Build a valid XML sitemap for small sites
Add your URLs, set priority and change frequency, and get a ready-to-upload sitemap.xml — no plugin required.
Why a Sitemap Still Matters
A sitemap gives search engines a direct, explicit list of every page you want indexed, instead of relying entirely on them discovering pages by following links. For sites with pages that aren’t linked prominently, or for non-WordPress sites without any automatic sitemap at all, this is often the fastest way to get new content discovered.
An outdated or missing sitemap doesn’t break a site, but it can slow down how quickly new or updated pages get crawled — a gap that’s easy to close in a few minutes.
How the Generator Works
Building a valid sitemap takes three steps.
Add Your URLs
Paste a list in bulk, or add pages one at a time with their own settings.
Set Priority and Frequency
Adjust how often each page changes and how important it is relative to the rest of your site.
Copy or Download
Grab the generated XML directly, or download it as a ready-to-upload sitemap.xml file.
What Each Sitemap Field Actually Does
Priority
A relative value from 0.0 to 1.0 indicating a page’s importance compared to other pages on your own site — it doesn’t compare your site to anyone else’s.
Change Frequency
A hint about how often a page’s content changes — search engines treat this as a suggestion, not a strict crawling schedule they’re obligated to follow.
Last Modified
The date a page was last meaningfully updated — keeping this accurate helps search engines prioritize re-crawling genuinely changed content.
Bulk Add
Paste an entire list of URLs at once instead of adding rows one by one — the first URL entered is assumed to be your homepage and gets priority 1.0 automatically.
Sitemap Best Practices
- Only include URLs that return a real page. A sitemap full of broken or redirected links wastes crawl budget and can look untrustworthy.
- Keep last-modified dates honest. Setting every page to “today” regardless of actual changes reduces how much search engines trust the signal over time.
- Don’t set every page to priority 1.0. If everything is equally important, the field stops carrying any real information.
- Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console. Generating the file is only half the job — submitting it tells Google exactly where to find it.
- Keep it under 50,000 URLs per file. Larger sites need a sitemap index file referencing multiple smaller sitemaps instead of one giant file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a sitemap if I’m on WordPress?
WordPress core has generated a basic sitemap automatically since version 5.5, and SEO plugins like Yoast or RankMath generate more detailed ones. This tool is most useful for non-WordPress sites or supplementary URLs outside your normal post/page structure.
What’s the maximum number of URLs in one sitemap?
The sitemap protocol supports up to 50,000 URLs or 50MB per file, whichever comes first. Larger sites use a sitemap index file that references multiple individual sitemap files.
Does priority actually affect my rankings?
No — priority is a relative hint about which pages matter more within your own site, not a ranking signal search engines use to compare you against other websites.
Where do I upload the sitemap.xml file?
Typically to your site’s root directory, so it’s accessible at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml, then submitted through Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools.
Does change frequency guarantee how often Google crawls a page?
No — it’s treated as a hint, not a binding schedule. Search engines use their own crawling logic and may crawl a page more or less often than the value suggests.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes — there’s no sign-up or account required. Add your URLs, then copy or download the file directly.
The WPOptimizers XML Sitemap Generator produces standard, spec-compliant sitemap XML — always verify your uploaded file is accessible at your site’s root before submitting it.