Sitemap Fundamentals

Basics of sitemaps, types, structure, XML format, and how they work.

Sitemaps tell search engines what pages exist on your site and how they relate to each other. These articles cover the basics: what sitemaps are, XML vs HTML sitemaps, sitemap structure, index files, and the different types of sitemaps you can create.

For a comprehensive overview, see our Complete XML Sitemap Guide.

What Is a Sitemap?

A clear explanation of what sitemaps are, why websites need them, the difference between XML and HTML sitemaps, and how search engines use them to crawl your site.

What Is an XML Sitemap?

A technical breakdown of XML sitemaps: the format, required and optional tags, size limits, the sitemap protocol, and how Googlebot actually uses them.

HTML Sitemap vs XML Sitemap

The differences between HTML sitemaps and XML sitemaps: who uses each, when you need both, and how Google treats them differently for SEO and indexing.

Sitemap Index Files Explained

What sitemap index files are, when you need one, how to structure them, and the rules for nesting. Includes syntax examples and organizational strategies.

What Is a Sitemap Generator?

What sitemap generators do, the different types (online tools, CMS plugins, CLI tools, code libraries), when you need one, and how crawler-based and code-based approaches compare.

XML Sitemap Examples

Annotated XML sitemap examples: basic sitemaps, sitemaps with optional fields, sitemap index files, news sitemaps, image sitemaps, and video sitemaps. Copy-paste templates with explanations.