XML Sitemap Generator
Turn a list of URLs into a valid sitemap.xml, with optional lastmod, changefreq and priority.
How to use it
- Paste your URLs, one per line. They must be full
https://URLs. Duplicates and invalid lines are removed automatically. - Optionally tick lastmod and pick a date, choose a changefreq, and set a priority. These apply to every URL.
- Copy or download the generated
sitemap.xml. - Upload it to your domain root and reference it in your
robots.txtwith aSitemap:line, then submit it in Google Search Console.
What it does, and what it does not
It does: produce a valid XML sitemap from your URL list, correctly escaping special characters, removing duplicates, and adding optional lastmod, changefreq and priority elements. It warns you if you cross the 50,000-URL or 50MB limits.
It does not: crawl your site to find URLs - you provide the list. It also does not split a huge list into multiple files with an index automatically; if you are over the limit it tells you so you can break the list up. For most sites a single sitemap is all you need.
Reference
An XML sitemap is a file that lists the URLs on your site you want search engines to know about. It does not force anything to be indexed, and it is not a ranking factor, but it is the cleanest way to tell Google and Bing "here is everything worth crawling", which matters most for large sites, new sites with few links, and pages that are hard to reach by clicking.
The format is defined by the sitemaps.org protocol. Each URL sits in a <url> block with a required <loc> element holding the full, absolute URL. Three optional elements can follow: <lastmod>, the date the page last changed; <changefreq>, a hint about how often it changes; and <priority>, a value from 0.0 to 1.0. Be honest that Google treats changefreq and priority as weak hints at best, and largely ignores them - lastmod is the one it actually uses, and only if it is accurate. If you cannot keep lastmod truthful, leave it off rather than setting it to today on every URL, which teaches Google to distrust it.
There are hard limits: a single sitemap file may contain at most 50,000 URLs and must be no larger than 50MB uncompressed. Large sites split their URLs across multiple sitemaps and list those files in a sitemap index. This tool flags when you cross either limit so you know to break the list up.
A few good habits. Only include canonical URLs that return a 200 status - no redirects, no noindex pages, no blocked URLs, and no duplicates, all of which send mixed signals. Use absolute URLs with the correct protocol and host. Once the file is live, add a Sitemap: line to your robots.txt pointing at its full URL, and submit it in Search Console so you can watch for coverage errors. Keep it updated as pages are added or removed; a stale sitemap full of dead URLs is worse than none.
Questions
Does adding a sitemap improve my ranking?
No. A sitemap helps search engines discover and crawl your pages, which is about coverage, not ranking. It is especially useful for large or poorly linked sites, but it does not boost positions on its own.
Do I need changefreq and priority?
Not really. Google largely ignores both. lastmod is the only optional field it pays attention to, and only when it is accurate. Leaving all three off is perfectly valid.
What are the size limits?
50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed per file. Beyond that, split into multiple sitemaps and list them in a sitemap index. This tool warns you when you cross either limit.
What should I put in a sitemap?
Only canonical URLs that return a 200 status. Leave out redirects, noindex pages, blocked URLs and duplicates - including them sends conflicting signals.
How do I submit it?
Upload the file to your domain root, add a Sitemap: line to your robots.txt pointing at its full URL, and submit the URL in Google Search Console under Sitemaps.