An XML sitemap is a file with instructions that shows search engines (like Google) the most important pages on your site.
It basically says:
“These pages are important to me. Index them.”
And this is our guide to help you find the best sitemap generator for your website. To make it as easy as possible.
Let’s get started.
How to Generate a Sitemap
Want to create a sitemap for your website?
You don’t need to hire a developer or write any code.
You just need a sitemap generator tool.
A sitemap generator tool crawls your website and creates a sitemap file for you.
Generally speaking, here’s how you can create a sitemap with a tool:
- Pick a sitemap generator tool
- Enter your website URL and the tool will scan your site and create a sitemap file
- Download the sitemap file in XML format and name it something like sitemap.xml
- Upload the sitemap file to your website into the root directory
- Submit the sitemap file to search engines
Here’s our list of the best sitemap generator tools:
1. Yoast SEO
Type: WordPress plugin
Price: Free—paid version with extended features available
Yoast SEO is probably the most popular WordPress SEO plugin.
It covers a wide range of SEO-related needs, from schema integration to technical SEO analysis for your site.
Once installed, it also creates a dynamic XML sitemap for you automatically.
What We Like
- Creates an index sitemap file
- Great support
- Covers a lot more than just sitemaps
Further reading:
2. Inspyder Sitemap Creator
Type: Downloadable software
Price: Free trial for the limited version and a one-time payment of $39.95 for full functionality
Inspyder Sitemap Creator is a simple, quick desktop install that lets you generate XML sitemaps without limits on the number of URLs.
It’ll also help you with other types of sitemaps. Like video and image sitemaps.
Inspyder can create your XML sitemap automatically. Then, it uploads it to your server and notifies you when it’s done.
What We Like
- Built-in FTP/FTPS/SFTP client
- Email notifications
3. XML-Sitemaps.com
Type: Online tool
Price: Free for up to 500 pages—paid plans start at $4.19/month
XML-Sitemaps.com is one of the best free XML sitemap generators for smaller websites. To create a sitemap, you literally only need to enter your URL.
In the “More options” settings, you can also include:
- An attribute indicating when the page was last modified: So website crawlers don’t need to recrawl pages that haven’t been updated
- An automatically calculated priority attribute: To indicate the URL’s importance relative to other pages on the site
What We Like
- Very simple and straightforward
- No registration needed
4. XML Sitemap Generator for Google
Type: WordPress plugin
Price: Free
XML Sitemap Generator for Google is a free WordPress sitemap plugin that’s dedicated to creating sitemaps.
Similar to Yoast SEO, it creates the sitemap automatically as soon as you install it in WordPress. The difference is that the XML Sitemap Generator for Google plugin allows you to customize your sitemap significantly.
This may be useful for some advanced users who want to set up things like:
- Page prioritization
- The number of links per page
- A custom sitemap name
What We Like
- Advanced settings
- Creates multiple types of sitemaps
5. XML Sitemap & Google News
Type: WordPress plugin
Price: Free for the standard version—pricing for the advanced version starts at $32.93/year
XML Sitemap & Google News is another free sitemap generator that will help you create a sitemap for your website.
Besides creating the standard sitemap index (that includes posts, pages, and authors sitemaps by default), it also creates a Google News sitemap that helps Google News more quickly find new publications on your site.
What We Like
- Simplicity
- A great solution for Google News sitemaps
6. Slickplan Sitemap Builder
Type: Online tool
Price: Free 14-day trial—plans start at $10.79/month
The Sitemap Builder by Slickplan is an intuitive sitemap generator tool that will help you create elegant and professional-looking website structures and sitemaps.
It allows you to generate XML sitemaps in a drag-and-drop interface and customize them with colors and images.
The final output options include a visual format you can use for client presentations. Or a simple text or XML file.
What We Like
- Can both import and export an XML file
- Offers a WordPress plugin
7. Dyno Mapper
Type: Online tool
Price: Free trial available—plans start at $49/month
With drag-and-drop functionality and customizable crawler settings, Dyno Mapper is a great visual sitemap tool.
The sitemaps display more than just URLs—users can collaborate and include comments for more efficient workflows.
There’s also a Google Analytics integration that displays relevant data for each page included.
What We Like
- Great workflow management
- Batch editing
8. WriteMaps
Type: Online tool
Price: 2 sitemaps for free—the paid plan is $16/month
Similar to the other visual tools mentioned, WriteMaps offers a simple interface and advanced customization options.
You can also archive old sitemaps to stay organized.
Then, you’re able to export your final product as a PDF, XML, etc. Which you can share with different teams or clients.
What We Like
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Great, simple UX
How to Leverage Your Sitemap for SEO Success
Let’s take a look at what to do after you’ve created a sitemap.
Upload the Sitemap File to a Website
Once you’ve created the sitemap, you’ll need to upload the XML file to the root folder of your website through an FTP client.
If you use a sitemap generator that automatically uploads the XML file to your site, you don’t have to worry about this step.
This is also true if your website runs on WordPress or another CMS. The CMS (or the sitemap plugin) will do this automatically.
Here’s how to find your sitemap in Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify.
Check the Sitemap
To make sure your sitemap is working properly, we recommend conducting a crawl-based audit of your website.
You can use an SEO auditing tool like Site Audit to do this.
The tool will:
- Check whether an XML sitemap is present
- Look for formatting errors, incorrect pages, and other issues
To get started, first set up a project.
Go to Site Audit and click “+ Create project.”
Then, enter your domain and name your project. And click “Create project.”
You’ll see the “Site Audit Settings” window.
Like this:
From here, select the number of pages you want to crawl. And more importantly, the crawl source.
The crawl source tells the tool how to crawl your website and where to find all your pages for crawling.
For this example, we’ll select the “Sitemaps on site” option. So the tool will read your sitemap and crawl all the URLs that are present in it.
Then, click “Start Site Audit.”
After the audit is complete, head to the “Issues” tab.
Search for “sitemap” and go through the list of issues and notices.
By clicking the number of affected pages, you’ll see the specific instances of the issue. And tips on how to fix it.
Submit Your Sitemap to Google
Once you’ve created the sitemap and checked its functionality, submit it to Google Search Console.
This can speed up the process of Google indexing your pages.
Go to the “Sitemaps” report in the “Indexing” section of the left menu.
Here, you’ll find a field where you can paste your sitemap’s URL. Click “Submit” and wait until Google indexes your sitemap.
This may take some time.
After a successful submission, the green “Success” status should appear.
Like this:
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about XML sitemap generators.
What Is a Sitemap Generator?
A sitemap generator is a tool that automatically creates an XML sitemap for your website. Without a sitemap creator, you would have to create the sitemap manually.
What Is the Best Sitemap Generator?
The best sitemap generator is the one that meets your needs and preferences. But if you are looking for a robust, reliable, and easy-to-use sitemap generator for WordPress that also offers numerous other features for improving SEO, Yoast SEO is a good option.
Does Google Have a Sitemap Generator?
Google doesn’t have a sitemap generator right now. The company was working on an open-source sitemap tool back around 2009. But the project has been deprecated, and the tool is no longer available.
Can I Create a Sitemap for Free?
Yes. Many sitemap tools are free. But if you have a larger website with thousands of pages, you may need to use a premium generator to create your XML sitemap.
How Do I Submit My Sitemap to Search Engines?
You can submit your sitemap to search engines using their webmaster tools. For example, you can use Google Search Console to submit your sitemap to Google or Bing Webmaster Tools to submit your sitemap to Bing.
Source link : Semrush.com
