How to fix seo variant urls in sitemap on Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Steps for Adobe Commerce (Magento)

1. Go to Admin → Marketing → SEO & Search → Site Map. Review existing sitemap configurations and note which store views are affected.
2. Go to Stores → Configuration → Catalog → XML Sitemap. Under 'Product Options', confirm 'Include in Sitemap' is set correctly. Adobe Commerce does not natively add ?___store= or configurable product option query parameters to the sitemap — check if a third-party SEO extension is the source.
3. If using a sitemap extension (e.g., Amasty SEO Toolkit, Mirasvit SEO Suite), go to that extension's configuration in the Admin and look for a 'Product Variations', 'Configurable Product Options', or 'URL Parameters' setting and disable inclusion of variant URLs.
4. Ensure all configurable product child (simple) product URLs either redirect to the parent configurable product URL or carry a canonical tag pointing to the parent. In Adobe Commerce, go to Stores → Configuration → Catalog → Search Engine Optimization → set 'Use Canonical Link Meta Tag for Products' to Yes.
5. After saving configuration, regenerate the sitemap: Marketing → SEO & Search → Site Map → select your sitemap → Generate. Then resubmit the updated sitemap URL in Google Search Console.

<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.yourstore.com/products/blue-t-shirt" />

What is seo variant urls in sitemap?

When shoppers choose a color, size, or other option on a product page, many ecommerce platforms generate a new URL with a query parameter — for example, `/products/blue-t-shirt?variant=12345`. These variant URLs display the same product page with slightly different state; they are not separate, standalone pages. An XML sitemap is a file you submit to Google that lists the pages you want indexed. If variant URLs appear in that sitemap alongside the main product URL, you are effectively telling Google that each variant is its own unique page — which it isn't.

Submitting variant URLs in your sitemap wastes Google's crawl budget — the limited time Googlebot spends on your site — on duplicate or near-duplicate content instead of discovering and re-indexing your real product and category pages. It signals to Google that you may have a thin-content or duplicate-content problem, which can suppress your organic rankings. Google may also split ranking signals (links, engagement data) across the variant URLs instead of concentrating them on the single canonical product URL, weakening your page authority. Cleaning this up focuses all SEO value on one authoritative URL per product and keeps your sitemap lean and trustworthy in Google's eyes.

See the complete Seo variant urls in sitemap guide for every platform and the full background.