## **🔍 Overview**

When you import sitemap settings from a plugin like Yoast SEO, Search Atlas does not automatically carry over your exclusion rules. URL types that were disabled in Yoast — such as author pages, video pages, category pages, and tag pages — may appear as **enabled** in Search Atlas and surface as sitemap errors. This article explains how to locate and disable those URL types directly inside Search Atlas.

## **⚙️ How Sitemap URL Type Settings Work in Search Atlas**

Search Atlas manages its own sitemap configuration independently of any third-party SEO plugin. Even if a URL type was excluded in Yoast before migration, Search Atlas may not reflect those exclusions automatically. You will need to review and update these settings after any import or plugin migration.

## **🛠️ How to Disable Specific URL Types**

1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and make sure the correct project (website) is selected.
2. Navigate to the sitemap settings area within your project. If you are unsure where to find this, reach out to our support team for exact navigation steps — the location may vary depending on your account setup.
3. Locate the URL type controls for your sitemap. You should see options corresponding to different URL types that Search Atlas can include — such as posts, pages, categories, tags, authors, and video sitemaps.
4. Find the URL type you want to exclude (e.g., **Author**, **Category**, **Tag**, or **Video**).
5. Disable or turn off that URL type using the available control.
6. Repeat for each URL type you want to exclude.
7. Save your changes so that the excluded URL types are removed from your sitemap.

## **📋 Common URL Types to Disable After a Yoast Migration**

If you previously excluded any of the following in Yoast, check each one in your Search Atlas sitemap settings and disable as needed:

- **Author pages** — Archive pages automatically generated for each author on your site.
- **Category pages** — Taxonomy archive pages for post categories.
- **Tag pages** — Taxonomy archive pages for post tags.
- **Video sitemap** — A separate sitemap index for video content embedded on your pages.

Leaving these enabled when they were previously excluded can cause sitemap errors and may send search engines to thin or duplicate content pages, which can negatively affect your crawl budget and indexing.

## **✅ Verifying Your Sitemap After Changes**

After saving your updated settings, it is good practice to verify that the excluded URL types no longer appear in your sitemap. You can do this by:

- Opening your sitemap URL directly in a browser (e.g., **yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml**) and confirming the excluded URL types are not listed.
- Using the sitemap preview or validation tools available within Search Atlas to confirm the updated sitemap reflects your changes.

If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.