XML sitemap
Definition
The XML sitemap is your website's map for search engines: the structured list of all the pages you want indexed.Search engines discover your website by following links. The XML sitemap makes their job easier: it is a file, usually at /sitemap.xml, listing all your important pages with their last modification date.
Its role is both overestimated and underestimated. Overestimated: a sitemap does not raise your rankings, it only helps pages get discovered. Underestimated: on a site that publishes regularly (blog, news), it clearly speeds up the indexing of new content, and it cleanly signals what should and should not be indexed.
A healthy sitemap lists only useful pages: no test pages, no duplicates, no technical pages. A polluted sitemap sends confusing signals. On a well-built site, it is generated and updated automatically with every publication, with no human intervention.
The sitemap is part of the technical SEO foundations built into our projects by default, along with robots.txt, meta tags and structured data. See also our definition of technical SEO.
The sitemap is complemented by the IndexNow protocol, which tells Bing, Yandex and the other participating engines as soon as a page is created or changed, without waiting for their next visit. Google does not take part: for Google, the sitemap remains the reference channel. Details and figures in our article on the most used search engines.
Check yours: type yourdomain.be/sitemap.xml. If it does not exist, or lists dead pages, your supplier has work to do.
Frequently asked questions
Yes: the file takes zero effort when the CMS generates it, and it speeds up the discovery of new pages. On a small site it also works as a checklist: what is not in it is not meant to be indexed.
No. It declares your pages to search engines, which remain free to index them or not depending on their quality and usefulness. It is an invitation, not an order.