• Success Criterion 2.4.5
  • Conformance level AA

Sitemap Link That Leads to an Empty or Outdated Page

2.4.5 — Multiple Ways

Scenario

Setting

A nonprofit's donation form

What’s wrong

Sitemap link present but page is empty/outdated/missing sections.

Example 

<footer>
  <a href="/sitemap">Site Map</a>
</footer>
<!-- sitemap.html was generated once at launch three years ago and lists only 8 of 40 current pages -->

Why it matters

A donor looking for the volunteer page through the sitemap won't find it, since the page was added after the sitemap was last generated.

How to test

Open the sitemap link: if it's empty, outdated, or missing whole sections of the site, it fails as a genuine second way.

How to fix

A stale sitemap fails the same way a missing one does; keep it generated automatically, not maintained by hand.

app.get('/sitemap', (req, res) => {
  const pages = getAllPublishedPages();
  res.render('sitemap', { pages });
});

Outcome

A visitor opens the sitemap and finds every current page, including ones added last month.

Who is affected

Users who rely on a sitemap as their alternate route hit dead ends when it silently omits newer content.

Learn more

Related scenarios