Step-by-step instructions
- Step 01
Open yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml to check whether the sitemap is publicly accessible.
- Step 02
Confirm it includes your canonical published pages and excludes private or obsolete URLs.
- Step 03
For WordPress, check the built-in sitemap or SEO plugin options your setup supports.
- Step 04
For a static HTML site, generate or update sitemap.xml whenever you add a published page.
- Step 05
Verify the site in Search Console and submit the sitemap address.
- Step 06
Monitor the sitemap report for discovery or parsing errors.
- Step 07
Link useful guides in your navigation and category pages; a sitemap does not replace internal links.
Before you finish: important checks
- Sitemap submissions are discovery hints, not ranking or indexing guarantees.
Common problems and fixes
- Sitemap 404? Confirm the file is in the deployed root and not inside a nested build folder.
Frequently asked questions
Can Google find a page without a sitemap?
Yes, through links; a sitemap can help discovery.
WordPress, hosting and AI interfaces change. Check the service's current documentation before changing billing, domain DNS, security or important site settings. Rayhan Studio publishes educational help, not guaranteed results.