Free XML Sitemap Generator
Generate XML sitemaps for your website to help Google, Bing, and other search engines discover, crawl, and index pages more efficiently. Create standards-compliant sitemap files that improve website visibility and search engine coverage.
New to XML sitemaps? Start with our XML Sitemap Guide for step-by-step guidance.
Generate Your XML Sitemap
Enter your website URL below and we'll generate a complete XML sitemap file for you.
Learn More About XML Sitemaps
Deepen your understanding of sitemaps and how they improve search engine crawling and indexing:
XML Sitemap Guide
Complete guide to creating and optimizing XML sitemaps.
XML Sitemap Checklist
Step-by-step checklist for perfect sitemap implementation.
Robots.txt Guide
Learn how robots.txt works alongside your sitemap.
Crawlability & Indexing Checklist
Ensure search engines can discover and index your pages.
Indexability Checker
Check if Google can crawl and index your pages.
Crawl Budget Guide
Optimize how Google allocates crawling resources to your site.
Google Not Indexing Pages
Common causes and fixes when Google won't index your content.
Discovered — Currently Not Indexed
Why Google finds but doesn't index your pages.
After Generating Your Sitemap
Sitemap generation is one step in the technical SEO process. After creating your sitemap, complete these steps to maximize your search visibility.
Use this XML Sitemap Generator to create a complete sitemap file.
Create a robots.txt file to control crawler access and reference your sitemap.
Verify your robots.txt isn't blocking important pages. Robots.txt guide →
Use the Indexability Checker and Crawlability Checklist.
Complete a technical website audit to find all SEO issues.
Use the Broken Link Checker to find and fix dead links on your site.
See how your pages appear in search results with the SERP Preview Tool.
Submit your sitemap URL in Google Search Console for faster discovery. Fix indexing issues →
What Does an XML Sitemap Do?
An XML sitemap helps search engines discover, crawl, and index important pages on your website more efficiently. It's a critical technical SEO file that improves URL indexing and search engine crawling.
The sitemap.xml file provides search engines with a structured list of URLs, helping Google understand your website structure and detect new or updated content faster. This is especially important for crawl budget optimization and ensuring all your valuable pages get discovered.
XML sitemaps are especially useful for large websites, ecommerce stores with thousands of products, blogs with deep archives, and websites with pages that may not be easily discovered through internal links alone. Adding your Google sitemap to Google Search Console improves index coverage and helps search engines find content more reliably.
Example Sitemap.xml File Preview
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2026-05-20</lastmod>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/blog/</loc>
<lastmod>2026-05-19</lastmod>
</url>
</urlset>
Modern sitemaps typically include only loc and lastmod.
changefreq and priority are largely ignored by Google.
XML Sitemap vs HTML Sitemap: What's the Difference?
| Feature | XML Sitemap | HTML Sitemap |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Audience | Search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) | Website visitors |
| Format | XML file | HTML page |
| Purpose | Helps search engines discover and index pages | Helps users navigate your website |
| Visibility | Not visible to users (unless they view source) | Visible to users as a webpage |
| SEO Value | High — improves crawlability and indexing | Medium — improves user experience and navigation |
What Is a Sitemap Index File?
A sitemap index file is a special XML file that lists multiple sitemap files. It's used when your website has more than 50,000 URLs or you want to organize your sitemaps by content type (e.g., blog sitemap, product sitemap, image sitemap).
The sitemap index file is named sitemap_index.xml and contains references to individual sitemap files. This is essential for large websites that need to submit a sitemap to Google without exceeding the 50,000 URL limit per file.
What Is an Image Sitemap?
An image sitemap is an extension of the standard XML sitemap that includes metadata about images on your pages. It helps Google discover images for Google Image Search, which can drive significant additional traffic to your website.
Our XML sitemap generator supports image sitemap generation. Simply check the "Include images" option and we'll automatically add image URLs, titles, and captions to your sitemap. This is especially valuable for ecommerce websites, photography portfolios, and blogs with visual content.
What Is a Video Sitemap?
A video sitemap is an XML sitemap that provides search engines with detailed metadata about video content on your website. It helps Google and other search engines discover and index video content for video search results, featured video snippets, and rich video results in search.
Video sitemaps include important metadata such as video title, description, thumbnail URL, duration, upload date, and content rating. This information helps search engines understand your video content and display it prominently in Google Video Search, which can drive significant additional traffic from video queries. Websites with video content — including tutorials, product demos, webinars, and vlogs — benefit greatly from implementing a video sitemap.
Why Your Website Needs a Sitemap
- Improves index coverage — Helps search engines find all your pages. Check indexability →
- Optimizes crawl budget — Focuses crawlers on important content. Crawl budget guide →
- Faster discovery — New pages get indexed more quickly
- Better website structure — Clarifies your site architecture. Technical SEO checklist →
- Essential for SEO — A core technical SEO best practice
When You Definitely Need a Sitemap
- Large websites with 500+ pages
- Ecommerce stores with many products
- Blogs with deep archives or tag pages
- New websites with few external links
- Sites with rich media or video content
Related: check your robots.txt file for crawl directives, or learn why Google may not index your pages.
How Sitemaps Improve Your SEO
Better Index Coverage
Helps search engines find all your important pages, not just the ones linked from your homepage. Check your indexability →
Faster Content Discovery
New blog posts, products, or pages get indexed more quickly when you update your sitemap. Fix discovery issues →
Crawl Budget Optimization
Helps search bots focus their crawl budget on your most valuable pages. Crawl budget guide →
Lastmod Signals
Shows search engines when pages changed and which content matters most.
Common Sitemap Mistakes to Avoid
- × Sitemap blocked in robots.txt — Check that robots.txt doesn't block your sitemap location. Test your robots.txt →
- × Broken sitemap URL — Ensure your sitemap is accessible at the submitted URL
- × Too many URLs — Split into multiple sitemaps if you have 50,000+ URLs
- × Outdated sitemap — Regenerate when you add or remove important pages
- × Non-canonical URLs in sitemap — Always use your canonical URLs. Canonical checklist →
- × Missing sitemap index file — Use a sitemap index file for multiple sitemaps
How to Submit Your Sitemap to Google
- Generate your XML sitemap using the tool above
- Download the sitemap.xml file to your computer
- Upload it to your website's root folder (e.g., public_html or www folder)
- Go to Google Search Console
- Select your property and click "Sitemaps" under "Indexing"
- Enter "sitemap.xml" and click submit
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml.
Learn more →
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about XML sitemaps
What is an XML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages on your website. It helps Google and other search engines find and understand your content structure. XML sitemap guide →
What is the maximum number of URLs in a sitemap?
A single sitemap can contain up to 50,000 URLs and be up to 50 MB uncompressed. Larger sites should use a sitemap index file.
Do I need a sitemap for my website?
Yes, especially if you have more than a few pages. Sitemaps help Google discover pages that might not be well-linked from your homepage or navigation. Crawlability checklist →
Where should I upload my sitemap file?
Upload it to your website's root folder. It should be accessible at https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
How often should I update my sitemap?
Update your sitemap whenever you add new pages, remove old content, or make significant changes to your site structure for better index coverage.
Can I have multiple sitemaps?
Yes — use a sitemap index file to manage multiple sitemaps when you have more than 50,000 URLs or want to organize by content type.
Does a sitemap guarantee indexing?
No, a sitemap doesn't guarantee indexing, but it significantly improves the chances that search engines will discover and crawl your pages. Fix indexing issues →
How do I submit a sitemap to Google Search Console?
Upload your sitemap to your website's root folder, then go to Google Search Console, select 'Sitemaps' under 'Indexing', enter your sitemap URL, and click submit.
Related SEO Tools
Complete your technical SEO toolkit
After generating your sitemap, use our Website SEO Checker to audit your pages or Robots.txt Generator to control crawler access.