Sitemap (XML Sitemap)

Definition

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the important URLs on your website, along with metadata about each URL (last modified date, change frequency, priority). It is submitted to search engines through Google Search Console or referenced in robots.txt.

Why It Matters for SEO

Sitemaps help search engines discover pages they might not find through crawling alone, especially on large sites or sites with limited internal linking. They are particularly important for new sites, pages behind JavaScript rendering, or deep content that isn't well-linked.