Create an XML Sitemap: A Guide for Search Engines

A sitemapAn XML sitemap is a machine-readable file listing a website's important URLs. It helps search engines discover content more efficiently but does not replace internal linking or guarantee indexing.Open glossary entry → in XMLExtensible Markup Language (XML) is a flexible text format for storing and exchanging data in a structured way. In the SEO context, the XML sitemap is best known.Open glossary entry → format (Extensible Markup LanguageHyperText Markup Language (HTML) is the markup language for web pages. It defines the structure and content of a page, such as headings, paragraphs, links and images.Open glossary entry →, a machine-readable text format) is not a ranking shortcut. It is a technical guidepost. It helps search engines discover important URLs on a website, identify updates, and crawlCrawling is the process by which a search engine bot fetches a URL and downloads its content. It is the first step before a page can be indexed.Open glossary entry → large or complex websites more efficiently.

This is exactly where the RankScan insights “Missing XML sitemap” and “Sitemap without lastmod” come in:

• “Missing XML sitemap”: RankScan cannot find a valid XML sitemap or a cleanly referenced sitemap.
• “Sitemap without lastmod”: The sitemap contains no lastmod values for the URLs, or the values are not usable.

Neither issue is an acute error like a 404 on an important page. But both weaken the technical foundation for crawling, discovery, and indexingIndexing is the step in which a search engine processes crawled content and decides whether a URL is added to the search index. Only indexed pages can appear in search results.Open glossary entry → diagnostics.

The right classification is important:

A sitemap helps search engines find important URLs. But it does not replace internal linkingInternal linking refers to links that connect pages within the same website. They control how search engines and users find and thematically classify content.Open glossary entry →, does not guarantee indexing, and does not solve quality problems.

This article explains how to create a clean XML sitemap, which URLs belong in it, how to use lastmod correctly, and how to submit the sitemap in Google Search Console and robots.txt.

What Is an XML Sitemap? #

An XML sitemap is a file that lists important URLs on a website in a standardized XML format.

Google describes a sitemap as a file where you provide information about pages, videos, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them. Search engines can read this file to crawl the site more efficiently.
Source: Google Search Central – Learn about sitemaps

A simple example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.ch/</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-06-08</lastmod>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.ch/guides/create-xml-sitemap/</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-06-05T14:30:00+02:00</lastmod>
  </url>
</urlset>

The most important elements:

What Does “Missing XML Sitemap” Mean? #

The RankScan insight “Missing XML sitemap” means that the website has no discoverable or valid XML sitemap.

This can mean:

• no sitemap at /sitemap.xml,
• no sitemap in robots.txt,
• no sitemap submitted in Google Search Console,
• the sitemap returns 404 or 500,
• the sitemap is syntactically invalid,
• the sitemap is empty,
• the sitemap contains only irrelevant URLs,
• the sitemap indexA sitemap index is a parent sitemap file that references several individual XML sitemaps. It is needed when a website exceeds the size limits of a single sitemap.Open glossary entry → points to broken sub-sitemaps.

Not every small website necessarily needs a sitemap. Google says a sitemap may not be needed if a site is small and all important pages are properly linked internally. However, it is helpful for large sites, new sites, sites with lots of media content, or sites with isolated pagesOrphan pages are URLs that have no or barely any internal links pointing to them from other pages on the same website. They are hard for users and search engines to find.Open glossary entry →.
Source: Google Search Central – Learn about sitemaps

In practice:

A clean sitemap does no harm and is standard for professional websites.

What Does “Sitemap without lastmod” Mean? #

The RankScan insight “Sitemap without lastmod” means that the XML sitemap contains no lastmod values or no usable modification dates.

lastmod indicates when a URL last changed in a relevant way.

Example:

<lastmod>2026-06-08</lastmod>

or with time:

<lastmod>2026-06-08T13:45:00+02:00</lastmod>

Google recommends using lastmod only when the value is reliable and consistent. The value should reflect the last significant change to the page.
Source: Google Search Central – Build and submit a sitemap

Important:

A missing lastmod is less problematic than an incorrect lastmod.

If your content management system (CMS)A content management system (CMS) is software for creating, managing and publishing web content, usually without programming knowledge. Well-known examples are WordPress or Shopify.Open glossary entry →, the system used to manage website content, sets every URL to today’s date on every deploy, that is not a freshnessFreshness describes how current a piece of content is relative to the search intent. It is not equally important for every query.Open glossary entry → signal. It is a false signal.

Why Sitemaps Matter for Website Health #

An XML sitemap does not directly improve rankings. It helps with technical guidance and diagnostics.

Important functions:

1. URL discovery
   Search engines find important URLs faster.

2. Crawl support
   A sitemap can help especially on large websites or deep structures.

3. Update hints
   lastmod can show crawlers which pages have been updated.

4. Indexing diagnostics
   In Search Console, you can compare submitted URLs with indexed URLs.

5. Quality control
   A clean sitemap shows which URLs you really want indexed.

6. Relaunch and migration control
   After URL changes, a sitemap shows whether the new structure is delivered correctly.

A Sitemap Does Not Replace Internal Linking #

A sitemap is a list. Internal links are the actual navigation and relevance network.

Google describes internal links as an important way to find new pages and understand their context. Descriptive link textAnchor text is the clickable, visible text of a link. It gives users and search engines clues about what the linked target page is about.Open glossary entry → helps users and Google understand the linked content.
Source: Google Search Central – Links best practices

Comparison:

A sitemap can make orphan pages visible. But it does not solve the orphan-page problem.

If an important page only appears in the sitemap but is not linked internally anywhere, internal linking should be improved.

Which URLs Belong in the Sitemap? #

Only URLs that you want to see indexed belong in the XML sitemap.

The best rule is:

Include only canonical, indexable 200 URLs.

Suitable:

• homepage,
• important service pages,
• product pages,
• category pages,
• blog articles,
• guides,
• location pages,
• important landing pages,
• relevant media pages,
• indexable news or help pages.

Not suitable:

• noindex pages,
• 301 or 302 redirects,
• 404 or 410 URLs,
• URLs with a canonical pointing to another URL,
• URLs blocked by robots.txt,
• login pages,
• cart and checkout,
• internal search,
• filter and sorting URLs without an indexing target,
• tracking parameters,
• duplicate language or parameter variants,
• staging URLs.

When a URL appears in the sitemap, you are essentially saying:

This URL is important and should be considered by search engines.

That is why the sitemap must be clean.

Common Sitemap Conflicts #

1. URL in Sitemap, but noindex #

This is contradictory.

Sitemap: please index
Meta robots: please do not index

Solution: Either remove noindex or remove the URL from the sitemap.

2. URL in Sitemap, but Canonical Points to Another URL #

If a page uses a canonical to point to another main version, the main version should normally be in the sitemap.

Google describes canonicalizationCanonicalization signals are all the cues search engines use to determine a page's canonical main version, including the canonical tag, internal links, the sitemap, redirects and hreflang.Open glossary entry → as the selection of the representative URL from a group of similar or duplicate pagesDuplicate content refers to identical or very similar content reachable under several URLs. It rarely triggers a penalty but causes a loss of control over which version becomes the main one.Open glossary entry →.
Source: Google Search Central – Canonicalization

3. URL in Sitemap, but 301 #

Redirects do not belong in the sitemap.

Solution: Include the target URL, not the old URL.

4. URL in Sitemap, but 404 #

Error pages do not belong in the sitemap.

Solution: Remove the URL or restore it correctly.

5. URL in Sitemap, but Blocked by robots.txt #

If search engines are not allowed to crawl the URL, it is not a useful sitemap entry.

Solution: Check robots.txt or remove the URL.

Using lastmod Correctly #

The lastmod attribute is helpful when it is reliable.

It should be updated when the main content of the page has changed substantially.

Examples of real changes:

• new or significantly changed text,
• updated facts,
• new product data,
• changed prices or availability,
• new structured dataSchema markup is code that describes a page's content in a structured way, so search engines understand it not just as text but as clearly classified information.Open glossary entry →,
• updated author or source information,
• new images or videos relevant to the page,
• changed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), or important sections.

Not sufficient reasons:

• footer year changed,
• global Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is the language used to define the layout and design of web pages. CSS controls colours, fonts, spacing and arrangement, among other things.Open glossary entry →, the language used for website layout, adjusted,
• tracking script changed,
• cookie banner changed,
• minor typo correction,
• deploy without content change,
• cacheCaching stores previously retrieved content so it is available faster on repeat requests, relieving both servers and the network.Open glossary entry → rebuilt,
• minor template fix without content impact.

In 2023, when Google discontinued the sitemap ping endpoint, it again emphasized that lastmod can be useful if it is reliable and that site owners should only reflect significant changes.
Source: Google Search Central Blog – Sitemaps ping endpoint is going away

The “Always Today” Mistake #

Many CMSs or sitemap plugins set lastmod incorrectly.

Typical mistake:

<lastmod>2026-06-08</lastmod>

for all URLs because a deploy, cache warmup, or export happened on that day.

The problem:

• all pages look equally fresh,
• crawlers do not receive a useful prioritization signal,
• actual changes cannot be distinguished,
• the signal can lose trust.

Better:

• read lastmod from the page’s real modification date,
• take product data into account for products,
• take editorial content updates into account for articles,
• do not automatically transfer global template changes to all URLs,
• maintain manual update dates editorially and cleanly.

changefreq and priority: Leave Them Out #

The sitemap protocol includes the optional fields:

<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>

Google says in its current sitemap documentation that it ignores changefreq and priority.
Source: Google Search Central – Build and submit a sitemap

For modern sitemaps, this means:

• not necessary,
• can be omitted,
• makes the file leaner,
• prevents artificial signals.

Focus instead on:

• clean URLs,
• valid XML structure,
• correct canonicals,
• reliable lastmod,
• meaningful sitemap segments.

Creating a Sitemap: A Practical System #

Create a WordPress Sitemap #

WordPress has generated native XML sitemaps since version 5.5. In many projects, however, search engine optimization (SEO)Search Engine Optimization (SEO) covers all measures that help a website become more visible in unpaid (organic) search results.Open glossary entry → plugins are used because they offer more control.

Typical options:

• Yoast SEO,
• Rank Math,
• SEOPress,
• The SEO Framework,
• native WordPress sitemap.

Check in WordPress:

• which post types are included,
• whether noindex pages are excluded,
• whether categories, tags, and author archives make sense,
• whether lastmod is correct,
• whether media attachment pages are excluded,
• whether canonicals and sitemap fit together.

Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, and Website Builders #

Many systems generate sitemaps automatically.

Still check:

• is the sitemap accessible?
• does it contain only indexable URLs?
• are product and category pages included?
• are deleted products removed?
• are redirects excluded?
• is the sitemap referenced in robots.txt?

Craft CMS, TYPO3, Laravel, and Custom Systems #

In custom systems, sitemap logic is often part of development.

Important:

• generate the sitemap dynamically,
• filter content by indexing target,
• consider status code and canonical,
• exclude noindex,
• derive lastmod from real content data,
• use a sitemap index for larger URL volumes,
• use caching sensibly,
• do not treat deploys automatically as content updates.

For RankScan, it is especially relevant whether the sitemap generator uses the same indexing rules as the frontend.

Sitemap Index and Size Limits #

According to the sitemap protocol, a single XML sitemap may contain a maximum of 50,000 URLs and may be no larger than 50 MB uncompressed. If your website is larger, you need to create multiple sitemaps and combine them in a sitemap index.
Source: sitemaps.org – Protocol

Example of a sitemap index:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<sitemapindex xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <sitemap>
    <loc>https://example.ch/sitemap-pages.xml</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-06-08</lastmod>
  </sitemap>
  <sitemap>
    <loc>https://example.ch/sitemap-products.xml</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-06-07</lastmod>
  </sitemap>
  <sitemap>
    <loc>https://example.ch/sitemap-blog.xml</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-06-05</lastmod>
  </sitemap>
</sitemapindex>

Useful segmentation:

• pages,
• blog articles,
• products,
• categories,
• news,
• images,
• videos,
• language versions.

Even smaller websites can benefit from segmentation because errors are easier to identify.

Special Sitemaps #

In addition to normal XML sitemaps, there are extensions.

Image Sitemap #

Helpful when images are important for search:

• product images,
• galleries,
• editorial images,
• image databases.

Video Sitemap #

Helpful for:

• tutorials,
• product videos,
• webinars,
• media sites.

News Sitemap #

Relevant for publishers that want to appear in Google News. Google documents specific requirements for news sitemaps, including that only recently published news articles should be included.
Source: Google Search Central – News sitemap

For most company websites, a normal XML sitemap is enough.

Submit a Sitemap #

Google supports several ways to provide a sitemap:

1. submission in Google Search Console,
2. entry in robots.txt,
3. programmatically via the Search Console APIAn application programming interface (API) is an interface through which software systems communicate and exchange data. It defines how requests are made and answered.Open glossary entry → (Application Programming Interface).

Google lists these methods in its documentation for creating and submitting sitemaps.
Source: Google Search Central – Build and submit a sitemap

Submit in Google Search Console #

Procedure:

1. Open the property.
2. Select Sitemaps in the menu.
3. Enter the sitemap URL.
4. Submit.
5. Check status and errors.

Example:

https://example.ch/sitemap.xml

or:

https://example.ch/sitemap_index.xml

Reference in robots.txt #

Example:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/

Sitemap: https://example.ch/sitemap.xml

The Sitemap: entry can generally be placed anywhere. In practice, it is usually placed at the end of the file.

Google Sitemap Ping Has Been Discontinued #

There used to be a ping URL to notify search engines about updated sitemaps. Google has discontinued the sitemap ping endpoint.

In 2023, Google announced that it would disable the sitemap “ping” endpoint and instead recommended reliable lastmod values, Search Console, and robots.txt referencing.
Source: Google Search Central Blog – Sitemaps ping endpoint is going away

For modern setups, this means:

• do not rely on ping anymore,
• submit the sitemap in Search Console,
• reference the sitemap in robots.txt,
• maintain lastmod correctly,
• check sitemap status regularly.

The Sitemap as a Diagnostic Tool #

A clean sitemap helps you make indexing problems visible.

In Google Search Console, you can check:

• was the sitemap read?
• are there syntax errors?
• how many URLs were discovered?
• how many submitted URLs are indexed?
• which URLs are excluded?
• are there noindex conflicts?
• are there canonical problems?
• are there crawling errors?

If you submit 5,000 URLs and only 1,000 are indexed, the sitemap is not automatically the problem. But it makes visible that you need to check an indexing, quality, canonical, or crawling issue.

Typical causes of large gaps:

• thin contentThin content is content with too little independent value. A page is thin when it fails to satisfy a search intent adequately or adds nothing substantial to existing pages.Open glossary entry →,
• duplicate content,
• incorrect canonicals,
• noindex,
• robots.txt blocks,
• 404s or redirects,
• weak internal linking,
• JavaScript problems,
• low content qualityHigh-quality content comes from better information value, not from more words. It fully answers the search intent, provides concrete facts, shows expertise and supports key statements with sources.Open glossary entry →.

Prioritization: Which Sitemap Problems Are Critical? #

The most important rule:

Cleanliness is more important than completeness. A small, correct sitemap is better than a large, dirty sitemap.

What to Do After a RankScan Finding #

If RankScan reports “Missing XML sitemap” or “Sitemap without lastmod,” proceed in a structured way.

Step 1: Find and Test the Sitemap #

Check:

/sitemap.xml
/sitemap_index.xml
/sitemap-index.xml
/wp-sitemap.xml
/sitemap.php

Then check:

• status code 200?
• valid XML structure?
• correct domain?
• Hypertext Transfer ProtocolHTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the protocol through which browsers and servers exchange web content. HTTPS is the encrypted, secure variant of this protocol.Open glossary entry → Secure (HTTPS)?
• no staging URLs?
• no empty file?
• no wrong language version?

Step 2: Check Sitemap Contents #

Spot checks:

• status code of each URL,
• canonical of each URL,
• noindex,
• robots.txt block,
• internal linking,
• language version,
• URL parameters,
• redirects,
• error pages.

Step 3: Check lastmod #

Questions:

• is lastmod missing?
• is lastmod plausible?
• do all URLs have the same date?
• is lastmod updated on every deploy?
• is it updated only after real content changes?
• are there timestamps with the correct time zone?

Step 4: Fix the Sitemap Generator #

Depending on the system:

• configure SEO plugin,
• filter post types,
• exclude noindex,
• consider canonical rules,
• check status codes,
• connect lastmod to real content updates,
• create a sitemap index,
• configure caching correctly.

Step 5: Submit and Monitor #

• submit in Google Search Console,
• reference in robots.txt,
• check errors,
• segment GSC indexing by sitemap,
• check again after relaunches,
• run a RankScan re-crawl.

What a Good Sitemap Check Looks At #

A good sitemap check should do more than say “sitemap exists” or “sitemap does not exist.”

A good check reviews:

• sitemap accessible,
• sitemap referenced in robots.txt,
• sitemap submitted in GSC,
• valid XML,
• valid sitemap index,
• URL limit and file size,
• status codes of URLs,
• noindex conflicts,
• canonical conflicts,
• robots.txt blocks,
• 404/301/302 in sitemap,
• staging or dev URLs,
• HTTP/HTTPS mix,
• www/non-www mix,
• language versions,
• lastmod present,
• lastmod plausible,
• lastmod not globally and artificially updated,
• important URLs missing,
• orphan pages in sitemap,
• sitemap coverage by page type.

This turns “Missing XML sitemap” and “Sitemap without lastmod” into concrete website health tasks.

Example: Dirty Sitemap After a Relaunch #

Starting Point #

A Swiss online shop was relaunched. RankScan reports:

“Missing XML sitemap”
“Sitemap without `lastmod`”
“Broken linksDead links are links pointing to a URL that is no longer reachable, usually returning status code 404. Internal dead links that lead users and crawlers into a dead end are especially problematic.Open glossary entry → (404)”
“Orphan pages”

Analysis #

The old sitemap is no longer accessible. A new sitemap exists, but it is not referenced in robots.txt. It contains:

• old 301 URLs,
• 404 products,
• filter parameters,
• noindex pages,
• no lastmod values,
• several old staging URLs.

Search Console shows a large gap between submitted and indexed URLs.

Solution #

1. create a new sitemap index,
2. separate products, categories, and guides,
3. include only canonical 200 URLs,
4. exclude noindex and parameter URLs,
5. connect lastmod to real product and content changes,
6. reference sitemap in robots.txt,
7. resubmit sitemap in Search Console,
8. check coverage after a few weeks.

Result #

Google receives a clear, clean URL list. The sitemap does not become an indexing guarantee, but it becomes a reliable crawling and diagnostic foundation.

Common XML Sitemap Mistakes #

Mistake 1: Sitemap Is Missing Completely #

Especially for shops, large websites, and new domains, this wastes crawl and diagnostic potential.

Mistake 2: Including All URLs #

A sitemap is not a complete URL database. It should contain only indexable main URLs.

Mistake 3: noindex URLs in the Sitemap #

This sends contradictory signals.

Mistake 4: Including Redirects and 404s #

Search engines should receive final 200 URLs.

Mistake 5: Artificially Updating lastmod #

Not every deploy is a content change.

Mistake 6: Not Submitting the Sitemap in Search Console #

This removes an important diagnostic window.

Mistake 7: Not Referencing the Sitemap in robots.txt #

Crawlers can still find it, but the reference is a simple, clean standard.

Mistake 8: Delivering Staging URLs #

Staging or dev URLs never belong in a production sitemap.

Checklist: Review an XML Sitemap #

Use this checklist:

• Is there an XML sitemap?
• Does it return status code 200?
• Is it valid XML?
• Is it referenced in robots.txt?
• Is it submitted in Google Search Console?
• Does it contain only HTTPS URLs from the correct domain?
• Does it contain only canonical URLs?
• Does it contain only indexable 200 URLs?
• Are noindex URLs excluded?
• Are 301/302/404/410 excluded?
• Are robots.txt-blocked URLs excluded?
• Are parameter and filter URLs controlled cleanly?
• Are important pages included?
• Is there lastmod?
• Is lastmod plausible?
• Is lastmod updated only after real content changes?
• Is there a sitemap index for large websites?
• Is the sitemap rechecked after relaunches?

In addition, 404 errors, content updates, and AI crawlers and llms.txt help narrow down the root cause and prioritize the next SEO actions.

Conclusion: A Good Sitemap Is Clean, Honest, and Current #

An XML sitemap is not a ranking trick. It is a technical guidepost for search engines and a valuable diagnostic tool for website owners.

The RankScan insights “Missing XML sitemap” and “Sitemap without lastmod” show where this foundation is missing or incomplete.

The best approach is:

1. provide a valid sitemap,
2. include only canonical, indexable 200 URLs,
3. exclude noindex, redirects, error pages, and blocked URLs,
4. update lastmod only for real content changes,
5. reference the sitemap in robots.txt,
6. submit the sitemap in Google Search Console,
7. check coverage and indexing regularly,
8. recheck after relaunches and CMS changes.

This turns the sitemap into a reliable part of your website health: not spectacular, but important for clean crawling, better discovery, and clear technical SEO diagnostics.

Sources and Further Reading #

• Google Search Central – Learn about sitemaps
• Google Search Central – Build and submit a sitemap
• Google Search Central Blog – Sitemaps ping endpoint is going away
• Google Search Central – Links best practices
• Google Search Central – Canonicalization
• Google Search Central – News sitemap
• sitemaps.org – Protocol