What is a Sitemap & How to Create It: The Complete Guide
If you’re serious about improving your website’s search visibility, you need to understand what a sitemap is, why it’s important, and how to create one properly. This guide covers everything you need to know, from basics to best practices; all explained in clear, human language.
What is a Sitemap?
A sitemap is a file that provides information about the pages, videos, and other files on your website and how they relate to each other. It helps search engines like Google crawl your site more intelligently.
In simple terms, think of it as a roadmap for search engines and sometimes even for your visitors. It tells search bots which pages exist, how often they are updated, and which pages are more important than others.
Types of Sitemaps
There are mainly two categories of sitemaps you should know about: XML sitemaps and HTML sitemaps.
1. XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap is the standard format used to communicate directly with search engines. It is written in XML (Extensible Markup Language) and is specifically designed for search bots rather than human visitors. It contains a list of your website’s most important URLs along with metadata such as:
When the page was last modified
How frequently is the page updated
The page’s priority compared to other pages on the site
Most modern websites generate XML sitemaps automatically using plugins or CMS features.
2. HTML Sitemap
An HTML sitemap is primarily for your website visitors. It’s a user-friendly page on your site that displays a clear list of important pages, making it easier for people to navigate, especially on large websites. While not as important for SEO as an XML sitemap, an HTML sitemap can improve user experience and internal linking.
Some websites also create specialized sitemaps for videos, images, or news content. These provide search engines with extra details that help rank media-rich pages properly.
What is Sitemap in SEO?
Understanding what is sitemap in SEO is crucial for any website owner or digital marketer. A sitemap acts as a guide for search engines to discover your content faster and more efficiently. Even if your site has excellent internal linking, a sitemap provides an extra layer of clarity and control.
Key benefits of a sitemap in SEO include:
Faster Indexing: New pages or updates get discovered and indexed quicker.
Improved Crawl Efficiency: Search engines can prioritize the most important pages.
Better Visibility for Large or Complex Sites: Sites with thousands of pages, poor internal linking, or dynamic content benefit significantly.
Helps with Orphan Pages: Pages not linked internally can still be crawled if they are included in the sitemap.
Support for Rich Media: Specialized sitemaps help search engines handle video, image, or news content properly.
In summary, a sitemap is a fundamental SEO tool to ensure your site communicates effectively with search engines.
How to Check Sitemap of a Website
If you want to check the sitemap of a website, there are a few simple methods:
Check the Standard URL: Most websites place their XML sitemap at common locations like:
www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap_index.xml
Use Search Operators:
In Google, type:
site:yourwebsite.com filetype:xml
This may reveal the sitemap file if it’s publicly accessible.
Use Online Tools:
Tools like XML-Sitemaps.com, Screaming Frog, or SEO Site Checkup can help you find and analyze any website’s sitemap.
Knowing how to check sitemap of a website helps you understand your own site’s structure or analyze competitors.
How to Create a Sitemap
Now that you know what is a sitemap, let’s discuss how to create sitemap for website step-by-step.
1. Manually Creating an XML Sitemap
For very small sites, you can write an XML sitemap manually. Here’s a basic example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset
xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2025-06-22</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
Save this file as sitemap.xml and upload it to your website’s root directory.
2. Using Online Sitemap Generators
For most websites, manual creation is impractical. Use online tools like XML-Sitemaps.com, Screaming Frog, or small SEO tools to automatically crawl your site and generate a downloadable XML file.
3. How to Create a Sitemap in WordPress
If you use WordPress, creating a sitemap is very simple. Popular plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and All in One SEO automatically generate and update your sitemap whenever you publish new content.
Yoast SEO: Go to SEO > General > Features and enable XML sitemaps.
Rank Math: It auto-generates a sitemap once activated.
Google XML Sitemaps Plugin: A dedicated plugin that creates and manages your sitemap.
This means you don’t need to worry about updating it manually.
How to Submit Sitemap to Google
Once you know how to create sitemap xml, it’s crucial to tell Google about it. Here’s how:
Sign in to Google Search Console.
Select your property (website).
Click Sitemaps in the left-hand menu.
Enter your sitemap URL (e.g., sitemap.xml).
Click Submit.
You can monitor indexing status, errors, and warnings directly in Search Console.
How to Keep Your Sitemap Updated
Add new important pages as you create them.
Remove URLs for deleted pages.
Use absolute URLs instead of relative ones.
Keep file size within 50MB or under 50,000 URLs. If you exceed this, use a sitemap index file to link multiple sitemaps together.
Also, it’s good practice to include your sitemap’s URL in your robots.txt file. For example:
Sitemap: https://www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
How to Get Sitemap of Website for Other Platforms
Not on WordPress? Many CMSs like Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, or Joomla generate sitemaps automatically. Check your site settings or help docs for details. Alternatively, use online tools to generate it and upload it manually.
How to Submit Sitemap to Google Again After Changes
If you make significant updates, go back to Google Search Console, delete the old sitemap, and submit the new one. This ensures that Google uses the latest version for crawling.
Conclusion
A sitemap is a simple but powerful tool to guide search engines through your website and help your content get discovered faster. Now you know what is a sitemap, what is sitemap XML, how to create sitemap for website, how to generate sitemap, how to check sitemap of a website, and how to submit sitemap to Google.
Investing a few minutes to create and maintain a sitemap can improve your SEO, drive more organic traffic, and give you better control over what search engines see.
Ready to boost your website’s visibility? Start building your sitemap today