WordPress version 6.5 now includes support for the lastmod element in sitemap files, which can help search engines identify new or updated content. This enhancement may improve crawl efficiency and reduce server load.

Lastmod. The lastmod element can be added to your sitemap to indicate the most recent modification date of a URL. Search engines use this information when crawling your site. Bing has previously stated it would place more emphasis on the lastmod date for crawling.

Gary Illyes from Google shared this update on LinkedIn:

“The lastmod element in sitemaps is a signal that can help crawlers determine how frequently to visit your pages.”

He continued:

“If you're using WordPress, version 6.5 now supports this field automatically, thanks to Pascal Birchler and the WordPress development team. If you've been delaying an upgrade, now is a good time to update (once plugin compatibility is confirmed). Don’t stay on an old version like Gary still does with some version 2*. If you’re not using WordPress, try to include the last significant modification date — meaning changes important to users — in your sitemaps.”

Bing’s Fabrice Canel responded to the post:

“Big thanks to Pascal Birchler, Gary Illyes, Google, and the WordPress team for their work on WordPress 6.5. Adding the lastmod signal to sitemaps is a major improvement, giving millions of websites better insight into content changes, improving crawl efficiency, and keeping search results fresh.

For those hesitant to update WordPress, this feature is a strong reason to do so. As more sites adopt lastmod, search engines — both AI-based and rule-based — will increasingly rely on this signal.

Additionally, consider using http://miracleart.cn/link/9a96179f5027c861921aaa4c88ddcf85 to control crawling and boost your SEO with real-time indexing. The ideal setup combines IndexNow for instant updates and sitemaps with lastmod as a daily catch-up mechanism, ensuring full and timely coverage.

Better online visibility isn't just about having a website — it's about getting your latest content discovered.”

Upgrade. At the moment, around 21% of WordPress installations are running version 6.5, so it may be worth checking if you’ve upgraded to benefit from improved crawl efficiency.

If your site doesn’t run on WordPress, consult your developers about including accurate lastmod dates in your sitemap files.

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