DEV Community: developer

Fix: Qwik makes empty sitemap.xml

developer — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 05:50:33 +0000

Qwik or Qwik City generates the sitemap on local but an empty sitemap on production? This problem is not solved by following the official Qwik documentation because it's a different type of error.

Fixing Empty Sitemap in Qwik Production with Node.js Adapter

Problem

When deploying a Qwik application using the Node.js adapter (nodeServerAdapter), the sitemap.xml file works perfectly in local development but appears empty in production:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
</urlset>

This issue affects multiple Qwik projects and is one of the most confusing deployment problems because:

✅ Local build works fine
✅ Dev server serves sitemap correctly
❌ Production sitemap is empty
❌ No error messages or warnings

Root Cause

The Node.js adapter (@builder.io/qwik-city/adapters/node-server) automatically runs Static Site Generation (SSG) during the build process, even when you're building for SSR.

When SSG runs, it:

Scans your routes for static-exportable pages
Generates a sitemap based on routes it finds
Overwrites any static sitemap.xml from your public/ folder

The problem: SSG cannot find any exportable routes when using:

Dynamic routes (e.g., [lang]/, [id]/, [slug]/)
SSR-only routes (routes without onStaticGenerate)
Node.js adapter (designed for runtime SSR, not static export)

Result: SSG generates an empty sitemap with zero URLs.

Solution

Option 1: Disable SSG and Use Static Sitemap (Recommended for SSR apps)

This is the simplest solution when you're building a pure SSR application with the Node.js adapter.

Step 1: Disable SSG in Node.js Adapter

Edit adapters/node-server/vite.config.ts:

import { nodeServerAdapter } from "@builder.io/qwik-city/adapters/node-server/vite";
import { extendConfig } from "@builder.io/qwik-city/vite";
import baseConfig from "../../vite.config";

export default extendConfig(baseConfig, () => {
  return {
    build: {
      ssr: true,
      rollupOptions: {
        input: ["src/entry.express.tsx", "@qwik-city-plan"],
      },
    },
    plugins: [
      nodeServerAdapter({
        name: "express",
        ssg: null, // ⚠️ CRITICAL: Completely disable SSG - using static sitemap.xml
      }),
    ],
  };
});

Key change: ssg: null completely disables the automatic sitemap generation.

Step 2: Create Static Sitemap

Create public/sitemap.xml with your routes:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://yourdomain.com/</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-12-01</lastmod>
    <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
    <priority>1.0</priority>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://yourdomain.com/about/</loc>
    <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
    <priority>0.8</priority>
  </url>
  <!-- Add all your static routes here -->
</urlset>

For multi-language sites:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://yourdomain.com/</loc>
    <priority>1.0</priority>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://yourdomain.com/es/</loc>
    <priority>0.8</priority>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://yourdomain.com/de/</loc>
    <priority>0.8</priority>
  </url>
  <!-- etc -->
</urlset>

Step 3: Remove SSG Commands

If your package.json has qwik city collect, remove it:

Before:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build:deploy": "npm run build.production && qwik city collect"
  }
}

After:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build:deploy": "npm run build.production"
  }
}

Step 4: Build and Verify

npm run build:deploy
ls -lh dist/sitemap.xml
cat dist/sitemap.xml

You should see your sitemap content (not empty) in dist/sitemap.xml.

Step 5: Verify Server Serves It

The Node.js server will automatically serve dist/sitemap.xml as a static file:

node server.js
curl http://localhost:3000/sitemap.xml

Should return your full sitemap.

Option 2: Use Dynamic SSR Route (For Complex/Dynamic Sitemaps)

If your sitemap needs to be generated dynamically (e.g., from a CMS or database), create an SSR route instead.

Create `src/routes/sitemap.xml/index.ts`:

import type { RequestHandler } from '@builder.io/qwik-city';

const SUPPORTED_LOCALES = ['en-US', 'es', 'ru', 'de', 'fr', 'ja'];

export const onGet: RequestHandler = async ({ url }) => {
  const origin = url.origin;

  const urls = [
    // Root URL
    `  <url>
    <loc>${origin}/</loc>
    <lastmod>${new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]}</lastmod>
    <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
    <priority>1.0</priority>
  </url>`,
    // Language-specific URLs
    ...SUPPORTED_LOCALES
      .filter(locale => locale !== 'en-US')
      .map(locale => `  <url>
    <loc>${origin}/${locale}/</loc>
    <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
    <priority>0.8</priority>
  </url>`),
  ].join('\n');

  const sitemap = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
${urls}
</urlset>`;

  return new Response(sitemap, {
    status: 200,
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/xml; charset=utf-8',
      'Cache-Control': 'public, max-age=86400', // Cache for 1 day
    },
  });
};

Still disable SSG in the adapter config to avoid conflicts.

Why This Happens

Qwik's SSG Behavior

Qwik City has two deployment modes:

Static Site Generation (SSG) - Pre-renders pages at build time
Server-Side Rendering (SSR) - Renders pages on-demand at runtime

The Node.js adapter is designed for SSR, but it still runs SSG by default to:

Generate a sitemap
Pre-render any static pages marked with onStaticGenerate

The Problem with Dynamic Routes

When you have routes like:

src/routes/[lang]/index.tsx (language parameter)
src/routes/posts/[id]/index.tsx (post ID parameter)
SSR-only routes without onStaticGenerate

SSG cannot know which parameter values to use unless you explicitly define them with onStaticGenerate:

export const onStaticGenerate: StaticGenerateHandler = async () => {
  return {
    params: [
      { lang: 'en-US' },
      { lang: 'es' },
      { lang: 'de' },
      // etc
    ],
  };
};

But even with onStaticGenerate, if you're using the Node.js adapter for pure SSR, the SSG step may not recognize these routes because:

The adapter is optimized for runtime rendering
The route manifest may be incomplete at build time
Environment variables (like ORIGIN) may be missing during build

Why It Works Locally

In development (npm run dev):

Vite serves files directly from public/
No SSG runs
Your static sitemap.xml is served as-is

In production:

SSG runs during build
Finds 0 exportable routes
Generates empty sitemap
Overwrites your static file

Common Mistakes

❌ Using `exclude: ['*']` instead of `ssg: null`

// This does NOT fully disable SSG:
nodeServerAdapter({
  name: "express",
  ssg: {
    exclude: ['*'],
  },
})

SSG still runs and generates an empty sitemap. Use ssg: null.

❌ Keeping `qwik city collect` in build script

{
  "scripts": {
    "build:deploy": "npm run build.production && qwik city collect"
  }
}

This explicitly runs SSG and will overwrite your static sitemap. Remove it.

❌ Putting sitemap in `dist/` manually

The dist/ folder is cleared on every build. Always put the static sitemap in public/.

❌ Creating both static sitemap AND SSR route

Pick one approach. If you have both public/sitemap.xml AND src/routes/sitemap.xml/, the SSR route takes precedence.

Verification Checklist

After implementing the fix:

[ ] Build completes without "Starting Qwik City SSG..." message (if using ssg: null)
[ ] dist/sitemap.xml exists and is not 109 bytes (empty sitemap size)
[ ] cat dist/sitemap.xml shows your actual URLs
[ ] Production server serves sitemap: curl https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
[ ] Sitemap contains expected number of URLs
[ ] No errors in build logs

Additional Notes

Trailing Slash Issue

If /sitemap.xml/ (with trailing slash) doesn't redirect to /sitemap.xml, this is a Qwik City routing behavior. It's harmless - search engines will normalize the URL.

To enforce redirect, you can add this to your server.js:

createServer((req, res) => {
  // Redirect /sitemap.xml/ to /sitemap.xml
  if (req.url === '/sitemap.xml/') {
    res.writeHead(301, { Location: '/sitemap.xml' });
    res.end();
    return;
  }

  // ... rest of server code
});

When to Use Each Approach

Use Static Sitemap (ssg: null + public/sitemap.xml) when:

✅ Pure SSR application
✅ Routes are known at development time
✅ Sitemap doesn't change often
✅ Simple deployment

Use SSR Route (src/routes/sitemap.xml/index.ts) when:

✅ Content comes from CMS/database
✅ Routes are dynamic
✅ Sitemap needs real-time updates
✅ Need to include user-generated content

Related Issues

This fix also resolves:

"Sitemap is empty on Vercel/Netlify/production"
"qwik city collect generates no pages"
"SSG finds 0 routes in Node.js adapter"
"public/sitemap.xml not copied to dist"

Credits

This solution was discovered after extensive debugging of Qwik v1.17.x with Node.js adapter on production deployments where local builds worked but production sitemaps were empty.

Key insight: The Node.js adapter runs SSG by default even for SSR apps, and an empty route manifest causes it to generate an empty sitemap that overwrites static files.

Need Help?

If your sitemap is still empty after this fix:

Check dist/sitemap.xml size: ls -lh dist/sitemap.xml
- 109 bytes = empty sitemap (SSG still running)
- 1-2 KB+ = static sitemap copied successfully
Check build logs for "Starting Qwik City SSG"
- If present, SSG is still enabled
- Should not appear when ssg: null is set
Verify public/sitemap.xml exists in your repository
- Not ignored by .gitignore
- Committed to version control
Check production build includes public/ folder
- CI/CD pipeline copies all files
- No build steps delete public/ assets

4chan .mp4 file standards

developer — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 20:06:24 +0000

Not all mp4 standards can be uploaded on 4chan imageboards. This is tested:

Properties:
Max duration: 120 seconds

Container:
Format: MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14)
Major Brand: isom
Compatible Brands: isom, iso2, avc1, mp41
File Extension: .mp4
Streaming Compatibility: "Fast Start" enabled
Video Track:
Codec: H.264 (AVC)
Handler Description: VideoHandler
Pixel Format: yuv420p
Color Range: Limited (tv)
Color Primaries: BT.709
Transfer Characteristics: BT.709
Matrix Coefficients: BT.709
Bit Depth: 8-bit per channel
Resolution: Tier-based (e.g., 720p, 480p, etc.)
Frame Rate: Tier-based (e.g., original FPS or 30 FPS)
Bitrate: Variable (calculated to meet file size target)
Audio Track (Separate File):
Codec: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)
Handler Description: SoundHandler
Bitrate: 128 kbps

(-an to remove audio)

FFmpeg Commands:
Video-only MP4 (Re-encoded):
ffmpeg -y -i input.ext -an -c:v libx264 -b:v 1500k -maxrate 1500k -bufsize 3000k -vf "scale=-2:480,fps=30" -pix_fmt yuv420p -color_range tv -colorspace bt709 -color_primaries bt709 -color_trc bt709 -metadata handler_name="VideoHandler" -movflags +faststart output.mp4
Video-only MP4 (Stream Copy):
ffmpeg -y -i input.ext -an -c:v copy -metadata handler_name="VideoHandler" -movflags +faststart output.mp4
Audio-only AAC:
ffmpeg -y -i input.ext -vn -c:a aac -b:a 128k -metadata handler_name="SoundHandler" output.aac

Fix MEGA many folders in Windows Explorer Navigation Pane

developer — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 03:03:20 +0000

Sometimes MEGA Desktop Sync reinstalls and adds another file explorer shortcut. After a few reinstalls it starts to look like this:

MEGA support did not have an answer for why the software does this, but to fix:

Uncheck and then check this box "Enable File Explorer Integration" to disable then re-enable the Mega File Explorer shortcuts.

Connecting to IRC with Halloy

developer — Thu, 30 May 2024 01:15:03 +0000

Halloy is a new IRC client written in Rust that is fast with good theming. Here is how I set up a connection to an irc channel with Halloy and here is how to config Halloy for Rizon.

After downloading Halloy, I referred to the documentation.

Halloy uses a config.toml file, easily edited in code editor like VSCode. By default this is next to the Halloy installation, for me, in AppData/Roaming on Windows.

Halloy has command bar on the bottom left of the application window, and opening that gives options including "Configuration: Open config directory".

Basic connection to Rizon

In config.toml, Halloy already gives an example setup. For Rizon network, here's another example:

[servers.rizon] nickname = "YourNicknameHere" nick_password = "yourPassword" server = "irc.rizon.net" channels = ["#chat"] port = 6697 on_connect = ["/msg NickServ IDENTIFY your_password"]

When Halloy opens, the name of the window will be what is written after the period in [servers.name]. Nickname is for irc, password, if needed, is used for authenticating. The server is Rizon, and the channel list ["#chat", "#example"] is for connecting to the channel after opening Halloy. Port 6697 is for ssl with Rizon.
The on_connect is for specifying irc commands to run on connection. Here I have a message to NickServ asking to identify a username with a password.

Configuring Halloy with IRC Bouncer

Halloy also works with irc bouncers. Here is an example in config.toml file, and because my username on irc bouncer is different from nickname on irc...

[servers.bnc] nickname = "MyNickName" username = "MyBouncerUsername" password = "bouncer_server_password_here" server = "chat.Yourbouncerserverhere.com" port = +1234 use_tls = true on_connect = ["nick MyNickName", "/msg NickServ IDENTIFY myNickServPassword", "/join #example"]

The plus on the port (which should be the port number you have to connect to the irc bouncer) indicates ssl.
After logging on to the irc bouncer server, I use the on_connect command to change to preferred nickname, verify with the Nickname Service, and join the preferred channel.

Themes

To install a theme, download and place the theme file in the themes folder where Halloy is installed. Open Halloy's command bar (keyboard shortcut: ctrl+k) and then type "theme", select one of the "Switch to theme" options.