● The short answer
An XML sitemap is a file that lists the URLs on your site you want search engines to crawl and index, often with the date each changed. Google says a small, well-linked site of about 500 pages or fewer might not need one, but it does not hurt. Most platforms create one automatically; your job is to keep it clean and submit it.
Key takeaways
- An XML sitemap lists the URLs you want search engines to find, with optional last-modified dates.
- Google says small, well-linked sites of about 500 pages or fewer may not need one, but it never hurts.
- Each sitemap file is limited to 50,000 URLs or 50MB uncompressed.
What a sitemap does
A sitemap is a map for crawlers. It is usually found at a URL like yoursite.com/sitemap.xml and lists the pages you consider important, along with optional details such as when each was last modified. Search engines use it to discover URLs they might otherwise miss and to prioritize recrawling pages that changed.
It is a hint, not an order. Google's documentation says it may not download or use a submitted sitemap, and listing a page does not guarantee it gets indexed. The page still has to be crawlable, unique and useful.
The how is where we come in.
What we walk through with you, for your business:
- Do you need one?
- The rules that matter
- How to set it up
- Our take
Every business is different, so the plan is too. Tell us where you want to show up and we will show you what it takes.
Talk to usMore questions
What is the difference between an XML sitemap and an HTML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a machine-readable file for search engines. An HTML sitemap is a regular web page listing links for people. An HTML sitemap can help visitors and crawlers on large or complex sites, but for most small businesses good navigation does that job. The XML version is the one to submit.
Should I include images and videos in my sitemap?
If images and video are important to how customers find you, yes. Google supports image and video sitemap extensions that add details such as titles, thumbnails and durations. For most service businesses, standard page sitemaps are enough, since images on those pages are found through normal crawling.
Sources
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