Sitemap.xml Generator
Generate a valid XML sitemap for your website to help search engines discover and index your pages. Whether you run a personal blog or a large multi-section site, this free tool produces a ready-to-submit sitemap.xml with customizable change frequency and priority settings.
URLs
Enter one URL per line (including http/https)
XML Preview
How to Generate a Sitemap.xml
Enter one URL per line in the input area, select the default change frequency and priority for all URLs, and preview the generated XML in real time. Copy the output to your clipboard or download it as sitemap.xml. Once generated, upload the file to your site's root directory and submit it to Google Search Console. Do not forget to add the sitemap reference to your robots.txt file so crawlers discover it automatically.
XML Sitemap Best Practices
A well-crafted sitemap helps search engines understand your site structure and prioritize their crawl budget effectively.
Change Frequency
The changefreq tag tells search engines how often a page is likely to change. Use daily for news or blog homepages, weekly for most standard pages, monthly for evergreen content, and yearly for legal or policy pages. Search engines treat this as a hint, not a directive. They will still crawl based on their own algorithms.
Priority
Priority values range from 0.1 (lowest) to 1.0 (highest). This is relative within your own site, not compared to other sites. Your homepage should always be 1.0, important landing pages 0.8-0.9, category pages 0.5-0.7, and legal or archive pages 0.1-0.3. Do not set all pages to 1.0. That defeats the purpose and tells search engines nothing about your actual priorities.
Sitemap Limits and Index Files
A single sitemap can contain a maximum of 50,000 URLs and must be under 50 MB uncompressed. If your site exceeds either limit, create multiple sitemaps and reference them from a sitemap index file. The index file itself follows the same size and URL-count limits for the number of child sitemaps it can list.
Common Sitemap Mistakes
- Including noindex pages. Pages with
noindexdirectives should not appear in your sitemap. Search engines may still index them despite the directive. - Using HTTP instead of HTTPS. All URLs in your sitemap should use the canonical protocol. Mixed protocols confuse search engines.
- Flat priority values. Setting every page to 1.0 removes all signal value. Differentiate priorities based on page importance.
- Forgetting to update after site changes. Regenerate and resubmit your sitemap after any major content addition, migration, or redesign.
Example: Generated Sitemap Output
After generating your sitemap, add its URL to your robots.txt file and submit it to Google Search Console.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many URLs can a sitemap contain?
A single sitemap can contain up to 50,000 URLs and must be under 50 MB uncompressed. For larger sites, create multiple sitemaps and use a sitemap index file.
Does change frequency affect crawl rate?
Search engines treat changefreq as a hint, not a directive. Pages marked daily may be crawled more often, but Google ultimately decides crawl frequency based on site authority, update patterns, and crawl budget.
Do I need a sitemap for a small site?
Yes, even small sites benefit from sitemaps. They help search engines discover all your pages, especially if your internal linking is sparse or some pages are buried deep in the navigation.
Should I include all pages in my sitemap?
Only include indexable, canonical pages. Exclude pages with noindex directives, parameterized URLs, paginated series (unless they have self-referencing canonicals), and thin or low-value pages that you do not want indexed.
How often should I update my sitemap?
Regenerate and resubmit your sitemap after every significant content update, whether that is new pages, removed pages, or major structural changes. For dynamic sites, automate sitemap generation so it stays current.
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