XML Sitemap Generator
Generate, validate, and download XML sitemaps from your URLs. Organize large URL lists, configure sitemap options, and export search-engine-ready XML files for free.
Your URLs
Import & utilities
Import an existing XML sitemap
Fetch a live sitemap (optional)
Extract URLs from any text
Sitemap settings
URL cleanup
URL paths can be case-sensitive, and /page may be a different resource from /page/. These options change the URLs you publish — use them deliberately.
XML fields
A <lastmod> value should reflect a genuine page update. A date entered here is a manual assignment, not a detected modification time.
Split & sitemap index
<loc> entries of the sitemap index. Nothing is uploaded — you upload the files yourself.Use {n} for the file number and {total} for the total number of files.
Images, hreflang & video
These extensions only output data you supply. Recognised CSV columns: image, image_title, hreflang (format en:https://example.com/;fr:https://example.com/fr/), video_url, video_thumbnail, video_title, video_description.
| # | URL | Status | lastmod | changefreq | priority | Note |
|---|
Everything runs locally in your browser. Your URL list is never uploaded to a server.
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What Is an XML Sitemap Generator?
An XML Sitemap Generator is an online tool that helps create an XML file containing important URLs from a website. This file provides search engines with a structured list of pages that website owners want discovered and considered for crawling. XML sitemaps are especially useful for large websites, new websites, online stores, blogs, and sites that regularly publish or update content.
An XML sitemap uses a standardized format to list URLs and can include additional information, such as when a page was last significantly updated. Search engines can use this information to discover URLs and understand aspects of the site's content. A sitemap does not replace internal links, proper site structure, or other technical SEO practices.
A free XML Sitemap Generator helps simplify sitemap creation by organizing website URLs into XML markup. Depending on the generator, you may enter URLs manually, provide a list of pages, or have a compatible tool crawl your website. Review the generated output before publishing it to ensure the URLs are correct and suitable for search engine discovery.
Why Use an XML Sitemap Generator?
Search engines discover pages through links, sitemaps, and other signals. A well-maintained sitemap provides a useful overview of the URLs you want search engines to find, particularly when a website has many pages or frequently publishes new content.
Help Search Engines Discover URLs
Provide search engines with a structured list of important website pages that may be difficult to discover through internal links alone.
Simplify Sitemap Creation
Generate XML markup without writing every URL entry and XML element manually.
Support Growing Websites
Organize the URLs of blogs, product catalogs, service pages, and other large collections of website content.
Help Manage Updated Content
Maintain accurate URL and last-modified information so search engines can receive useful signals about changes to your website.
How to Use an XML Sitemap Generator
Creating a sitemap involves identifying the URLs you want to include, generating the correct XML structure, and publishing the resulting file at an accessible location on your website. Follow these steps to prepare a sitemap for search engines.
- Identify the website URLs. Gather the important pages you want search engines to discover. These might include your homepage, service pages, product pages, blog posts, and other indexable content.
-
Use complete website URLs.
Include absolute URLs such as
https://example.com/about/rather than relative paths such as/about/. - Generate the XML sitemap. Enter or import your URLs according to the features supported by the generator. A crawler-based generator and a manual URL-based generator may have different input requirements.
- Review the generated XML. Check that the file uses the correct XML sitemap namespace, includes valid URL entries, and contains no unintended pages.
-
Save the sitemap file.
Save the output using an appropriate filename, commonly
sitemap.xml, and ensure the document is encoded in UTF-8. -
Upload it to your website.
Place the sitemap at an accessible URL on your domain.
For example,
https://example.com/sitemap.xml. Some website platforms and SEO plugins publish sitemaps automatically. - Submit the sitemap to Google Search Console. Open the Sitemaps section for your verified property and submit the sitemap URL so Google can discover and process it.
- Keep the sitemap updated. Regenerate or maintain the sitemap when pages are added, removed, or significantly updated. If your CMS already manages a sitemap dynamically, verify that its output remains accurate.
Understanding XML Sitemap Structure
An XML sitemap follows a defined structure. The root
<urlset> element contains
one or more <url> entries.
Each URL entry uses a
<loc> element to specify
the absolute page URL. An optional
<lastmod> element can
describe the page's last significant modification date.
This example contains three URLs. The dates are illustrative
and should be replaced with accurate modification dates when
the information is available. The final entry omits
<lastmod> because that
field is optional.
Important: Do not copy example URLs into
your production sitemap unless they belong to your website.
Replace example.com with
your own domain and include only the pages you actually
want search engines to discover.
Important XML Sitemap Tags
The XML sitemap protocol defines the elements used to list website URLs. Understanding these tags helps you review a generated sitemap and identify incomplete or incorrect entries.
| XML Element | Purpose | Required? |
|---|---|---|
<urlset> |
Root element containing the sitemap URL entries. | Yes |
<url> |
Groups information for one page URL. | Yes, for each entry |
<loc> |
Specifies the absolute URL of the page. | Yes, for each entry |
<lastmod> |
Specifies the page's last significant modification date. | Optional |
<changefreq> |
Historically described the expected change frequency. | Optional; Google ignores it |
<priority> |
Historically described a page's relative priority. | Optional; Google ignores it |
The <lastmod> field is
most useful when its dates accurately reflect significant
page updates. Do not automatically change every date whenever
the sitemap file is regenerated if the underlying page
has not changed.
Which Pages Should Be Included in an XML Sitemap?
A sitemap should focus on the URLs you want search engines to discover and potentially show in search results. Including every URL a website can generate is not always useful. Review each page's accessibility, indexing settings, canonical URL, and value to visitors before adding it.
Pages to Consider Including
- Canonical homepage and main landing pages
- Important product and service pages
- Published articles and useful blog posts
- Public category pages intended for indexing
- Other valuable, indexable website content
URLs to Review Carefully
- Redirecting URLs and outdated page addresses
- Pages blocked from indexing or returning errors
- Duplicate URLs with a different canonical page
- Internal search results and unnecessary URL variants
- Private, restricted, or irrelevant pages
Best practice: List the canonical URLs you want considered for indexing. A URL appearing in a sitemap is a discovery signal, not a command to index it. Search engines can choose not to index a submitted page.
XML Sitemap Size and URL Limits
The sitemap protocol has limits on the size of an individual sitemap file. A standard sitemap can contain no more than 50,000 URLs and must not exceed 50 MB when uncompressed. If your website exceeds either limit, split the URLs across multiple sitemap files.
Maximum URLs Per Sitemap
Keep each individual sitemap at or below 50,000 URL entries. Large websites can use multiple sitemap files to organize their URLs.
Maximum Uncompressed Size
Each sitemap must stay within the 50 MB uncompressed file-size limit. Gzip compression can reduce transfer size but does not remove the uncompressed limit.
For example, a store with 80,000 eligible product URLs could divide its URLs between multiple sitemap files and list those files in a sitemap index. This makes the sitemap collection easier to manage as the website grows.
What Is an XML Sitemap Index?
An XML sitemap index is a separate XML file that lists the locations of other sitemap files. It is useful when a website has too many URLs for a single sitemap or separates content into categories such as products, articles, pages, and images.
In this example, the index points to three separate sitemap files. Each referenced file should be accessible and contain a valid sitemap. Follow the sitemap protocol's location and size requirements when organizing the files.
Sitemap indexes can simplify maintenance on large websites. Some content management systems and SEO plugins create a sitemap index automatically, so check whether your website already has one before creating another.
How to Submit an XML Sitemap to Google
After generating your sitemap, make it accessible on your website. You can then use Google Search Console to inform Google about its location. Submitting the sitemap helps Google discover the file, but does not guarantee that every listed URL will be crawled or indexed.
- Publish the sitemap. Upload the file to your domain or confirm that your website platform already generates it.
- Check the sitemap URL. Open the sitemap address in a browser and verify that it returns the expected XML document rather than an error or an unrelated page.
- Open Google Search Console. Select the verified property for the domain you want to monitor.
- Open the Sitemaps report. Enter the sitemap URL in the submission field, following the report's instructions.
- Submit the sitemap. Send the sitemap for Google to process. Check the reported status after submission.
- Monitor errors and coverage. Review any reported problems, fix invalid URLs or sitemap formatting issues, and keep the file updated.
You can also reference your sitemap location in your
robots.txt file using a
sitemap directive. This provides another way for search
engines to discover the sitemap location.
XML Sitemap Best Practices
A valid XML file is only the starting point. Your sitemap should accurately represent the pages you want search engines to discover and remain consistent with your site's indexing and canonicalization setup.
- Use absolute URLs. Specify the complete URL, including the scheme and domain, for every entry.
- Use UTF-8 encoding. Ensure the XML sitemap uses the required character encoding and valid XML syntax.
- Include canonical, indexable pages. Avoid filling the sitemap with duplicate addresses, redirect URLs, or pages you do not want indexed.
-
Keep last-modified dates accurate.
Update
<lastmod>when the page's significant content changes and the date can be maintained reliably. - Maintain internal links as well. A sitemap supplements site navigation. Make sure important pages can also be discovered through appropriate links within your website.
- Use sitemap indexes for large sites. Split a large collection of URLs into valid individual sitemap files and use an index to organize them.
- Check for XML syntax errors. Escape special XML characters where required, close all elements correctly, and use the expected namespace.
- Update URLs after site changes. Remove obsolete URLs and add new eligible pages when your content structure changes.
- Review your sitemap regularly. Check that the file remains accessible and that its URL list reflects your actual site.
-
Do not rely on priority or change frequency.
Google ignores the sitemap
<priority>and<changefreq>values. Focus instead on accurate URLs and reliable last-modified information.
Common XML Sitemap Errors to Avoid
Broken URLs
Sitemap entries that return errors or lead to unintended destinations make the file less useful. Check important URLs before publishing the sitemap.
Non-Canonical URLs
Including alternate duplicate URLs when another URL is canonical can create conflicting signals. Prefer the canonical versions you want considered for indexing.
Outdated Last-Modified Dates
Changing last-modified dates without meaningful page updates can make the information unreliable. Keep these dates accurate and verifiable.
Incorrect XML Structure
Missing tags, invalid nesting, or incorrect XML syntax can prevent a sitemap from being processed correctly. Validate the structure before uploading it.
Exceeding Sitemap Limits
A file exceeding 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed needs to be split into multiple sitemaps.
Expecting Guaranteed Indexing
Sitemap submission does not guarantee crawling, indexing, or improved search rankings. Search engines use many signals to decide which pages to index.
XML Sitemap vs. Robots.txt
An XML sitemap and a robots.txt file serve different purposes. A sitemap lists URLs you want search engines to discover, while robots.txt provides instructions about crawler access to specified URL paths. Neither file guarantees that a page will be indexed.
| Feature | XML Sitemap | Robots.txt |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Lists URLs for discovery. | Provides crawler access rules. |
| Typical location | /sitemap.xml or a sitemap index URL | /robots.txt at the site root |
| Page listing | Contains individual URL entries. | Can reference a sitemap but does not list page entries in the same format. |
| Controls indexing? | No. Submission is a discovery signal. | Blocking crawling does not necessarily prevent a URL from being indexed through other signals. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an XML Sitemap Generator?
An XML Sitemap Generator creates an XML file that lists important website URLs in a structured format. The sitemap helps search engines discover pages and can include accurate last-modified information.
Is an XML Sitemap Generator free to use?
A free XML Sitemap Generator can create sitemap markup without requiring a paid API. The functions available depend on the tool; some accept manually entered URLs, while others can crawl a website or export a file.
Why is an XML sitemap important for SEO?
An XML sitemap provides search engines with a structured list of URLs you want them to discover. It can be especially useful for large websites, new sites, and sites that frequently add or update pages. It does not guarantee indexing or higher rankings.
How do I create an XML sitemap?
Gather your eligible page URLs, generate the sitemap in XML format, validate the file, and publish it at an accessible URL on your domain. You can then submit it through Google Search Console.
Does WordPress automatically generate an XML sitemap?
WordPress provides built-in XML sitemap functionality in modern core versions. SEO plugins and other site configurations may provide additional sitemap features. Check your existing sitemap before creating a separate one to avoid unnecessary duplication.
What is the maximum XML sitemap size?
A single sitemap can contain up to 50,000 URLs and cannot exceed 50 MB uncompressed. Larger websites should split their URLs across multiple sitemap files.
What is the difference between a sitemap and a sitemap index?
A sitemap contains URL entries for pages on a website. A sitemap index contains references to other sitemap files. An index is useful when a website needs multiple individual sitemaps.
Do XML sitemaps improve Google rankings?
A sitemap is primarily a URL discovery mechanism, not a direct ranking guarantee. It can help Google find URLs, but inclusion does not guarantee that Google will crawl or index those pages or rank them higher.
Should noindex pages be included in a sitemap?
Generally, no. A sitemap should focus on canonical, indexable URLs that you want search engines to consider for search results. Listing pages marked noindex can send conflicting signals about your intended indexing preferences.
How often should an XML sitemap be updated?
Update the sitemap when eligible pages are added, removed, or significantly changed. Automatically maintained sitemaps can update as part of your content publishing workflow, provided their output remains accurate.
Can I submit more than one sitemap to Google?
Yes. You can submit multiple sitemap files or use a sitemap index to organize a collection of sitemaps. This is useful for larger sites and can help you monitor individual sitemap reports in Search Console.
Where should I place my XML sitemap?
A common location is the website root, such as
https://example.com/sitemap.xml.
You can also use another suitable location, subject
to sitemap location and submission requirements.
Make the file accessible and provide its location
to search engines.
Generate an XML Sitemap for Your Website
A well-maintained XML sitemap helps search engines discover the important URLs on your website. Use the XML Sitemap Generator above to prepare your sitemap, review its entries, and ensure that the file follows the required XML structure.
Before publishing, verify that the listed URLs are canonical and indexable, check the sitemap size limits, and make sure the file remains accessible. Submit it through Google Search Console and maintain it as your website grows. Remember that a sitemap supports URL discovery but does not guarantee crawling, indexing, or ranking.