How do I create a sitemap for my website?
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To create a sitemap, list every page on your website in a structured XML or HTML file that tells search engines what to index and how your site is organised. For most small business websites, the quickest method is to use a free tool such as XML-Sitemaps.com or a plugin like Yoast SEO, then submit the result to Google Search Console.
Key takeaways
An XML sitemap is a file that lists your website's URLs so search engines can find and index your pages more efficiently.
Google Search Console lets you submit a sitemap directly; verification and submission typically take under 30 minutes for a small site.
Plugins such as Yoast SEO (WordPress) and Rank Math generate and update sitemaps automatically, removing the need for manual maintenance.
A sitemap does not guarantee indexing; it signals intent to search engines, which still apply their own crawl logic.
Small business sites with fewer than 50 pages benefit most from submitting a sitemap early, before any SEO activity begins.
What is a sitemap?
A sitemap is a file that lists the pages, posts, images or videos on your website in a structured format. Its job is to give search engines a clear, reliable map of your content so their crawlers know what exists and where to find it.
There are two types. An XML sitemap is written in a machine-readable format designed for search engines such as Google and Bing. An HTML sitemap is a human-readable page, sometimes used on larger websites to help visitors navigate. For SEO purposes, the XML version is what matters.
What does a sitemap actually do?
Search engines discover pages by following links. A sitemap acts as a direct shortcut, telling Google exactly which URLs exist on your site without relying on every page being linked from somewhere else.
This matters most when pages are new, recently updated, or buried deep within your site structure. Submitting a sitemap does not force Google to index a page, but it does flag the page for crawling and provides useful metadata such as when it was last modified.
How do I create a sitemap? Step-by-step
The method depends on how your site is built. Below is the process for the most common setups.
WordPress with Yoast SEO or Rank Math. Install either plugin. Both generate an XML sitemap automatically at a URL such as yoursite.co.uk/sitemap_index.xml. No further action is needed to create the file; your next step is submission.
WordPress without a plugin. Use a free online generator such as XML-Sitemaps.com. Enter your URL, run the crawl, and download the sitemap.xml file. Upload it to the root directory of your website via FTP or your hosting file manager.
Wix, Squarespace or Shopify. These platforms generate a sitemap automatically. On Wix, it lives at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml. On Squarespace, the same URL applies. Shopify generates one at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml by default. Check your platform's support documentation to confirm the exact path.
Custom or bespoke site. Ask your developer to generate a sitemap using a server-side library, or use a crawler tool such as Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 URLs) to generate one from a crawl of your live site.
Submit to Google Search Console. Log in, select your property, go to Sitemaps under the Index menu, enter your sitemap URL and click Submit. Google will confirm receipt and begin processing.
Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools. Repeat the same process in Bing's equivalent dashboard to cover the second largest search engine in the UK market.
XML sitemap vs HTML sitemap: which do you need?
Type | Best for | Limitation |
XML sitemap | Search engine crawling and indexing | Not readable or useful to human visitors |
HTML sitemap | Helping visitors navigate a large site | Minimal direct SEO benefit on its own |
For most small business websites, an XML sitemap is sufficient. An HTML sitemap only adds value if your site has a complex navigation structure and a high volume of pages.
When should a small business prioritise creating a sitemap?
Create and submit a sitemap before you start any SEO work. If Google has not yet discovered your pages, any on-page optimisation you carry out has nothing to act on.
A sitemap becomes especially important in three situations: when you launch a new site, when you add a significant batch of new pages, or when pages on your site are not linked from other pages. As part of good SEO agency practice, sitemap submission is one of the first technical steps applied to any new client site at Revolve.
Common mistakes to avoid
Sitemaps are simple to create but easy to misconfigure. Watch out for these:
Including noindex pages. If a page is tagged noindex, it should not appear in your sitemap. Contradiction between the two signals confuses crawlers.
Forgetting to update after new content. If you use a manual sitemap rather than a plugin, add new pages to the file each time you publish.
Submitting the wrong URL. The URL you submit must be publicly accessible. Test it in a browser before submitting.
Ignoring Search Console errors. After submission, check back within 48 hours. Search Console will flag any URLs it could not crawl.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a sitemap and a robots.txt file? A sitemap tells search engines what pages exist and invites them to crawl those URLs. A robots.txt file tells search engines which areas of your site they are not allowed to crawl. The two files work together but serve opposite functions.
What is a sitemap in simple terms? A sitemap is a list of every page on your website, saved as a file that search engines can read. Think of it as the index at the back of a book: it doesn't change the content, but it makes everything faster to find.
Do I need a sitemap if my website is small? Yes. A small site with 10 to 20 pages benefits from a sitemap because search engines may not discover every page through links alone, particularly if internal linking is minimal. The time investment is low and the potential gain is meaningful.
How often should I update my sitemap? If you use a plugin such as Yoast SEO or a platform like Squarespace, the sitemap updates automatically. If you maintain one manually, update it every time you add, remove or significantly change a page.
Can a sitemap improve my Google ranking? A sitemap does not directly improve rankings. It ensures your pages are known to Google and eligible for ranking. Pages that are never crawled cannot rank at all, so submission is a prerequisite, not a ranking signal in itself.
Written by the Revolve team — a digital marketing agency based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, specialising in SEO, AEO and paid advertising for UK small and mid-sized businesses.
Last updated: 1 September 2026
