Create XML sitemap and submit to google search console of WordPress website

What is XML sitemap?

An XML sitemap is used to list URLs of a website so that search engines can easily index the website. This generally includes all the pages of the website, including its metadata. Search engines use the XML sitemap to crawl and index the website’s content. Therefore, it is crucial for the website’s SEO. 

 How to generate XML sitemap?

  1. For the WordPress website, you can use the Yoast SEO plug-in or All in One SEO Plug-in to generate SML sitemaps.

The generated XML sitemap needs to be submitted to the Google search engine so that they crawl and index the website pages. 

Once you have generated the XML sitemap, you should submit it to search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo to ensure that they can discover and index all of your website’s pages.

The steps for generating an XML sitemap for a WordPress website using Yoast SEO and All in one SEO are outlined below. 

Yoast SEO

  1. Log in to your WordPress website
  2. Click on Dashboard
  3. Install the Yoast plug in
  4. Click on SEO
  5. Click on General
  6. Click on features
  7. Scroll down to XML sitemaps and switch it on if it is switched off.
  8. Click on the question mark
  9. Then click on ” See the XML sitemap“. This will show you the XML sitemap of your website.
  10. Notice the URL of the site map – https://lightgray-cattle-549464.hostingersite.com/sitemap_index.xml
  11. Now, go to your Google Search Console account. Remember, you need to have a Google Search Console account, and the ownership of the website should be verified.
  12. Click on the sitemaps in Google Search Console and enter the URL of the sitemap as given below.

All-in-one SEO

  1. Install & Activate All in One SEO Plug in
  2. Open the Sitemap Settings
  3. In the left sidebar, click All in One SEO.
  4. Select Sitemaps from the menu.
  5. This opens the XML Sitemap settings screen.
  6. Enable the Sitemap using the Toggle Button
  7. AIOSEO automatically generates your sitemap once the toggle is on.

Configure Sitemap Options (Optional but Recommended)

AIOSEO gives multiple customization options:

1. Sitemap Indexes

  • Keeps your sitemap structured into multiple smaller sitemaps (recommended).

  • Leave it ON for large websites.

2. Links per Sitemap

  • Default: 1000 links.

  • You can leave this unchanged unless you have a huge website.

3. Post Types to Include

Choose what pages should appear in the sitemap:

  • Posts

  • Pages

  • Custom post types (e.g., products in WooCommerce)

Toggle ON/OFF to determine what Google indexes.

4. Taxonomies to Include

You can include or exclude:

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Custom taxonomies

If your tags or categories are low-quality or thin, consider turning OFF.

Step 5: Advanced Settings (Optional)

You can:

  • Exclude specific posts/pages from the sitemap

  • Add additional pages manually

  • Control image indexing

Step 6: Save Your Sitemap Settings

Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

Step 7: Verify Your XML Sitemap URL

AIOSEO creates a default sitemap URL:

👉 https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml

You can open it in your browser—it should display your automatically generated sitemap.

Step 8: Submit Sitemap to Google Search Console

  1. Go to Google Search Console → select your website.

  2. Click Sitemaps on the left menu.

  3. Enter:

     
    sitemap.xml

  4. Click Submit.

This helps Google crawl your website faster and more accurately.