnight is noindex, and a routine has nobody to say no. With the Claude Code adapter's default of skipping permission prompts, an agent that decides a page should be hidden can write that flag unattended. Make the scheduled task read only in so many words, keep storeseo_update_resource_sitemap for a task you start, and have the agent re-list flags in the same run before it reports the current state.
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 Paperclip alert me when a page becomes noindex?
A routine can list the flags each week and the agent can post any resource that is noindex or excluded. It reports what it reads at that moment, so it catches a change at the next run rather than the moment it happens.
Can the agent add the HTML sitemap to my navigation menu?
No. It can generate the page and list your menus with edit links, but you add the link in Shopify admin. Then the agent can mark setup complete, and the Paperclip task is the place to record that you did it.
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 Paperclip guides