XML Sitemap Generator

What is an XML sitemap?

An XML sitemap is a file that lists the URLs on your website you want search engines to know about. It follows the standard at sitemaps.org. Search engines such as Google and Bing read the file to discover pages they might otherwise miss, especially on new sites, large sites, or sites with thin internal linking. A sitemap does not guarantee that every listed URL will be crawled or indexed, but it is one of the clearest signals you can give crawlers about which pages matter.

Why sitemaps still matter in 2026

Even with strong internal links and AI-assisted discovery, a well-formed sitemap remains useful for:

• Helping new or updated pages get discovered faster.
• Communicating last-modified dates so crawlers can prioritise fresh content.
• Supporting large or complex sites where some pages are hard to reach by links alone.
• Working alongside robots.txt (which can point to the sitemap) and schema markup for clearer site understanding by both traditional search and AI answer engines.

How to use this XML Sitemap Generator

1. Paste or type full page URLs, one per line. Each must start with http:// or https://.
2. Set a default last-modified date (usually today or the real last update).
3. Choose a default priority (0.0–1.0; higher means more important) and change frequency if you want those optional tags.
4. The valid XML appears instantly. Copy it or download sitemap.xml.
5. Upload the file to your site root (so it is available at https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml) and submit the URL in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
6. Optionally add a Sitemap line in your robots.txt that points to the file.

Best practices for sitemaps

• Include only canonical, indexable URLs you want in search results. Skip noindex pages, thank-you pages, staging URLs, and parameter duplicates.
• Keep a single sitemap under 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed. Split into multiple files and use a sitemap index if you exceed the limit.
• Use accurate lastmod dates when you know them; otherwise a sensible default is fine.
• Update the sitemap whenever you add or remove important pages, then resubmit it.
• Test the uploaded file by opening it in a browser and confirming it returns valid XML.

Frequently asked questions

Does a sitemap guarantee my pages will be indexed?

No. It helps discovery but does not force crawling or indexing. Quality content, internal links, and technical health still matter most.

How many URLs can one sitemap contain?

Up to 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed. Larger sites should split the file and create a sitemap index.

Do I need lastmod, priority, and changefreq?

They are optional. Lastmod is the most useful of the three when accurate. Priority and changefreq are hints only and are often ignored.

Where do I upload the sitemap?

Place sitemap.xml in your site root so it is reachable at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml, then submit that URL in Search Console.

Read the guide

What Is an XML Sitemap and How to Create One

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