What Is an XML Sitemap and How to Create One Free
If you want Google to find and index all your pages — especially on a new site — an XML sitemap is one of the simplest, highest-impact things you can give it. It's a roadmap that tells search engines exactly which pages exist and where to find them. Here's what it is and how to set one up.
What an XML sitemap is
It's a file (usually sitemap.xml) listing the URLs on your site, optionally with extra hints like when each page was last modified and how often it changes. Search engines read it to discover pages they might otherwise miss — particularly deep pages with few internal links pointing to them. Google explains the format in its sitemaps documentation.
Why it matters (especially for new sites)
Google discovers pages by following links. A brand-new site with few external links can take weeks to be fully crawled. A sitemap shortcuts that: you hand Google the complete list up front, so nothing waits to be stumbled upon. It doesn't guarantee indexing, but it dramatically speeds up discovery.
How to create one
Many CMS platforms generate a sitemap automatically. If yours doesn't, our free XML sitemap generator builds a valid sitemap you can upload to your site's root. Keep it current as you add pages — a stale sitemap pointing to dead URLs sends the wrong signal.
How to submit it
Creating a sitemap isn't enough; you have to tell search engines about it:
- Upload the file to your domain root (e.g.
yoursite.com/sitemap.xml). - Reference it in your robots.txt with a
Sitemap:line. - Submit it in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Check whether your pages are indexed
After submitting, confirm pages are actually making it into the index with our Google index checker. If important pages aren't indexed, see our guide on why a site isn't on Google.
Bottom line
An XML sitemap is a free roadmap that helps search engines find every page you care about. Generate one, link it from robots.txt, submit it in Search Console, and keep it updated — it's foundational SEO hygiene that pays off fastest on new and large sites.
