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SEO Library Technical SEO 2 min read

XML Sitemap

In short

An XML sitemap is a file that lists the URLs you want search engines to crawl and index, often with the date each page was last modified. It helps discovery but doesn't guarantee indexing.

Last reviewed · Iftikhar Qureshi

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What is an XML sitemap?#

An XML sitemap is a machine-readable list of the pages on your site you consider important. Search engines use it as a discovery hint alongside the links they find while crawling. Large sites split sitemaps into several files referenced by a sitemap index.

Why it matters#

  • Helps new or deep pages get discovered faster.
  • Signals which URL is the preferred (canonical) version.
  • The lastmod date can prompt recrawls of updated content — if it’s accurate.
  • Search Console reports indexing issues per sitemap, which makes auditing easier.

What belongs in a sitemap#

  • Only canonical URLs that return a 200 status.
  • Only pages you want indexed — no noindex pages, redirects or 404s.
  • Accurate lastmod dates (only change them when content meaningfully changes).

Google has said it ignores the priority and changefreq values, so don’t spend time tuning them.

Sitemaps in WordPress#

Since version 5.5, WordPress generates a sitemap at /wp-sitemap.xml. SEO plugins like Yoast or Rank Math replace it with their own (often /sitemap_index.xml). Use one, not both. This theme keeps WordPress’s core sitemap, removes the user sitemap, and excludes pages you mark as noindex.

How to submit#

  1. Open Google Search Console → Sitemaps.
  2. Enter the sitemap URL and submit.
  3. Check back for “Success” and compare discovered vs indexed counts.
  4. Add a Sitemap: line to robots.txt so other search engines find it too.

Related: indexing, crawl budget.

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