New Google Webmaster Tools Verification; Sitemap Automator 2.2 Beta Available
October 7th, 2009Last Thursday, Google changed the way verification works for your website. Instead of just publishing a blank file to your web server, you now need to download a special XML file that contains important information about your account.
In version 2.1 of Sitemap Automator, you only have the option of pasting a file name in the ‘Publish Verification File’ command under the File menu. We posted a new beta version a few days ago which will now let you publish the actual verification file that Google provides.
The new beta of Sitemap Automator also includes enhanced support for MobileMe including publishing to the root directory so you no longer need to re-publish your XML Sitemap file each time you publish your iWeb site.
The beta version of Sitemap Automator can be downloaded from Trybeta. Just create a free beta testers account on the website.
If you find problems with this version, please let as know as soon as possible.
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October 16th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
How does this change impact v.2.1 users who have previously been verified by Google Webmaster Tools? Must we now be re-verified each time we re-publish our web-sites? How does this update affect Bing and Yahoo?
October 16th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
You do not need to re-verify if you have previously done so with an earlier version of Sitemap Automator. This just effects new verifications.
However, if you republish your site with iWeb, you will need to re-verify.
Fortunately with this new update it is very easy. Plus, this new update also includes a feature for publishing your sitemap to your root directory which means you never have to re-publish your sitemap or verification file again after you have done it once with Sitemap Automator.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
My site was verified with the old version of Sitemap Automator for a while now, and I was getting good and helpful, albeit limited, information from my Webmasters Tools account, as I do publish my site on MobileMe, and so couldn’t verify at the root level.
When google changed their verification process though, all of a sudden my site became unverified. This probably happened after I republished my website on iWeb and had to re-verify.
Now, I downloaded version 2.2, and followed the instructions carefully. I have tried to verify both at the root level and not, repeated the instructions in the video and the written manual several times, but it just won’t do- I keep getting a “Page Not Found” error message on the Webmasters Tools link to the page that should contain the published verification file.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you,
Naomi Azriel
October 21st, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Hi Carl,
You will not have to do anything to reverify. If you have a previously verified website then you don’t need to use the new verification method. It is only for new verifications.
HOWEVER, if you use iWeb then your verification file and XML sitemap are overwritten each time you publish your site in iWeb. Which means you will need the new 2.2 version for two reasons. The first to re-verify your site using the new verification process and the second because the new version lets you publish your XML sitemap file and verification file to your root directory on your MobileMe account. This means that once you publish your XML Sitemap and verification file once using Sitemap Automator 2.2, you never need to do it again even if you re-publish your iWeb site.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:35 pm
@Naomi: Your site wasn’t automatically unverified by Google. Because you republished your site with iWeb your XML Sitemap file and verification file were deleted from your server.
Most likely the reason you are having issues is because your site was added to Google Webmaster Tools as;
http://www.naomiazrielpsychotherapy.com/Site/
When it needs to be;
http://www.naomiazrielpsychotherapy.com/
When publishing to the root directory of your server. This allows you to also get access to all the Webmaster Tools stats and info for your site.
A second reason you may be having these issues can be because you downloaded the verification file from Google Webmaster Tools more than once. Since file names must be unique in Mac OS X, when you download your verification file multiple times, Mac OS X will add a number to the end of the file name to make sure the file names are unique. So make sure you delete all verification files from your downloads folder on your computer, download your verification file one more time and then publish it to your server with Sitemap Automator.