A sitemap is a file that lists the pages on your website you want search engines to find. If you do not have one, or you are not sure the one you have is correct, a free online generator can produce it in a few minutes.
This guide covers what the XML-Sitemaps.com generator creates, how to use it, what to check before the file goes live, and the cases where a generator is the wrong tool.
What an XML sitemap does
Google discovers pages mostly by following links. A sitemap gives it a direct list of URLs and, where the data is accurate, a note of when each page last changed.
That matters most in three situations:
- A new site with very few links pointing to it
- A large site where some pages sit many clicks from the homepage
- A site that adds or updates content often
A sitemap is a hint, not an instruction. It helps Google find a page, but it does not guarantee the page will be indexed or ranked.
What the XML-Sitemaps.com generator gives you
The tool is free for up to 500 pages and needs no registration. You enter your website address, it crawls the site, and you download the results. You receive three things:
- An XML sitemap for search engines
- An HTML sitemap that visitors can use to navigate your site
- A plain text list of your pages
It sets the last modified date from your server’s response and lowers the priority value as pages get further from the homepage.
If your site is larger, the paid PRO service starts from $2.44 a month (as listed on the site, in US dollars). It adds automatic updates, no page limit, and image, video and news sitemaps.
How to create and submit your sitemap
- Enter your full address. Use the exact version of your domain that you want indexed, including https and either www or non-www.
- Let the crawl finish. You may be asked to complete a security check before it continues.
- Download the XML file. It is normally named sitemap.xml.
- Upload it to your root folder, so it loads at yourdomain.co.uk/sitemap.xml.
- Add it to your robots.txt file with this line: Sitemap: https://www.yourdomain.co.uk/sitemap.xml
- Submit it in Google Search Console. Open the Sitemaps report, enter the file path and press submit.
Check the file before you upload it
Many sitemaps cause problems because nobody reads them before submitting. Open the file and look for the following.
- Pages that should not be there: Every URL in a sitemap should return a normal page, be open to indexing and be the preferred version of that page. Remove redirects, error pages, pages marked noindex, pages whose canonical tag points elsewhere, and low-value pages such as internal search results.
- Pages that are missing: The generator follows links, so a page with no internal links pointing to it will not be found. Either link to it from a relevant page or add it to the file by hand.
- Mixed versions of your domain: A file that lists both http and https, or both www and non-www, sends Google conflicting signals. Pick one version and use it throughout.
- Size limits: Google accepts up to 50,000 URLs or 50MB uncompressed in a single sitemap. Anything bigger needs to be split and linked together with a sitemap index file.
The XML-Sitemaps.com site also has a free sitemap validator, which is worth running before you submit.
Priority and change frequency: do not spend time on them
The generator fills in a priority value for each page. Google has stated that it ignores both the priority and change frequency fields, so adjusting them will not move your rankings.
The date field is different. Google can use it, but only if it has learned to trust it. A last modified date should change when the content of the page changes in a meaningful way, not each time a footer or a plugin updates.
When a generator is not the right tool
A downloaded sitemap is a snapshot. It is accurate on the day you create it and slowly becomes wrong as pages are added, removed or renamed. Three situations call for something else.
- You run a WordPress site: SEO plugins can build a sitemap and update it automatically each time you publish. Our WordPress web design and optimisation service covers setting this up properly, including keeping unwanted pages out of the file.
- Your site has more than 500 pages: The free limit will cut the crawl short and leave you with a partial file. Use the paid service or an automated option built into your platform.
- Your site changes daily: Online shops and news sites need a sitemap that updates itself, because a manual process will always lag behind.
What to do if pages stay unindexed
Submitting a sitemap and seeing the status “Success” in Search Console only means Google could read the file. If pages are still listed as discovered but not indexed weeks later, the sitemap is not the cause. The usual reasons are thin content, duplicate pages, weak internal linking or crawl problems on the site itself.
Those are technical SEO issues, and they are where we spend much of our time through our SEO services. Tracking which submitted URLs get indexed over time is also a core part of our reporting and analytics work. If you would like someone to check your sitemap and the pages behind it, get in touch.
Graig Upton
Graig Upton is a UK SEO and Google Ads consultant with 23 years of hands-on digital marketing experience. Google certified in Ads, Analytics and Conversions, he has helped businesses ranging from local providers to national brands - including Nando's and Financial Times - dominate search and scale their leads. Based in Preston, working with clients across the UK.