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January 15, 2026

# XML Sitemap for Beginners: The 5-Minute Primer

If you've never touched XML sitemap before, here's the version without the jargon.

A sitemap doesn't get your pages ranked — it just makes sure Google knows they exist. Plenty of sites still submit a sitemap once and never look at it again, which is how orphaned or deleted pages linger in it for years.

You don't need to understand everything about it on day one. Start with just this: list only canonical, indexable URLs — a sitemap full of redirects, 404s, or noindex pages actively wastes crawl budget and can make Search Console flag your sitemap as low quality.

The most common beginner mistake is skipping it entirely because it sounds technical. It usually isn't — XML sitemap is one of those things that looks intimidating from the outside and takes ten minutes once you actually sit down with it.

Once this feels comfortable, internal linking strategy is a natural next thing to learn.

Sitemap Generator is the fastest way to see it in action on a real page.

Try Sitemap Generator yourself

Everything in this guide runs directly in your browser — no signup, no install.

Open Sitemap Generator →
More on XML sitemap
Sitemap Generator vs. Doing It by Hand: Is It Worth Switching?
A practical look at what Sitemap Generator actually saves you over doing XML sitemap manually, and when manual still makes sense.
The XML Sitemap Checklist: What to Verify Before You Publish
A short, practical checklist for XML sitemap — the things worth checking every time, not just the first time.
XML Sitemap FAQ: Questions People Actually Ask
Straight answers to the questions that come up most often about XML sitemap.
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