How To Find A Sitemap

Understanding and Locating a Website’s Sitemap

A sitemap is essentially a roadmap of a website, containing a catalog of all the pages that can be indexed. In the realm of SEO, the most frequently mentioned type is designed for search engines, aiding their crawlers in locating every URL on a site. There are also HTML sitemaps, which are more user-focused, offering a centralized list of page links for easier navigation.

Sitemaps are crucial for maintaining a robust website. However, if you didn’t create and upload one yourself, you might be uncertain about its existence or location. While not mandatory, sitemaps are instrumental in ensuring that search engines like Google find all your URLs. They’re particularly beneficial for sites with complex structures or weak internal linking.

Exploring Different Sitemap Formats

Sitemaps.org is the leading authority that sets the standards for sitemap formats. Google supports several sitemap formats, including:

• XML
• RSS, mRSS, and Atom 1.0
• Text
• Google Sites
• HTML

There are also numerous extensions that provide extra details about your sitemap’s content, covering areas like:

• Video
• Image
• News

Beyond standard URL sitemaps, you can create a sitemap index, which is a collection of sitemaps. This allows for organizing URLs by site section or including more than Google’s limit of 50,000 URLs per sitemap.

The Importance of Finding a Sitemap

There are several reasons why locating a sitemap is beneficial:

• Identifying outdated sitemaps on your domain
• Compiling a complete list of a website’s pages
• Conducting competitive analysis by examining how competitors structure their sitemaps
• Locating your sitemap URL for submission to search engines, particularly if it’s auto-generated by a CMS

Strategies for Finding Your Sitemap

1. Start with Common Locations

Typically, the sitemap.xml file is found in the root directory of your domain (e.g., https://www.websitedomain.com/sitemap.xml). The file name and location can vary, as determined by the webmaster, and can be placed in a sub-folder, sometimes to conceal it from competitors.

If you own the domain, you can explore your website’s file directory via FTP to search for the sitemap XML file. Without direct file access, try entering common sitemap filenames in your browser to locate active files, such as:

• https://www.websitedomain.com/sitemap.xml
• https://www.websitedomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
• https://www.websitedomain.com/sitemap1.xml

2. Consult the Robots.txt File

Most sites have a robots.txt file, which guides web crawlers and typically includes a sitemap link for quick access. The standard location for this file is the main site directory (e.g., https://www.websitedomain.com/robots.txt).

By accessing this file for any domain, you might find a line like:

Sitemap: https://www.websitedomain.com/sitemap.xml

For more details on interpreting robots.txt files, refer to our guide.

3. Utilize Advanced Search Operators

Advanced search operators in Google can aid in finding sitemaps not in standard locations or listed in robots.txt. To locate sitemaps indexed by Google, use site: domain searches with XML file types. Try these searches:

• site:websitedomain.com filetype:xml
• site:websitedomain.com ext:xml

If too many irrelevant results appear, refine your search with:

• site:websitedomain.com filetype:xml inurl:sitemap
• site:websitedomain.com ext:xml inurl:sitemap

This targets XML files on your domain containing “sitemap” in the filename or directory.

4. Use a Tool (ex: Google Search Console)

If the website is under your management (like a new client or a recent addition to your team), and it’s already registered with Google Search Console, you can log in to check if a sitemap is being crawled by Google.

Other web crawling tools also exist that can check for sitemaps on domains. For instance, SEO Site Checkup offers a straightforward sitemap tool. Simply enter your domain, and it will inform you if a sitemap file is detected (note: results are not always guaranteed).

5. Check Your CMS

Many common CMS platforms may automatically generate sitemaps. It’s advisable to consult your CMS documentation for specifics on sitemap generation. Below, we provide insights on some popular CMS platforms:

How to Find your Sitemap on WordPress

WordPress doesn’t inherently create sitemaps, but several plugins like Yoast SEO and Google XML Sitemaps can add this functionality. These plugins aren’t pre-installed, so they’re more relevant for existing or developer-setup sites. To see installed plugins on WordPress, navigate to the “Plugins” section in the admin area. If “Yoast SEO” is active, you’ll find sitemap options under the “XML Sitemaps” section in the “SEO” menu.

Unless configured otherwise, these plugins usually place sitemaps in standard locations as mentioned in tip #1. Additionally, check any custom theme settings, “Tools”, and “Settings” for XML or Sitemap options, and consult your documentation if needed.

How to Find your Sitemap on Squarespace, Shopify, or Wix

Squarespace, Shopify, and Wix automatically generate XML sitemaps and locate them at your domain’s root, accessible by appending /sitemap.xml to your domain URL.

Example: https://www.websitedomain.com/sitemap.xml

While direct modifications to sitemap files aren’t possible on these platforms, they update automatically with new URLs, unless pages are explicitly excluded.

Step	Action	Description
1	Check Common Locations	Look in the root directory, e.g., /sitemap.xml.
2	Consult Robots.txt	Find sitemap link in robots.txt file.
3	Use Search Operators	Search for sitemap using site: and filetype: queries.
4	Use Tools	Check with Google Search Console or SEO tools.
5	Check CMS	Look for sitemap features in your CMS settings.

What Do I Do Next With My Sitemap?

After locating or creating your sitemap, ensure its validity using tools like XML-Sitemaps.com’s validator. For optimal SEO impact, follow these steps:

• Keep your sitemap current and ensure all URLs are valid. Remove outdated or incorrect sitemaps to prevent crawler confusion.
• Consider adding a sitemap declaration to your robots.txt file, especially for search engines other than Google or Bing. However, if you’re concerned about competitors accessing your sitemap, this step is optional.
• Submit your sitemap to Google via Google Search Console for insights on how Google processes your sitemap.
• Also, submit your sitemap to Bing using Bing Webmaster Tools.

What If I Can’t Find My Sitemap?

If none of the above methods yield a sitemap, it’s possible your site doesn’t have one. You can create a sitemap using a CMS plugin, manually, or through a crawler like Screaming Frog, which can crawl your site and generate a sitemap for upload.

For comprehensive information on sitemaps, Google’s Webmaster Guidelines for Sitemaps is an excellent resource.

How to Download a Sitemap of a Website

Downloading a sitemap can be a crucial step in understanding the structure of a website, whether it’s for SEO analysis, website migration, or competitive research. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to download a sitemap:

1. Locate the Sitemap URL

First, you need to find the sitemap’s URL. This can typically be done by appending ‘/sitemap.xml’ to the website’s main URL (e.g., https://www.websitedomain.com/sitemap.xml). If this doesn’t work, check the site’s robots.txt file or use advanced search operators in search engines as described in the previous sections.

2. Access the Sitemap

Once you have the sitemap URL, open it in your web browser. A sitemap is usually in XML format, which browsers can display. You should see a structured list of URLs, which is the sitemap content.

3. Save the Sitemap

To download the sitemap, right-click on the webpage and select ‘Save As’ or use the browser’s menu to save the page. Ensure you save the file in XML format. The file will be downloaded to your computer, allowing you to view and analyze it offline.

4. Using Tools for Download

If the sitemap is extensive or you prefer a more automated approach, there are various online tools and browser extensions available that can download sitemaps directly from the URL. Tools like ‘XML Sitemap Downloader’ or ‘Screaming Frog SEO Spider’ can be particularly useful for this purpose.

Remember, downloading a sitemap is just the first step. Analyzing the sitemap for SEO insights, website structure, and content distribution is where the real value lies. Tools like Google Search Console can also provide additional insights once you have the sitemap file.