Definition
An XML sitemap is a machine-readable file listing URLs you want search engines to discover and crawl — submitted via Search Console and referenced in robots.txt.
Detailed Explanation
Standard sitemap includes <loc>, optional <lastmod>, <changefreq>, <priority>. Max 50,000 URLs or 50MB per file; use sitemap index for larger sites.
Specialized types: Image sitemap, Video sitemap, News sitemap. Only include indexable 200 OK URLs — not redirects, 404s, or noindexed pages.
Nepal Context
After large blog publishes (100+ posts), regenerate sitemap and prune category/pagination URLs that waste crawl budget. Submit updated sitemap in Google Search Console after major content waves.
Key Takeaways
- Sitemap helps discovery; does not guarantee indexing
- Keep clean — quality over quantity
- Reference in robots.txt:
Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml
Common Mistakes
- Including noindexed or redirected URLs
- Never updating lastmod after content refreshes
- Submitting sitemaps with 10,000+ thin auto-generated pages
