Apple Store sitemap down ahead of 'Spring Loaded' launch event

The Apple Store sitemap is showing the familiar "Be right back" message

The online Apple Store is currently working as normal, but Apple's map of product sales pages is down ahead of the "Spring Loaded" iPad event.

Apple always takes down its online Apple Store ahead of launches, but usually it's the entire store. This time, with hours to go before its "Spring Loaded" event, only the store's comparatively obscure sitemap is showing the familiar "Be right back" message.

All current Apple products are available to buy through their regular pages, and can be reached by the usual apple.com/store address. However, www.apple.com/shop/sitemaps/sitemap.xml is down.

So are all variants on that, such as www.apple.com/shop/sitemaps/sitemap-accessories.xml, or /sitemap-mac, for instance. Trying /sitemap-airtags also gets the "Be right back" page — but so does entering /sitemap- followed by random letters.

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It's possible that the sitemap is being revamped as entirely new pages, such as one for "AirTags", are being added. However, it's also possible that this is just the start of the store being taken down as usual, and the other pages will follow closer to the event.

The sitemap being taken down was first spotted by The 8-Bit.

Apple's "Spring Loaded" event is anticipated to introduce "AirTags" alongside new iPad models. AppleInsider will be covering the event live from 10 a.m. Pacific.

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