How to Create And Submit an XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap helps search engines discover, crawl, and index your website pages faster. If you want better visibility on Google and other search engines, creating and submitting a sitemap is one of the most important technical SEO steps. Here’s a simple guide to help you set it up correctly.
What Is an XML Sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages of your website. It guides search engines like Google, telling them which URLs exist, how often they’re updated, and which pages are most important. This helps improve crawl efficiency and ensures your content gets indexed properly.
Why XML Sitemaps Matter for SEO
A good XML sitemap:
- Helps search engines discover new and updated pages
- Ensures deep pages or orphan pages don’t get missed
- Improves crawl efficiency
- Supports faster indexing
- Boosts website visibility in search results
Whether your site is small or large, having a sitemap is critical for SEO success.
How to Create an XML Sitemap
You can generate a sitemap manually or using tools. Here are the most common ways:
A. Using WordPress Plugins (Easy Method)
If your website is on WordPress:
- Yoast SEO: Automatically generates a sitemap at /sitemap_index.xml.
- Rank Math: Offers advanced sitemap controls.
- All in One SEO Pack: Simple and beginner-friendly.
These tools update the sitemap automatically whenever new pages/posts are published.
B. Using Online XML Sitemap Generators
Ideal for static HTML websites. You can use:
- XMLSitemaps.com
- Screaming Frog (for complex sites)
These tools crawl your website and generate a downloadable sitemap.xml file.
C. Creating Manually (For Developers)
You can manually create a sitemap using XML format. A basic example:
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″>
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2025-01-01</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
Upload it to your root directory as:
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
Best Practices for XML Sitemap Optimization
- Include only index-worthy pages
- Avoid duplicate or thin content
- Keep file size under 50MB
- Limit to 50,000 URLs per sitemap
- Use multiple sitemaps for large sites
- Ensure no broken links exist
- Update sitemaps whenever changes are made
To make your sitemap effective: An optimized sitemap helps search engines prioritize your key pages.
- Include only index-worthy pages
How to Submit Your XML Sitemap to Google
Step 1: Sign in to Google Search Console
Go to Google Search Console → Your Property.
Step 2: Open the “Sitemaps” Section
Find it in the left-hand menu.
Step 3: Enter Your Sitemap URL
Example:
sitemap.xml
or
sitemap_index.xml
Step 4: Click “Submit”
Google will start processing and crawling your sitemap.