When Google crawls the internet, it discovers pages by following links. But new pages with few inbound links may take weeks to be discovered. A sitemap solves this by explicitly telling Google "these pages exist — crawl them."
Generate Your Sitemap
XML Sitemap Generator
Generate an XML sitemap from a list of URLs.
What is an XML Sitemap?
An XML sitemap lists every URL on your site that you want indexed. A basic entry looks like:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/blog/how-to-merge-pdfs</loc>
<lastmod>2026-05-17</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
Sitemaps are especially valuable when your site is new, when you've published new content that isn't yet linked from elsewhere, or when your site has hundreds of pages.
How to Submit to Google Search Console
- Go to search.google.com/search-console
- Select your property
- Click Sitemaps in the left sidebar
- Enter your sitemap URL (typically
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml) - Click Submit
Also add this line to your robots.txt so any crawler can find it automatically:
Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
Robots.txt Generator
Create a robots.txt file to guide search engine crawlers.
Sitemap Best Practices
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| Only include indexable pages | Don't list noindex, login-required, or admin pages |
| Use absolute URLs | https://example.com/page not /page |
| Keep it updated | Add new pages; remove deleted ones promptly |
| Set priority correctly | Homepage = 1.0, posts = 0.7–0.8, utility pages = 0.3 |
| Split at 50,000 URLs | Use a sitemap index file for large sites |
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly does Google index URLs after sitemap submission?
Hours to weeks — depending on your domain authority and crawl budget. Use URL Inspection in Search Console to request priority indexing for individual pages.
What's the difference between a sitemap and robots.txt?
A sitemap invites crawlers to index pages. Robots.txt restricts crawlers from certain paths. They serve opposite purposes.
Does FluxToolkit store my URLs?
No. The generator runs in your browser. Your URL list never leaves your device.
Related Articles
- Robots.txt Explained: How to Create One — Control crawler access alongside your sitemap.
- Meta Tags Explained: Title Tags and Meta Descriptions — Optimize each URL in your sitemap for better click-through rates.
- How to Check DNS Records Online — Verify your domain resolves correctly before submitting your sitemap.