Creating a sitemap for WordPress is one of many ways to optimize a WordPress site for SEO. By using a WordPress sitemap, website visitors and search engine crawlers can better understand a site’s structure.
WordPress sitemaps create a better user experience for visitors and provide accurate information for search engines to crawl.
This article will give you more details on the benefits of generating sitemaps for WordPress websites. We’ll also explain the differences between an XML and an HTML sitemap and how each helps optimize a site.
In addition, you’ll learn how to generate both types of sitemaps for your WordPress site and how to submit a sitemap to both Google and Bing.
When we talk about sitemaps, the term generally refers to an XML sitemap. Although there are other types, we’ll start with XML.
An XML sitemap gives search engines a detailed view of your site’s structure, typically including the full URL of each page and the date it was last updated.
XML sitemaps primarily help search engines locate all the pages and content on your site. This allows the search engine to include your content in its index and show it to users in search results when appropriate.
Although search engines may index your pages without a sitemap, having one greatly improves their efficiency. For this reason, it’s strongly recommended to have an XML sitemap for your WordPress site.
While XML sitemaps are among the most common, they’re not the only type you might want to use. Depending on your audience and the nature of your content, employing different sitemap types can improve navigation and visibility.
You now know search engines use XML sitemaps, but human visitors can also benefit from another type known as HTML sitemaps.
HTML sitemaps are especially useful for websites with many pages, where overloading the navigation menu with links would be impractical. Unlike XML sitemaps, HTML sitemaps don’t have strict formatting rules, allowing you to design them as custom pages.
If you’re using managed WordPress hosting, you can easily create an HTML sitemap using a shortcode that generates an organized list of all the pages on your site, showing hierarchical relationships based on your page settings.
To create an HTML sitemap:
From your site’s dashboard, create a new page or edit an existing one.
Add a shortcode block by clicking the + symbol and searching for “shortcode.”
In the shortcode block field, type [sitemap].
Preview or publish the page to see the sitemap in action.
If your site isn’t hosted with a managed provider, consider using a plugin to add an HTML sitemap to your site.
There are also different variations of XML sitemaps. While a standard XML sitemap lists a site’s posts and pages, there are XML sitemaps designed to include your site’s images and videos.
These additional sitemaps help search engines effectively index your visual content.
There’s also a news sitemap required for websites featured in Google News, which helps Google quickly index new content. Sites hosted with a managed service often generate this sitemap automatically, but inclusion in Google News requires additional approval.
Starting with version 5.5, WordPress automatically generates XML sitemaps whenever you publish or update content. To view your WordPress XML sitemap, add /sitemap.xml to your site’s domain name in your browser’s address bar. If you get a “page not found” error, your site likely doesn’t have a sitemap.
If your site does have a sitemap, you’ll see a structured format similar to the provided illustration. The exact layout may differ depending on how the sitemap was created. You can click any URL within the sitemap to view its content.
If you don’t see your sitemap or it appears inaccessible, check your settings.
Go to your site’s dashboard.
Navigate to the Tools section.
Check the Sitemaps settings.
If sitemaps are enabled, they’ll be listed there.
If you see a message indicating that your site can’t be accessed by search engines, you’ll need to adjust your privacy settings to fix this. Uncheck any option that discourages search engines from indexing your site, and be sure to save your changes.
Returning to the Tools section should allow you to view your sitemap URL(s).
The purpose of an XML sitemap is to help search engines locate various pages on your site. Typically, you don’t need to manually notify search engines about your sitemap; platforms like Google and Bing regularly crawl the web and will likely discover your sitemap organically.
Most sites include a link to their sitemap in the robots.txt file, allowing search engines to locate and use it with minimal effort. However, for peace of mind, you can submit your sitemap directly to Google and Bing.
To submit your sitemap to Google, use Google Search Console.
If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to create one. Once signed in, you can add your XML sitemap by navigating to the Sitemaps section in the sidebar.
Enter sitemap.xml as the sitemap name and click Submit.
You can also submit your XML sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools. Sign in with your Google account and verify your site using information from Google Search Console.
You may need to submit your sitemap here if it doesn’t appear automatically.
Enter your sitemap URL, such as [your site URL]/sitemap.xml, then click Submit.
To confirm that your sitemap is working properly, you can monitor its status through Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools.
Both tools will show whether the sitemap was read successfully and indicate how many URLs were indexed or if there were any crawl errors.
You can also use free online tools to validate the technical structure of your sitemap.
While an XML sitemap isn’t strictly essential, it offers significant advantages that help ensure your content reaches the intended audience. Once your WordPress site has a sitemap in place, search engines like Google and Bing will find it easier to crawl and index, allowing more users to access your content.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can verify whether your site has a sitemap and, if not, fix any issues preventing its creation. Don’t miss the opportunity to optimize your site’s visibility and accessibility!
If you’re working on WordPress sitemap projects and need reliable development support, WordPressOngoing can help. We focus on building long-term relationships through high-quality work, quick solutions, and responsive communication—so your team can move forward with confidence.
Empower Your WordPress Journey
If you’re working on WordPress-related projects and need dependable WordPress development support, WordPressOngoing can help. We focus on building long-term partnerships by delivering high-quality work, fast solutions to issues, and consistently responsive communication—so your team can move forward with confidence.
