Question 1

What is an XML sitemap?

Accepted Answer

An XML sitemap is a file that lists the important URLs on your website so search engines like Google can discover and crawl them efficiently. You submit it in Google Search Console and reference it in your robots.txt. It is especially helpful for newer sites or sites with pages that are not well linked.

Question 2

How do I use the sitemap this tool generates?

Accepted Answer

Copy or download the generated XML, save it as sitemap.xml, and upload it to the root of your website (e.g. yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml). Then submit that URL in Google Search Console under Sitemaps, and add a line like “Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml” to your robots.txt.

Question 3

Does this tool crawl my website automatically?

Accepted Answer

No — for privacy and security reasons it builds the sitemap from the URLs you paste in. Browsers cannot crawl other websites directly. Paste your page paths (one per line) and the tool formats them into a valid, ready-to-submit XML sitemap.

Question 4

How often should I update my sitemap?

Accepted Answer

Update it whenever you add or remove important pages. Many platforms (WordPress with Yoast/RankMath, Shopify, Webflow) generate and update sitemaps automatically — this tool is ideal for static sites, custom builds, or quick one-off submissions.

Question 5

Which pages should I include?

Accepted Answer

Include canonical, indexable pages you want ranked — homepage, service pages, location pages, key blog posts. Leave out thank-you pages, admin URLs, duplicate or noindex pages, and parameter URLs.

Free Sitemap Generator

Frequently Asked Questions

Want Google to Actually Crawl & Rank Your Pages?

Get My Free SEO Audit