E1 · Three dates
20 minPick 3 URLs from your sitemap and compare each lastmod with the date of that page's last real change.
Done when: the 3 dates match, or you noted where the generator gets the date and what to change.
Lesson 5 · 15 min
Sitemaps with real dates and hreflang
The sitemap is the list of pages you hand to the search engine. It only helps if it tells the truth: the pages that exist and the date each one actually changed. If your site has versions in other languages, hreflang says which is which, and that opens up a whole market.
Start the lesson
In this lesson you will
- 1Why the sitemap comes from the same data that builds the pages
- 2The real change date, never the build time
- 3Two-way hreflang, on every page
- 4The case of INEMA's Spanish page
Goal: generate the sitemap from the same data as the pages, with the real change date and reciprocal hreflang when there is a translation.
01One data source, two outputs
Tap each block.
Click each block in the diagram to see what it does.
A hand-written sitemap goes out of date on day one. A sitemap generated from the data doesn't lie.
02Build it and check it
Tap each step.
1. Find the generator
Many website platforms generate the sitemap on their own. Find out where it's generated and what data it comes from.
If the sitemap was written by hand, replacing it is the first thing to do.
2. Real date
Open the sitemap and look at three URLs. Does the date match the last real change to that page?
If every date is today, the generator is using the build time.
On the INEMA portal
The generator takes the date from the catalog, with the comment "never use the build time" in the code.
3. hreflang
For each translated page: the PT version points to EN and ES, and each one points back. Include x-default.
It can go in each page's HTML or in the sitemap. The X-ray shows both: the page's hreflang line and the count in the sitemap.
4. Why it's worth it
In Spanish, the competition is usually smaller. Translate only the text; structure, images, and code are reused.
At INEMA
The page /es/aprender-inteligencia-artificial/ was indexed on 10/03/2026. The following week it already had 5 to 10 impressions on each Spanish query, in positions 29 to 61.
03What it looks like and how to check
The sitemap format with hreflang, the generator pattern, and the check command.
sitemap.xml · one URL with translations
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <url> <loc>https://www.seusite.com/</loc> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="pt-BR" href="https://www.seusite.com/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.seusite.com/en/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://www.seusite.com/es/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://www.seusite.com/" /> <lastmod><yyyy-mm-dd of the last change></lastmod> </url> </urlset>
Next.js · app/sitemap.ts (portal standard, abridged)
// the date comes from the data; never the build time
const languages = { 'pt-BR': `${SITE_URL}/`, en: `${SITE_URL}/en/`, es: `${SITE_URL}/es/`, 'x-default': `${SITE_URL}/` }
return ['/', '/en/', '/es/'].map(path => ({
url: `${SITE_URL}${path}`,
lastModified: latest,
alternates: { languages },
}))Terminal · sitemap URLs and hreflang
x=$(curl -4 -m 20 -s https://www.seusite.com/sitemap.xml) echo "$(echo "$x" | grep -c '<loc>') URLs, $(echo "$x" | grep -c 'hreflang') hreflang annotations" echo "$x" | grep -oE '<lastmod>[^<]*' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head
Example from the repository
First URL in the www.inema.club sitemap on 10/19/2026:
<loc>https://www.inema.club/</loc> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="pt-BR" href="https://www.inema.club/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.inema.club/en/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://www.inema.club/es/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://www.inema.club/" /> <lastmod>2026-10-19</lastmod>
The home page changes when the catalog changes, so its date is the catalog's date.
- All dates the same in the last line of the command: probably the build time.
- 0 hreflang annotations in a sitemap: normal if those pages have no translation; a problem if they do.
- More URLs in the sitemap than pages on the site: the sitemap isn't generated from the data.
04Practice: a sitemap that tells the truth
Use the Sitemaps blocks from your raio-x.txt.
E2 · hreflang round trip
20 minIf your site has translations, open a page in each language and check that each one lists all the versions. With no translation, write "not applicable" and the language that would make sense.
Done when: the round trip was checked across the versions, or the "not applicable" is noted with the reason.
05Test what you learned
The explanation appears after you answer.
Question 1 of 4
All the URLs in your sitemap have today's date. What does that suggest?skill
Correct
lastmod must be the date the content changed. A date that changes without the content changing teaches the search engine not to trust it.Not that one
lastmod must be the date the content changed. A date that changes without the content changing teaches the search engine not to trust it.Review: One data source, two outputsQuestion 2 of 4
Where does hreflang go?
Correct
In the layout, it leaks onto pages with no translation. The rule is reciprocal, page by page.Not that one
In the layout, it leaks onto pages with no translation. The rule is reciprocal, page by page.Review: Build it and check itQuestion 3 of 4
Why generate the sitemap from the same data as the pages?
Correct
Same source, same list. A hand-made sitemap goes stale and starts listing 404s or forgetting new pages.Not that one
Same source, same list. A hand-made sitemap goes stale and starts listing 404s or forgetting new pages.Review: One data source, two outputsQuestion 4 of 4
What does the INEMA Spanish page case show?
Correct
It was 5 to 10 impressions per query, at positions 29 to 61: a start, not a win, but in a market where there was nothing before.Not that one
It was 5 to 10 impressions per query, at positions 29 to 61: a start, not a win, but in a market where there was nothing before.Review: Build it and check itQuiz complete
You got {a} of {n} right. If you get them all right, the lesson is marked as complete.Pick an answer. The explanation appears after you try.
06Takeaways
From the dataPages and sitemap come from the same list.
Real datelastmod = content change, never the build.
hreflangReciprocal, with x-default, on each page.