What is an XML sitemap and why do I need one?

An XML sitemap lists all the important URLs on your website, helping search engines discover and crawl them more efficiently. It is particularly important for large sites, new sites, and pages that are not well-linked internally.

How do I submit a sitemap to Google?

Upload the sitemap.xml file to your server root (e.g. https://example.com/sitemap.xml), then submit the URL in Google Search Console under Sitemaps.

What is the priority field in a sitemap?

Priority (0.1–1.0) is a relative signal telling search engines which pages you consider most important on your site. 1.0 is highest priority. Note that Google treats this as a hint, not a directive.

What does changefreq mean in a sitemap?

Changefreq indicates how often a page is likely to change: values include always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and never. It is a hint to crawlers about recrawl frequency.

What is the maximum number of URLs in a sitemap?

A single sitemap file can contain up to 50,000 URLs and must be under 50MB uncompressed. For larger sites, use a sitemap index file.

Should I include all pages in my sitemap?

Only include canonical, indexable URLs. Exclude noindex pages, redirect URLs, duplicate content, and private/admin pages from your sitemap.

Does the tool handle duplicate URLs?

Yes. Duplicate URLs are automatically detected and skipped, and the count of skipped URLs is shown below the input.

Can I use relative URLs in the input list?

Yes. Enter relative paths like /products or products/shoes and they will be automatically prepended with your base URL to create full absolute URLs.

XML Sitemap Generator

Generate a standards-compliant XML sitemap from a list of URLs with per-URL customization.

URLs

Base URL (prepended to relative paths)

URL list (one per line)

Default Options

Default Priority0.5

Default Change Frequency

Use today's date as Last Modified (2026-07-13)

Add URLs and click "Generate Sitemap" to see output

XML sitemap generator free online: create and download sitemap.xml instantly

A well-structured XML sitemap is one of the foundational elements of technical SEO. It gives search engine crawlers a direct map to all the pages you want indexed, particularly important when your internal linking is sparse or your site is new and lacks external backlinks. Submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools accelerates crawling and helps ensure that important pages are discovered quickly.

This free sitemap generator builds a standards-compliant XML sitemap (sitemaps.org protocol) from a plain list of URLs. Enter relative or absolute URLs, set global defaults for priority and change frequency, override individual URLs as needed, and generate a complete sitemap.xml ready to upload to your web root. The tool shows the total URL count and estimated file size before you download, so you can verify compliance with the 50,000 URL / 50MB Google limit.

Step-by-step guide

1
Enter your base URL
Set your site's base URL (e.g. https://example.com) so relative paths are automatically resolved.
2
Paste your URL list
Add one URL per line: full URLs, relative paths like /about, or slugs. Duplicates are automatically removed.
3
Configure default options
Set the default change frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) and priority (0.1–1.0) that applies to all URLs.
4
Override individual URLs
Adjust priority and changefreq for the first 5 URLs individually using the Per-URL Overrides section.
5
Generate and download
Click Generate Sitemap to build the XML, then Copy or Download the sitemap.xml file.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is an XML sitemap and why do I need one?: An XML sitemap lists all the important URLs on your website, helping search engines discover and crawl them more efficiently. It is particularly important for large sites, new sites, and pages that are not well-linked internally.
How do I submit a sitemap to Google?: Upload the sitemap.xml file to your server root (e.g. https://example.com/sitemap.xml), then submit the URL in Google Search Console under Sitemaps.
What is the priority field in a sitemap?: Priority (0.1–1.0) is a relative signal telling search engines which pages you consider most important on your site. 1.0 is highest priority. Note that Google treats this as a hint, not a directive.
What does changefreq mean in a sitemap?: Changefreq indicates how often a page is likely to change: values include always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and never. It is a hint to crawlers about recrawl frequency.
What is the maximum number of URLs in a sitemap?: A single sitemap file can contain up to 50,000 URLs and must be under 50MB uncompressed. For larger sites, use a sitemap index file.
Should I include all pages in my sitemap?: Only include canonical, indexable URLs. Exclude noindex pages, redirect URLs, duplicate content, and private/admin pages from your sitemap.
Does the tool handle duplicate URLs?: Yes. Duplicate URLs are automatically detected and skipped, and the count of skipped URLs is shown below the input.
Can I use relative URLs in the input list?: Yes. Enter relative paths like /products or products/shoes and they will be automatically prepended with your base URL to create full absolute URLs.

AlteredIdea vs alternatives

vs Google Docs / Word: Purpose-built tool, instant results, no account.

vs browser extensions: No install, no permissions, works on any device.

vs paid SEO tools: Completely free, unlimited use.

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