---
title: How to exclude XML and XSL files from caching plugins
url: "https://www.seopress.org/support/guides/how-to-exclude-xml-and-xsl-files-from-caching-plugins/"
lang: en-US
updated: 2025-07-10
---

# How to exclude XML and XSL files from caching plugins

**[XML sitemaps](https://www.seopress.org/features/sitemaps/)** should never be cached so that Google and other search engines can read their content correctly.

The stylesheet associated in XSL format (equivalent to CSS but for XML), should not be cached either.

Most of the caching plugins automatically exclude these URLs from caching but it’s not always the case.

## WP-Rocket

They does the job for you! Nothing to exclude.

We are fully compatible with [WP-Rocket](https://www.seopress.org/go/wp-rocket) and their Preloading sitemap feature.

## W3 Total Cache

Add these rules to:

- Performance > Page cache > Never cache the following pages
- Performance > Minify > Never minify the following pages
- Performance > Database cache > Never cache the following pages
- Performance > Browser cache > 404 error exception list

```
[a-z0-9_\-]*[a-z0-9_\-]*\.(xml|xsl|html)(\.gz)?
([a-z0-9_\-]*?)([a-z0-9_\-]*)?\.xml
```

**Save settings** and **clear your cache**.

## Autoptimize

Nothing to exclude. Works out of the box.

## WP-Optimize

Nothing to exclude. Works out of the box.

## Hummingbird

Add these rules to **Hummingbird** > **Caching** page > **Exclusions** section:

```
[a-z0-9_\-]*[a-z0-9_\-]*\.(xml|xsl|html)(\.gz)?
([a-z0-9_\-]*?)([a-z0-9_\-]*)?\.xml
```

**Save settings** and **clear your cache**.

## WP Super Cache

Add these rules to **Settings**, **WP Super Cache**, **Advanced**:

```
[a-z0-9_\-]*[a-z0-9_\-]*\.(xml|xsl|html)(\.gz)?
([a-z0-9_\-]*?)([a-z0-9_\-]*)?\.xml
```

**Save strings** and **clear the cache**.

## Swift Performance

Go to **Tools**, **Swift Performance**, **Settings**, **Caching**, **General** tab. Make sure **Cache sitemap** option is disabled.

## LiteSpeed Cache

Go to **LiteSpeed cache**, **Cache**, **Excludes** tab, and enter this to **Do Not Cache URIs** field:

```
[a-z0-9_\-]*[a-z0-9_\-]*\.(xml|xsl|html)(\.gz)?
([a-z0-9_\-]*?)([a-z0-9_\-]*)?\.xml
```

## Conflict with DIVI / Google Fonts loading

We invite you to **disable** “**Improve Google Fonts loading**” from **Divi Theme Options**, **General** tab, **Performance** sub tab.

**Save settings**.