Category: XML Feed Development
Industry: Recruitment / Job Listings
Platform: WordPress
Integration: RecruitNow / Indeed
Project Type: Custom XML Feed & Vacancy URL Architecture
Project Overview
A recruitment website needed a way to provide its job vacancies through an XML feed while also giving each vacancy a predictable URL based on a unique vacancy ID.
The requirement was intended to support integration with RecruitNow and job boards such as Indeed, where a predictable vacancy URL could be generated automatically rather than relying on the existing job title-based URL.
The project involved two connected requirements:
- Create a custom XML feed containing vacancy information and a unique vacancy ID.
- Create a predictable URL structure using that same ID and redirect it to the actual vacancy page.
For example:
https://baantjeuitzendbureau.nl/vacatures/12345
would redirect to the actual vacancy page:
https://baantjeuitzendbureau.nl/vacatures/orderpicker-logistiek-medewerker/
The key idea was to use the same unique identifier in both the XML feed and the redirect URL.
The Challenge
The website’s existing vacancy URLs were based primarily on job titles.
For example:
/vacatures/orderpicker-logistiek-medewerker/
The client explained that Indeed required a predictable URL structure containing a vacancy ID. The existing URLs did not provide that ID in a predictable position.
This created a problem for the external feed integration.
A job portal should be able to receive a vacancy ID from the XML feed and construct a URL without needing to know the actual title or permalink of the vacancy.
The proposed structure was:
/vacatures/{vacancyId}
For example:
/vacatures/12345
The system would then identify the vacancy associated with 12345 and redirect the visitor to the actual vacancy page.
The client specifically requested this type of URL-and-redirect behavior.
The Proposed Solution
The proposed architecture connected the XML feed and redirect system through a common vacancy ID.
Step 1 — Identify the Vacancy ID
Each vacancy would have a unique identifier.
For example:
vacancyId = 12345
This ID would become the stable reference for the vacancy.
Step 2 — Include the ID in the XML Feed
The XML feed would expose the vacancy ID together with the vacancy information.
A simplified feed item could look like:
<vacancy>
<vacancyId>12345</vacancyId>
<title>Orderpicker Logistiek Medewerker</title>
<detailUrl>
https://baantjeuitzendbureau.nl/vacatures/orderpicker-logistiek-medewerker/
</detailUrl>
</vacancy>
The important part is that vacancyId remains consistent with the identifier used by the redirect URL.
The original project discussion also specified that the same ID should be available in the XML feed so RecruitNow could construct the predictable URL.
Step 3 — Create the Predictable Vacancy URL
A separate URL pattern would be made available:
https://baantjeuitzendbureau.nl/vacatures/{vacancyId}
For example:
https://baantjeuitzendbureau.nl/vacatures/12345
This URL does not contain the job title.
That makes it predictable and suitable for an external system to construct automatically.
Step 4 — Redirect to the Actual Vacancy
When someone visits:
/vacatures/12345
the WordPress implementation would:
- Extract
12345from the URL. - Find the corresponding vacancy.
- Determine its actual permalink.
- Redirect the visitor to that page.
Conceptually:
/vacatures/12345
↓
Find vacancy ID 12345
↓
Find actual vacancy URL
↓
/vacatures/orderpicker-logistiek-medewerker/
This separates the stable external identifier from the changeable public vacancy URL.
Why This Architecture Is Useful
Job titles can change.
For example, a vacancy might initially be published as:
/vacatures/orderpicker/
and later become:
/vacatures/orderpicker-logistiek-medewerker/
If an external platform depends directly on the title-based URL, such changes can create broken links or require the external feed configuration to be updated.
A vacancy ID provides a more stable reference:
/vacatures/12345
The actual destination can change internally while the external URL remains predictable.
This is particularly useful when a third-party recruitment platform needs to construct vacancy URLs automatically.
XML Feed + Redirect Architecture
The complete concept can be represented as:
WordPress Vacancy
│
▼
Unique Vacancy ID
12345
│
┌──────────┴──────────┐
▼ ▼
XML Job Feed Predictable URL
vacancyId=12345 /vacatures/12345
│ │
▼ ▼
RecruitNow / WordPress
Indeed Redirect
│
▼
Actual Vacancy Page
The XML feed and redirect mechanism therefore use the same identifier as the connection point.
Initial Project Scope
The original custom offer covered the setup of the XML feed and redirect URL functionality for RecruitNow. The offer included XML feed creation and redirect URL setup.
During the discussion, the client confirmed that the XML feed needed to contain vacancy information and that the redirect should work using a unique ID.
However, before implementation could be completed, the client explained that their original brief had been based on the wrong solution.
The order was subsequently canceled while the client clarified the revised requirement.
The client later returned with a more specific requirement: create an additional URL ending in the vacancy ID and redirect that URL to the actual vacancy detail page.
Project Status
This case study represents the technical analysis and proposed implementation approach, rather than a completed production deployment.
The original order was canceled before the implementation was completed because the client’s requirements changed.
That distinction is important: the case study demonstrates the technical problem, architecture, and proposed solution without claiming that the final system was successfully deployed.
Key Takeaways
This project demonstrates an important principle when building XML feeds for third-party job platforms:
The feed and the destination URL should have a reliable common identifier.
Instead of depending entirely on a changing job title or permalink, a unique vacancy ID can provide a stable reference between:
- WordPress vacancy records
- XML feed items
- RecruitNow
- Indeed
- Predictable external URLs
- Internal redirects
A well-designed integration can therefore look like:
WordPress
↓
Vacancy ID
├── XML Feed
└── Predictable URL
↓
Redirect
↓
Actual Vacancy Page
For recruitment websites integrating with external job platforms, this approach can make the feed and URL architecture more predictable, maintainable, and easier for third-party systems to consume.
Need a Custom XML Job Feed?
If your WordPress website needs a custom XML, RSS, or job feed for a recruitment portal, job board, ATS, or third-party platform, the feed can be mapped to your existing WordPress vacancy structure and the required external format.