What is a WordPress Sitemap and How Do You Add One to Your Site?

by | May 16, 2025 | Online Visibility, Search Engine Optimization

sitemap wordpress

Introduction

In the vast world of the internet, search engines like Google need a way to discover and index the content of your website. One of the most effective tools for this purpose is a sitemap. If you’re running a WordPress site, understanding sitemaps and learning how to add one can significantly boost your site’s visibility and SEO performance.

What is a Sitemap?

A sitemap is essentially a blueprint of your website that helps search engines easily find, crawl, and index your content. It lists all the important pages of your website in a structured format, ensuring search engines don’t miss any valuable content.

There are two main types of sitemaps:

  1. XML Sitemaps – Designed specifically for search engines. These sitemaps make it easier for search engines to understand the structure of your site.
  2. HTML Sitemaps – Created for users to navigate your site easily. It’s a simple page that lists all your important links.

For SEO purposes, we primarily focus on XML Sitemaps.

Why Does Your WordPress Site Need a Sitemap?

Here’s why having a sitemap is crucial:

  • Faster Indexing: New content gets indexed faster by search engines.
  • Better Crawling: Helps search engines discover pages that are deeply nested or not linked effectively.
  • Improved SEO: Ensures all important pages are indexed, boosting your site’s visibility.
  • Structured Navigation: Even if some pages are isolated, search engines can still find them through your sitemap.

How to Create a Sitemap in WordPress

There are two main methods to create a sitemap in WordPress:

Method 1: Using the Built-in WordPress Sitemap (WordPress 5.5 and above)

Since WordPress 5.5, a default sitemap is automatically generated. To access it, simply go to:

https://yourwebsite.com/wp-sitemap.xml

You should see an auto-generated list of all your site’s important pages.

Method 2: Using SEO Plugins

To get more control and customization, you can use popular SEO plugins:

  1. Yoast SEO
    • Go to SEO → General → Features.
    • Enable XML Sitemaps.
    • Click the question mark (?) icon and then click See the XML Sitemap.
  2. All in One SEO (AIOSEO)
    • Navigate to All in One SEO → Sitemaps.
    • Enable the Sitemap feature.
    • Customize the pages you want to include.
  3. Rank Math
    • Go to Rank Math → Sitemap Settings.
    • Configure what to include in your sitemap.

How to Submit Your Sitemap to Google

Creating a sitemap is only the first step. You also need to submit it to Google Search Console:

  1. Visit Google Search Console.
  2. Go to Sitemaps in the left-hand menu.
  3. Enter your sitemap URL (e.g., https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml).
  4. Click Submit.

Google will now start crawling and indexing your content more effectively.

Best Practices for Sitemaps

  • Keep it Updated: Whenever you add new content, your sitemap should update automatically.
  • Avoid Broken Links: Ensure your sitemap only includes valid URLs.
  • Limit the Number of URLs: Sitemaps can include up to 50,000 URLs. For larger sites, consider breaking it into multiple sitemaps.
  • Check for Errors: Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor sitemap errors.

Conclusion

A well-structured sitemap is a critical part of your SEO strategy. By creating and submitting a sitemap, you’re helping search engines discover your content faster and more efficiently. Whether you use WordPress’s built-in feature or an SEO plugin, the process is simple yet powerful.

Get started today, and watch your site’s visibility improve! For professional assistance, contact CallSP today