XML Sitemaps: How to Build and Submit for Maximum Crawl Efficiency
An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. It’s not for humans—it’s for Google and other search engines. Think of it as a roadmap to your content.
For small sites (50 pages), a sitemap is nice-to-have. For large sites (1,000+ pages), it’s essential. For e-commerce and news sites with constantly changing content, it’s mandatory.
This guide explains what sitemaps are, how to build them, and how to submit them for maximum SEO impact.
What Is an XML Sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that lists URLs on your website in a machine-readable format. It looks like this:
“xml “
Each
- loc: The page URL (required)
- lastmod: When the page was last modified (optional)
- changefreq: How often the page changes (optional; hint only, Google may ignore)
- priority: Relative importance (optional; all pages default to 0.5)
Why Sitemaps Matter
For large sites: Google crawls a limited number of pages per day (crawl budget). A sitemap tells Google which pages are important so it prioritises them.
For new sites: A sitemap gets your pages indexed faster. Without a sitemap, a brand-new site might take weeks to index all pages. With a sitemap, days.
For sites with poor internal linking: If some pages don’t have internal links (orphaned pages), a sitemap is the only way to tell Google they exist.
For sites with frequently updated content: A sitemap with lastmod dates tells Google when to re-crawl pages.
What Sitemaps DON’T Do
- Sitemaps don’t guarantee indexation. Even if a page is in a sitemap, Google might not index it if it’s low-quality or blocked by robots.txt.
- Sitemaps don’t improve rankings. A sitemap doesn’t help your content rank better; it just makes crawling more efficient.
- Sitemaps don’t pass link juice. Listings in a sitemap don’t contribute to page authority the way internal links do.
What Should Be in Your Sitemap
Include:
- All public, indexable pages (blog posts, product pages, category pages, main pages)
Exclude:
- Noindex pages (pages with
) - Thin pages (duplicate content, very short pages with little value)
- Login pages, account pages, checkout pages (not meant to be indexed)
- Redirect pages (301/302 redirects should not appear in sitemaps)
- Parameterised URLs (avoid URLs with
?id=123style parameters; use clean URLs instead) - Duplicate URLs (if a page is accessible via two URLs, include only the canonical version)
A bloated sitemap confuses Google. If you have 10,000 pages but 8,000 are thin/noindex, include only the 2,000 quality pages.
How to Create an XML Sitemap
Option 1: WordPress (Recommended for Most Australian Businesses)
WordPress plugins handle sitemaps automatically. Choose one:
RankMath (free version)
- Install RankMath plugin (search “RankMath” in Plugins > Add New)
- Activate
- Go to RankMath > Sitemap Settings
- Enable “Sitemap”
- Choose which post types to include (Posts, Pages, Products if e-commerce)
- Save
- Your sitemap is at
yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
Yoast SEO (free version)
- Install Yoast (search “Yoast” in Plugins > Add New)
- Activate
- Go to SEO > Tools > Sitemap
- Click the sitemap link—it auto-generates
- Sitemap is at
yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml(index file)
Tip: Both plugins auto-exclude noindex pages. If a page is set to noindex in the plugin, it won’t appear in the sitemap.
Option 2: Non-WordPress Sites (Custom Code)
If you’re not using WordPress, generate a sitemap using:
- Screaming Frog (free; crawl your site, export as XML sitemap)
- XML Sitemap Generator (free online tool; xmlsitemapgenerator.org)
- PHP script (if you have development resources; create a dynamic sitemap that queries your database)
Using Screaming Frog:
- Download Screaming Frog (free version)
- Crawl your site (mode: Crawl)
- After crawl completes, go to Sitemaps > XML Sitemap
- Click “Save sitemaps”
- Choose location and save
- Upload the XML file to your site root
Option 3: Sitemap Index (For Very Large Sites)
If you have >50,000 URLs, create a sitemap index. This is a file that lists multiple sitemaps:
“xml “
RankMath and Yoast auto-create sitemap indexes. You submit the index file (e.g., sitemap_index.xml) instead of individual sitemaps.
How to Submit a Sitemap to Google
Submitting a sitemap tells Google where to find your page list. Google will crawl the sitemap and, over time, crawl the pages listed in it.
Step 1: Verify Your Site in Google Search Console
- Go to Google Search Console
- Click “Start now” or add a property
- Choose “URL prefix” and enter your site URL (e.g.,
https://yoursite.com) - Verify ownership (HTML file upload or DNS record, usually)
Step 2: Submit the Sitemap
- In GSC, click your property (your site)
- Go to Sitemaps (left sidebar)
- Click “New sitemap”
- Enter the sitemap URL (e.g.,
sitemap.xmlorsitemap_index.xml) - Click “Submit”
Step 3: Monitor Submission Status
- Return to the Sitemaps section
- Click your submitted sitemap
- You’ll see:
- Submitted: Number of URLs in the sitemap
- Indexed: Number of those URLs Google has indexed
- This updates weekly or monthly
Good: Indexed ≥ 80% of submitted Concerning: Indexed < 50% of submitted (some pages aren't indexable)
How to Submit a Sitemap to Bing
Bing also uses XML sitemaps. Bing uses “Bing Webmaster Tools” (now “Microsoft Clarity”).
- Go to Bing Webmaster Tools
- Add your site
- Go to Sitemaps (left sidebar)
- Enter your sitemap URL
- Submit
Bing will crawl your sitemap and index pages from it.
XML Sitemap Best Practices
1. Use Clean, Consistent URLs
Your sitemap should list only clean, canonical URLs:
“`xml
2. Include lastmod Only If Accurate
“`xml
If you can’t maintain accurate dates, omit
3. Avoid Including Noindex Pages
Don’t list pages you’ve marked as noindex. Example:
“xml “
A good plugin (RankMath, Yoast) automatically excludes noindex pages. If you’re building a custom sitemap, ensure noindex pages are excluded.
4. Update Sitemap When Content Changes
For WordPress, your plugin handles this automatically. For custom sites:
- If you add new pages, regenerate the sitemap
- If pages are deleted or unpublished, regenerate
- Regenerate weekly or monthly depending on update frequency
5. Validate Your Sitemap
Use Google’s Sitemap Validator or the built-in validator in GSC:
- In GSC, go to Sitemaps
- Click the sitemap you submitted
- If there are errors (invalid XML, unreachable URLs, etc.), they’ll show here
- Fix and resubmit
Common Sitemap Issues and Fixes
Issue 1: “Submitted but Not Indexed”
Many pages are in your sitemap but not indexed by Google.
Possible causes:
- Pages are noindex (intentional or accidental)
- Pages have canonicals pointing elsewhere
- Pages are low quality
- Pages are too new (index not yet complete)
Fix:
- In GSC, click the sitemap
- Go to Indexed and Not indexed tabs
- Check why pages aren’t indexed (GSC will show reasons)
- If a page should be indexed: remove noindex, fix canonicals, or improve content
Issue 2: Sitemap Has Duplicate URLs
Google’s error: “Multiple sitemaps contain the same URL.”
Cause: You’re submitting multiple sitemaps that list overlapping URLs.
Fix:
- For WordPress: ensure you’re submitting only the main sitemap (or the sitemap index), not individual sitemaps
- For custom sites: ensure each URL appears in only one sitemap
- If you have multiple sitemaps, create a sitemap index that lists them all, and submit the index only
Issue 3: Sitemap Is Too Large
Google limits sitemaps to 50,000 URLs and 50MB file size.
Fix:
- Create multiple sitemaps (e.g.,
sitemap-posts.xml,sitemap-pages.xml) - Create a sitemap index listing all sitemaps
- Submit the index
Sitemap Types Beyond Standard XML
News Sitemap
If your site publishes news articles, a news sitemap tells Google about recent articles:
“xml “
Used for: news sites, blogs, any site publishing time-sensitive content.
Image Sitemap
Include images with your pages:
“xml “
Used for: image-heavy sites, e-commerce, galleries.
Video Sitemap
Include videos:
“xml “
Used for: video-heavy sites.
Most WordPress plugins (RankMath, Yoast) auto-generate these sitemaps if you configure them.
Sitemaps and Site Speed
Do sitemaps slow down your site?
No. Sitemaps are static files that Google crawls. They don’t affect your site’s performance or user experience.
Do sitemaps count towards crawl budget?
No. Google crawls sitemaps separately from regular page crawling. A sitemap doesn’t consume crawl budget.
Sitemaps Aren’t Enough
A sitemap makes crawling more efficient, but it’s not a substitute for:
- Internal linking (links between your pages help Google understand site structure)
- Good content (pages listed in a sitemap must be indexable and valuable)
- Authority (pages need backlinks or topical authority to rank)
A sitemap removes one barrier; it doesn’t build authority or improve content quality.
Checking Your Sitemap Status
- Visit your sitemap directly:
https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml
- Does it load? Is it valid XML?
- In GSC, check submission status: How many indexed vs. submitted?
- In Bing Webmaster Tools: Is it submitted and crawled?
- Use an online validator: Test your XML for errors
What Anitech Does
Anitech audits and fixes sitemaps as part of technical SEO. We:
- Check if a sitemap exists and is valid
- Ensure it excludes noindex/thin pages
- Verify it’s submitted to Google and Bing
- Monitor indexed vs. submitted ratio
- For WordPress sites, configure RankMath or Yoast properly
If you’re unsure whether your sitemap is set up correctly, we can review it.