--- title: "XML Sitemaps Explained and How to Submit One | MCC Solutions" description: "An XML sitemap lists the pages you want search engines to find. Learn what belongs in it, what to leave out, and how to submit and monitor it." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/websites/guides/xml-sitemaps-explained-and-how-to-submit-one" --- Guide · Updated October 12, 2026 # XML Sitemaps Explained and How to Submit One A sitemap is a file that lists the important addresses on your site so search engines can discover and revisit them. It does not ensure indexing, but it helps crawlers find new and updated pages, especially on sites with few incoming links. By [Matthew Coleman](/about), MCC Solutions **Quick answer.** An XML sitemap lists the important addresses on your site so search engines can find and revisit them. It usually lives at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml; submit it in Google Search Console, and note that it does not guarantee indexing. **Free tools:** [Search result preview](/websites/search-result-preview) · [Free website SEO check](/websites/seo-checker) ## What it is and where it lives An XML sitemap is usually found at an address such as yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml or sitemap_index.xml. Each entry has a page address and optionally a last modified date. Large sites split the list into several sitemaps tied together by an index file. This format is meant for search engines, not people, who would use a visible site map page. ## What belongs in it List pages you want to appear in search: the home page, service pages, location or area pages, blog posts, and key information pages. Use the final preferred address of each, with https and your chosen www form, returning a normal 200 status. Keep the last modified date honest. Changing it on every page daily teaches crawlers to ignore it. ## What to leave out Exclude pages that redirect, return errors, carry a noindex tag, duplicate other pages, or exist only for internal use such as thank-you pages, login screens, cart and checkout pages, and internal search results. A sitemap full of such entries wastes crawler attention and produces warnings in reports. Tag archives and thin author pages on WordPress are often better left out too. ## How to generate one Most platforms create sitemaps automatically. WordPress now includes a basic one, and SEO plugins generate more configurable versions. Hosted builders usually provide one by default. Check that only one tool is producing it, so you do not end up with two competing files. For a hand-coded site, a generator tool can produce the file, or your developer can build it from a list of pages. ## Submit and monitor In Google Search Console, open the Sitemaps report and enter the sitemap address. Bing Webmaster Tools has a similar option. You can also add a line to robots.txt pointing at the sitemap. After submission, check the status and any errors, such as pages that could not be fetched. Compare the number of submitted addresses with indexed ones. A big gap deserves investigation: the cause may be duplicate content, thin pages, noindex tags or crawl problems. Recheck after big site changes. ## Common sitemap problems and fixes If Search Console reports that your sitemap could not be read, open the address in a browser. A blank page, a redirect or an error points to a plugin or server setting. If it says submitted pages are noindexed, either remove the tag or take the page out of the sitemap, since the two instructions contradict each other. Another frequent issue is old addresses left in the file after a move to https. Regenerate the file and confirm every entry uses the current preferred address. Then resubmit and watch the report for a week or two. For image-heavy or video-heavy sites there are extensions that list media, but most local business sites do not need them. Concentrate on keeping the main page list accurate and free of errors. ## Common questions **Do I need a sitemap for a five-page site?** It is not strictly necessary if the pages are linked, but it costs nothing and helps with discovery and reporting. **Will submitting a sitemap make Google index everything?** No. It suggests pages to crawl. Indexing depends on quality, duplication and technical access. **How often should it update?** It should update automatically whenever you publish or remove pages. This guide is general information. Search engines change how they work and their guidelines; check Google's current documentation for your situation. Nobody can guarantee a ranking. Let us handle it [### Technical SEO & schema markup Technical SEO for small business websites: indexing, sitemaps, redirects, canonical tags and schema markup for local businesses and services. Technical SEO →](/websites/services/technical-seo-and-schema)[### Local SEO Local SEO for small businesses: Google Business Profile, service and town pages, citations and tracking. Honest work, no ranking promises. Local SEO →](/websites/services/local-seo) More guides - [robots.txt Explained: What It Can and Cannot Do](/websites/guides/robots-txt-explained-what-it-can-and-cannot-do) - [Canonical Tags Explained: Handling Duplicate Pages](/websites/guides/canonical-tags-explained-for-duplicate-pages) - [When to Use a Noindex Tag (and When Not To)](/websites/guides/when-to-use-a-noindex-tag-on-your-website) - [LocalBusiness Schema: The Fields That Actually Matter](/websites/guides/localbusiness-schema-fields-that-matter) Free tools - [Website basics check](/websites/seo-checker) - [Is your website working for you? quiz](/websites/quiz) [All guides](/websites/guides) Reach small business owners working on their website and Google listing who read this guide: [advertise here](/advertise#websites). 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