How to Submit Sitemap: A Complete Technical Guide for SEO Success

A sitemap is a structured file that lists all the important pages on your website, helping search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo understand your site’s architecture, discover content more efficiently, and index it accurately. Submitting your sitemap is not optional—it’s a critical step in ensuring your content is found, crawled, and ranked. While search engines can discover pages through links, a submitted sitemap acts as a roadmap that eliminates guesswork, reduces crawl errors, and accelerates indexing—especially for large, dynamic, or newly launched websites.

This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step breakdown of how to submit a sitemap correctly across major platforms, including Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and other key systems. You’ll also learn best practices, recommended tools, real-world examples, and answers to common questions that prevent even experienced webmasters from achieving optimal results. Whether you’re managing a small blog or an enterprise e-commerce platform, mastering sitemap submission is foundational to technical SEO success.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Generate a Sitemap

Before you can submit a sitemap, you must create one. A sitemap is typically an XML file that follows the Sitemap Protocol (sitemap.org), though HTML sitemaps also exist for user navigation. For SEO purposes, XML sitemaps are essential because they’re machine-readable and contain metadata like last modification date, change frequency, and priority.

Most modern content management systems (CMS) generate sitemaps automatically:

• WordPress: Plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or All in One SEO Pack generate and update sitemaps automatically. The default path is usually https://yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml.
• Shopify: Automatically generates a sitemap at https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml.
• Wix: Sitemaps are created and updated in the background; accessible via https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml.
• Drupal: Use the XML Sitemap module to generate and customize your sitemap.
• Custom-built sites: Use tools like Screaming Frog, XML-Sitemaps.com, or Python scripts with libraries like xml.etree.ElementTree to generate sitemaps programmatically.

If you’re using a custom solution, ensure your sitemap adheres to the following structure:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://yoursite.com/page1</loc>
<lastmod>2024-06-15</lastmod>
<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://yoursite.com/page2</loc>
<lastmod>2024-06-10</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>0.5</priority>
</url>
</urlset>

Each <url> entry must include a <loc> tag (the absolute URL). The other tags—lastmod, changefreq, and priority—are optional but recommended for better crawl efficiency.

Step 2: Test Your Sitemap

Before submission, validate your sitemap to avoid errors. Use the following tools:

• Google’s Sitemap Tester: Paste your sitemap URL into Google Search Console’s Sitemap report to see if it’s valid.
• XML Sitemaps Validator: Online tools like xml-sitemaps.com/validate check for syntax errors, missing tags, or malformed URLs.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Crawl your site and export a sitemap. Compare the exported list with your generated one to ensure completeness.

Common validation errors include:

• Non-HTTPS URLs on HTTPS sites
• URLs returning 404 or 5xx server errors
• Exceeding 50,000 URLs per sitemap file
• File size over 50MB (uncompressed)

If your site has more than 50,000 URLs, split your sitemap into multiple files and create a sitemap index file. Example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<sitemapindex xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<sitemap>
<loc>https://yoursite.com/sitemap-1.xml</loc>
<lastmod>2024-06-15</lastmod>
</sitemap>
<sitemap>
<loc>https://yoursite.com/sitemap-2.xml</loc>
<lastmod>2024-06-14</lastmod>
</sitemap>
</sitemapindex>

Submit the index file instead of individual sitemaps.

Step 3: Upload Your Sitemap to Your Server

Your sitemap must be accessible via a public URL. Place the XML file in your website’s root directory (e.g., https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml or https://yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml).

For platforms like WordPress or Shopify, this happens automatically. For custom sites:

1. Download the generated XML file.
2. Use an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla) or your hosting provider’s file manager to upload it to the root folder.
3. Verify access by visiting the URL in your browser. If you see raw XML, it’s correctly placed.

Ensure your robots.txt file references the sitemap. Add this line:

Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml

This helps search engines discover your sitemap even if they don’t receive a direct submission.

Step 4: Submit to Google Search Console

Google Search Console is the primary tool for submitting sitemaps to Google. Follow these steps:

1. Go to https://search.google.com/search-console and sign in with your Google account.
2. Select your property (ensure it’s verified). If you haven’t verified ownership, follow Google’s verification process using DNS, HTML file upload, or Google Analytics.
3. In the left sidebar, click Sitemaps.
4. In the “Add a new sitemap” field, enter the full URL of your sitemap (e.g., sitemap_index.xml).
5. Click Submit.

After submission, Google will fetch and process your sitemap. You’ll see the status under “Submitted sitemaps”:

• Submitted: Successfully received.
• Processed: Successfully crawled and indexed.
• Errors: Issues detected (click to view details).

Google typically processes sitemaps within 24–48 hours. Monitor the report for crawl errors, blocked resources, or duplicate URLs.

Step 5: Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing powers search results for Microsoft Edge and Yahoo. Submitting your sitemap here ensures broader coverage:

1. Visit https://www.bing.com/webmasters and sign in with a Microsoft account.
2. Add your site if not already listed. Verify ownership using the provided meta tag or HTML file.
3. Once verified, click on your site in the dashboard.
4. From the left menu, select Sitemaps.
5. Enter your sitemap URL (e.g., https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml) and click Submit.

Bing will confirm receipt and display crawl statistics. Like Google, Bing may take up to 48 hours to fully process your sitemap.

Step 6: Submit to Other Search Engines

While Google and Bing dominate, other search engines also accept sitemaps:

• Yandex: Go to https://webmaster.yandex.com, verify your site, then navigate to Indexing → Sitemap and submit your URL.
• Baidu: Visit https://ziyuan.baidu.com, verify ownership, and submit your sitemap under 站点地图 (Sitemap).

These platforms are critical if you target audiences in Russia, China, or other regions where they hold market share.

Step 7: Monitor and Update

Sitemap submission is not a one-time task. Your website changes daily—new pages are added, old ones removed, URLs redirected. Your sitemap must reflect these changes.

Best practices for maintenance:

• Automate sitemap generation via your CMS or plugin.
• Re-submit your sitemap after major site updates (e.g., redesign, migration, content overhaul).
• Check Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools weekly for crawl errors.
• Use alerts in Google Search Console to notify you of sitemap issues.

If you change your domain or move to HTTPS, regenerate and resubmit your sitemap immediately. Failure to do so may cause indexing delays or loss of rankings.

Best Practices

1. Keep Your Sitemap Updated Automatically

Manual sitemap updates are unsustainable. Use plugins, scripts, or server-side logic to regenerate your sitemap whenever content changes. For example, WordPress plugins like Yoast SEO auto-update the sitemap when you publish or delete a post.

2. Exclude Non-Indexable Pages

Don’t include pages blocked by robots.txt, noindex tags, or login-required content. Including these wastes crawl budget and confuses search engines. Use your CMS settings or sitemap plugin filters to exclude:

• Thank-you pages
• Search result pages
• Admin, cart, and checkout pages
• Duplicate content variants (e.g., session IDs, print versions)

3. Use Canonical Tags Correctly

If your sitemap includes URLs that have canonical tags pointing elsewhere, search engines may ignore them. Ensure your sitemap reflects your preferred canonical URLs. For example, if https://yoursite.com/product?sort=price canonicalizes to https://yoursite.com/product, only include the canonical URL in your sitemap.

4. Prioritize High-Value Pages

The <priority> tag (0.0 to 1.0) signals relative importance. Use it strategically:

• Homepage: 1.0
• Core product/category pages: 0.8–0.9
• Blog posts: 0.5–0.7
• Archives or outdated content: 0.1–0.3

Remember: priority doesn’t affect ranking—it only guides crawl frequency.

5. Avoid Sitemap Sprawl

Never create hundreds of tiny sitemaps. Keep the number of sitemap files under 500. Use sitemap indexes to group related content (e.g., by language, content type, or section).

6. Use HTTPS Everywhere

All URLs in your sitemap must use HTTPS if your site is served over HTTPS. Mixed HTTP/HTTPS entries can trigger crawl errors and security warnings.

7. Compress Large Sitemaps

If your sitemap exceeds 10MB, compress it using GZIP. Save it as sitemap.xml.gz and update your robots.txt and Search Console submission accordingly. Most modern servers auto-compress XML files, but verify using tools like GZIP Test.

8. Don’t Rely Solely on Sitemaps

Sitemaps help discovery, but internal linking remains the primary way search engines crawl your site. Ensure your navigation, footer links, and contextual links are logical and comprehensive. A sitemap supplements—not replaces—a strong internal link structure.

9. Submit Sitemaps After Major Changes

After migrating from HTTP to HTTPS, changing domain names, or restructuring URLs, regenerate and resubmit your sitemap immediately. Use 301 redirects for old URLs and include only the new ones in your sitemap.

10. Monitor Crawl Stats and Index Coverage

In Google Search Console, regularly check:

• Index Coverage: Are pages being indexed? Are there exclusions?
• Crawl Stats: How many pages are crawled daily? Is crawl budget being wasted on low-value pages?
• Enhancements: Are structured data elements (like breadcrumbs or product info) being recognized?

Use these insights to refine your sitemap and site architecture.

Tools and Resources

Automatic Sitemap Generators

• Yoast SEO (WordPress): Industry-standard plugin with automatic sitemap generation, XML/HTML output, and exclusion filters.
• Rank Math (WordPress): Lightweight alternative with advanced customization options and schema integration.
• XML-Sitemaps.com: Free online generator for small sites (up to 500 URLs). Supports manual uploads and FTP publishing.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Desktop tool that crawls your site and exports sitemaps. Ideal for large or complex sites.
• DeepCrawl: Enterprise-grade crawler with sitemap generation, error detection, and integration with analytics platforms.

Validation and Testing Tools

• Google Search Console: Primary tool for submission, error detection, and indexing status.
• Bing Webmaster Tools: Essential for Bing/Yahoo indexing.
• XML Sitemap Validator (xml-sitemaps.com/validate): Free browser-based validator.
• Robots.txt Tester (Google): Ensures your sitemap isn’t blocked by robots.txt.
• Redirect Checker (httpstatus.io): Confirms URLs in your sitemap resolve correctly.

Advanced Tools for Enterprise Sites

• Ahrefs Site Audit: Detects orphaned pages, missing sitemaps, and crawlability issues.
• SEMrush Site Audit: Comprehensive technical SEO audit including sitemap analysis.
• Botify: AI-powered crawler that optimizes crawl budget and identifies sitemap inefficiencies.
• Google Analytics 4 + Search Console Integration: Correlate sitemap-indexed pages with traffic patterns to prioritize content.

Learning Resources

• Sitemap Protocol (Official Specification)
• Google’s Sitemap Guide
• Bing Sitemap Documentation
• Google’s Sitemap Best Practices

Real Examples

Example 1: Small Blog (WordPress)

A blogger uses WordPress with Yoast SEO. The site has 87 posts and 12 static pages.

• Auto-generated sitemap: https://blog.example.com/sitemap_index.xml
• Yoast excludes tags, categories, and author pages automatically.
• Blog owner submits sitemap_index.xml to Google Search Console.
• Within 24 hours, 99% of pages are indexed.
• After publishing a new post, Yoast auto-updates the sitemap. No manual action needed.

Result: Consistent indexing, no crawl errors, and improved visibility for long-tail keywords.

Example 2: E-Commerce Site (Shopify)

An online store sells 12,000 products across 150 categories.

• Shopify auto-generates sitemap.xml and sitemap-products-1.xml through sitemap-products-80.xml.
• A sitemap index file links all 80 product sitemaps.
• Blog and FAQ pages are in a separate sitemap: sitemap-blogs.xml.
• Store owner submits the index file to Google and Bing.
• Using Screaming Frog, they detect 300 URLs with duplicate meta descriptions and fix them.
• They exclude low-value pages like /search and /cart using Shopify’s built-in filters.

Result: 98% of product pages indexed within 72 hours. Organic traffic increased by 42% in 3 months.

Example 3: Enterprise Site Migration

A company migrates from legacy CMS to a new platform, changing URL structure from /product?id=123 to /products/seo-friendly-name.

• Before launch: Old sitemap is archived. New sitemap is generated using DeepCrawl.
• 301 redirects are implemented for every old URL to its new counterpart.
• Old URLs are removed from the new sitemap.
• New sitemap is submitted to Google and Bing.
• Search Console is monitored daily for “Discovered – currently not indexed” and “Excluded” errors.
• After 14 days, 94% of new pages are indexed. Old URLs are removed from index as redirects are confirmed.

Result: Zero traffic loss during migration. Rankings recovered within 2 weeks.

Example 4: Multi-Language Site

A global brand serves content in English, Spanish, and French.

• Three separate sitemaps: sitemap-en.xml, sitemap-es.xml, sitemap-fr.xml.
• A sitemap index links all three.
• Each page includes hreflang tags pointing to translations.
• Submitted as one index file to Google and Bing.
• Language-specific sitemaps ensure proper regional indexing.

Result: Each language version ranks appropriately in its target country. No duplicate content penalties.

FAQs

Do I need a sitemap if my site is small?

Yes. Even small sites benefit. A sitemap ensures search engines don’t miss new pages and helps them understand your site’s structure. It’s especially important if your site has few inbound links.

Can I submit a sitemap more than once?

Yes. Resubmit after major updates. Google won’t penalize you for resubmitting. In fact, it encourages it after significant content changes.

How often should I update my sitemap?

Automatically. If your site updates daily (e.g., news, e-commerce), your sitemap should regenerate daily. Static sites can update weekly or monthly.

What if my sitemap has errors?

Google and Bing will notify you in their webmaster tools. Common fixes include correcting broken URLs, removing blocked pages, or reducing file size. Re-submit after fixing.

Can I use an HTML sitemap instead of XML?

HTML sitemaps are for users, not search engines. Always use XML for SEO. You can have both—an XML sitemap for bots and an HTML one for visitors.

Does a sitemap improve rankings?

Not directly. But by ensuring faster indexing and complete coverage, it indirectly supports ranking by making your content eligible to appear in search results.

Why are some pages in my sitemap not indexed?

Possible reasons:

• Page is marked with noindex
• Page has thin or duplicate content
• Page is blocked by robots.txt
• Page returns a server error
• Search engine deems it low-value

Check the Index Coverage report in Google Search Console for specifics.

Can I submit a sitemap for a subdomain?

Yes. Each subdomain (e.g., blog.example.com) must be added and verified separately in Google Search Console. Submit its sitemap independently.

What happens if I delete my sitemap?

Search engines will eventually stop crawling it. Pages may remain indexed if they’re linked elsewhere, but new content won’t be discovered efficiently. Always keep your sitemap live.

Is it okay to include URLs with parameters in my sitemap?

Only if they lead to unique, valuable content. Avoid including URLs with session IDs, tracking parameters, or sorting filters unless they serve distinct content. Use Google’s URL Parameters tool in Search Console to instruct crawlers how to handle them.

Conclusion

Submitting a sitemap is one of the most impactful, low-effort actions you can take to improve your website’s visibility in search engines. It’s not a magic bullet, but it’s a foundational technical SEO practice that ensures your content is discovered, understood, and indexed efficiently. Whether you’re running a personal blog or a global enterprise, a well-structured, properly submitted sitemap reduces crawl errors, accelerates indexing, and gives you greater control over how search engines interact with your site.

This guide has walked you through every critical step—from generating and validating your sitemap to submitting it across Google, Bing, and other platforms. You’ve learned best practices to avoid common pitfalls, explored tools that automate and enhance the process, and seen real-world examples of success.

Remember: SEO is ongoing. Your sitemap must evolve with your site. Automate its generation, monitor its performance, and update it after every major change. Combine sitemap submission with strong internal linking, clean URL structures, and high-quality content, and you’ll lay the groundwork for sustainable organic growth.

Start today. Verify your site in Google Search Console. Generate your sitemap. Submit it. Monitor the results. The path to higher rankings begins with a single, well-structured XML file.