Use the Search Atlas WordPress plugin — or any of four standard methods — to create, optimize, and submit an XML sitemap that helps Google discover and index every page on your site.
📘 What Is a Sitemap?
A sitemap is an XML file that acts as a roadmap for search engine crawlers. It lists all the important pages of your website and provides structure signals so Google understands how your content is organized and which pages matter most.
Think of it as directions for web crawlers — helping them discover, crawl, and index every page efficiently, even those not easily accessible from your main navigation.
💡 What Is XML?
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is the format that web crawlers "speak." It structures information in a way that's readable by both humans and machines. Sitemaps written in XML tell search engines which URLs exist, when they were last updated, and how they relate to other pages.
🤖 How Web Crawlers Use a Sitemap
Crawlers use sitemaps to:
- Find new pages that have been added recently
- Discover unlinked or orphaned pages
- Understand the hierarchy and importance of different URLs
This ensures all relevant pages get indexed quickly and correctly.
📑 Types of Sitemaps Supported
The Search Atlas WordPress plugin supports three sitemap types, each suited to different content:
- General Sitemap — Covers standard pages, posts, and custom post types. Use this for most websites.
- News Sitemap — Designed for time-sensitive news content. Helps Google News discover and index articles quickly.
- Video Sitemap — Highlights video content and provides metadata such as duration, thumbnail, and description to improve video search visibility.
🔢 How Many URLs Can Be in a Sitemap?
A single sitemap file supports up to 50,000 URLs with a maximum uncompressed file size of 50 MB. For larger sites, create multiple sitemap files and connect them with a sitemap index file.
📈 Why Sitemaps Matter for SEO
A properly optimized sitemap helps:
- Improve crawl efficiency and indexation rates
- Strengthen site structure visibility for Google
- Speed up discovery of new or recently updated pages, reducing the gap between publishing and indexing
- Prevent pages from being missed or ignored by crawlers
If your site structure is disorganized, Google may struggle to index all your pages — leading to lost rankings and missed traffic.
⚙️ Sitemap vs. Robots.txt
- Sitemap — Lists all URLs you want search engines to index
- robots.txt — Tells crawlers which URLs they can or cannot access
Tip: Include your sitemap URL in your robots.txt file for easier discovery.
🗂️ Where Your Sitemap Lives
Place your sitemap in your website's root directory — for example:
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
This is where Google expects to find it, and where you'll upload it via your CMS or hosting panel.
✅ Why You Should Submit a Sitemap to Google
Submitting a sitemap ensures Google knows about all your important pages and indexes them accurately. Use any of the methods below to create and submit yours.
📝 How to Create a Sitemap for Google
Option 1: Yoast SEO (WordPress)
- Install and activate the Yoast SEO plugin.
- From your WordPress dashboard, go to Yoast SEO → General.
- Under the Features tab, find XML Sitemaps.
- Toggle the setting to Enabled (On).
- Click Save Changes.
Yoast automatically builds and updates your sitemap. This method also works for Shopify, Squarespace, and BigCommerce.
Option 2: Google Search Console
While Google no longer offers a sitemap generator, you can still submit one easily.
- Log in to Google Search Console.
- Add a new property using your URL-prefix.
- Verify ownership with a Google-approved method.
- Navigate to Sitemaps in the left menu.
- Enter your sitemap URL (e.g.,
sitemap.xml) and click Submit.
Option 3: Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free Version)
- Download and install Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
- Open the program and select the Sitemaps tab.
- Click + New Sitemap, then name and create your file.
- Run a site crawl.
- When complete, click Export and save the sitemap as
.xml.
Option 4: Create Manually
- Create a plain text file listing all your canonical URLs.
- Save the file as
sitemap.xml. - Upload it to your site's root directory (in WordPress, use WP File Manager).
This approach gives you full control over your sitemap hierarchy and structure.
🎛️ Filtering Your Sitemap Content (Coming Soon)
An upcoming release will give you granular control over which content appears in each sitemap (General, News, and Video):
- Post type toggles — Include or exclude specific post types from any sitemap.
- Category and tag toggles — Choose which categories and tags are surfaced.
- Taxonomy toggles — Manage custom taxonomies independently.
- URL exclusion — Exclude individual URLs from any sitemap.
These controls apply across all three sitemap types.
🛠️ Troubleshooting: 403 Errors on nginx/Plesk
If your sitemap URL returns a 403 Forbidden error on nginx or Plesk servers, update to the latest version of the Search Atlas WordPress plugin. The latest version routes sitemaps through WordPress rewrite rules instead of static file serving, which resolves cases where the web server blocks physical sitemap files.
⚠️ Common Sitemap Mistakes to Avoid
- Omitting pages — Include every canonical page you want indexed.
- Failing to update — Refresh your sitemap whenever pages change or are added.
- Incorrect file format — Always save as
.xml. - Unreadable structure — Keep the XML clean and organized.
- Too many pages per file — Split large sites into multiple sitemaps (max 50,000 URLs per file).
🔧 How to Optimize Your Sitemap
- Keep it current: Update whenever new pages are added.
- Use correct XML format: Required for search engine readability.
- Include accurate metadata: URL, last modified date, title, and meta description.
- Use canonical URLs: Avoid duplicate entries.
- Optimize titles and descriptions: Make them keyword-rich and descriptive.
📤 How to Submit Your Sitemap to Google
- Log in to Google Search Console.
- Go to Sitemaps.
- Click Add a new sitemap.
- Enter your sitemap URL (e.g.,
sitemap.xml). - Click Submit.
You'll see a confirmation once Google processes your sitemap.
🔌 Recommended Sitemap Plugins
- Yoast SEO — Includes automatic XML sitemap generation.
- Google XML Sitemaps — Submits to Google and alerts you on updates.
- WP Sitemap Page — Allows creation of sitemaps for specific posts or pages.
🎯 You now have everything you need to build, optimize, and submit an XML sitemap that keeps Google fully informed about your site — helping more pages get discovered and indexed faster.