Tip: append image URLs after a pipe — https://example.com/page | https://example.com/img1.jpg, https://example.com/img2.jpg
How it works
This quick xml sitemap generator how to guide covers the three steps; for the full xml sitemap generator tutorial, see the FAQ below.
Paste URLs one per line, or CSV with url,lastmod,changefreq,priority columns. Auto-detects CSV.
Every URL is validated and normalized (scheme, fragments, duplicates, 2048-char limit, entity escaping). Problems are reported per line — invalid rows are skipped, never silently included.
Get valid .xml files. Over 50,000 URLs or 50MB? Split automatically with a sitemap-index.xml you submit to Google.
XML sitemap generator example output
A valid xml sitemap example — the xml sitemap generator xml below is exactly what the download produces (a valid xml sitemap generator xml file):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2026-01-15</lastmod>
<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
Sitemap limits (handled automatically)
- 50,000 URLs max per sitemap file — exceeded lists are split into sitemap-1.xml, sitemap-2.xml, …
- 50 MB uncompressed max per file — splitting also triggers on byte size, not just count.
- 2,048 characters max per URL — longer URLs are rejected with a clear message.
- One host per file recommended by Google — multiple hosts trigger a warning suggesting one sitemap per host.
- Image extension: up to 1,000 images per URL (Google's limit).
Using it with WordPress
If you searched for a google sitemap generator wordpress solution or an xml sitemap generator wordpress workflow, here is the short version: most WordPress SEO plugins (Yoast SEO, Rank Math) already generate a sitemap automatically — check /sitemap_index.xml first. This tool is for the cases plugins don't cover: a hand-picked URL list, pages the plugin missed, or a separate section of the site. Download the XML, upload it to your site root via FTP or your host's file manager, then submit https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml in Google Search Console → Sitemaps. You can also add Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml to robots.txt.
Honest comparison
| This tool | xml-sitemaps.com | Screaming Frog SEO Spider | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic website crawling | No — paste workflow only | Yes (500 pages free) | Yes (desktop app) |
| Paste URL list → XML | Yes | No | Partial (via crawl export) |
| 100% in-browser (URLs stay private) | Yes | No (server-side) | Local app |
| Auto sitemap-index split | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Image sitemap extension | Yes | Paid plans | Yes |
| Strict per-line validation report | Yes | Basic | Yes |
| Price | Free, no signup | Freemium | Paid (free ≤500 URLs) |
| Best for | Curated URL lists, privacy-sensitive sites | Quick automatic crawl | Deep technical SEO audits |
Comparison based on publicly documented features, October 2026. xml-sitemaps.com is the established choice for crawling — this page is upfront about not competing on that.
Frequently asked questions
What is an XML sitemap generator?
If you're new here and wondering what is xml sitemap generator technology: an XML sitemap generator creates a sitemap.xml file — a machine-readable list of your website's pages in the format search engines expect. This tool takes a list of URLs you paste (one per line, or CSV) and converts it into valid XML following the sitemaps.org protocol, with optional lastmod, changefreq, priority, and image entries. You then submit the file to Google Search Console so Google can discover your pages faster.
Does this tool crawl my website to find pages?
No — and this is stated upfront so there is no confusion. Crawling a website requires a server to fetch pages, which this 100% client-side tool deliberately does not do. This generator converts a URL list you provide (for example exported from Screaming Frog, a spreadsheet, or your CMS) into valid XML. If what you want is an xml sitemap generator crawler, use a server-side crawler such as xml-sitemaps.com, then optionally validate or re-split its output here.
How do I create a sitemap from a list of URLs?
Paste your URLs into the box above — one per line (one xml sitemap generator url per line). Optionally set default lastmod, changefreq, and priority, or paste CSV with url,lastmod,changefreq,priority columns for per-URL control. Click Generate sitemap XML, review the validation report, then download the .xml file — every xml sitemap generator download free of charge, no signup. Upload it to your website root (e.g. https://example.com/sitemap.xml) and submit it in Google Search Console under Sitemaps.
What does an XML sitemap look like?
A minimal valid sitemap has an XML declaration, a urlset root with the sitemaps.org namespace, and one url entry per page containing a loc with the absolute URL. Optional lastmod, changefreq, and priority follow. Special characters in URLs are entity-escaped (& becomes &). See the example output section above for the exact format this tool emits.
Is this the best free XML sitemap generator?
Honest answer: it depends on your workflow. When people search for the best xml sitemap generator, they usually need one of two jobs done: automatic crawling, or converting a URL list. — full sitemaps.org validation, automatic sitemap-index splitting, image sitemap support, and zero uploads — which most free generators skip. For automatic website crawling, xml-sitemaps.com is the established choice (this tool intentionally does not crawl). Pick the tool that matches the job.
How do I submit my sitemap to Google?
Searching for a google sitemap generator free option? Google doesn't offer one — there is no official google sitemap generator tool. You create the file yourself (for example with this page): 1) Generate and download your sitemap.xml. 2) Upload it to your website root so it is reachable at https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. 3) Open Google Search Console, select your property, go to Sitemaps in the left menu, enter sitemap.xml, and click Submit. Google will then show discovered URLs and any errors. You can also reference the sitemap in robots.txt with: Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
How do I add a sitemap to WordPress?
Most WordPress SEO plugins (Yoast SEO, Rank Math) generate a sitemap automatically at /sitemap_index.xml — check that first; you may not need this tool. Use this generator when you need a custom list (for example a subset of pages, or URLs the plugin missed). Download the XML, upload it to your site root via FTP or your host's file manager (or a file-manager plugin), then submit the URL in Google Search Console.
What is a sitemap index and when do I need one?
A sitemap index is a file that lists multiple sitemap files. The sitemaps.org protocol limits each sitemap file to 50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed. When your URL list exceeds either limit, this tool automatically splits it into sitemap-1.xml, sitemap-2.xml, and so on, plus a sitemap-index.xml that references them. You submit the index file (not the individual files) to Google Search Console.
Do changefreq and priority affect my Google rankings?
Google has stated that changefreq and priority are hints, not ranking factors — Google largely determines crawl frequency itself. They do no harm when set sensibly, and some other consumers respect them. lastmod is the most useful of the three: an accurate last-modification date helps crawlers prioritize fresh content. This tool validates all three against the spec and omits invalid values rather than emitting broken XML.
What date format should lastmod use?
The sitemaps.org protocol requires W3C datetime format: either a date (2026-01-15) or a full timestamp with timezone (2026-01-15T10:30:00+00:00). This tool accepts common date inputs and normalizes them to that format; anything it cannot parse is reported as a warning and omitted instead of producing invalid XML.
Can I include images in my sitemap?
This page doubles as an xml image sitemap generator: Google supports an image sitemap extension. In one-URL-per-line mode, append image URLs after a pipe: https://example.com/page | https://example.com/img1.jpg, https://example.com/img2.jpg. In CSV mode, use an images column with semicolon-separated URLs. The generator emits the proper image:image / image:loc elements with the Google image namespace, up to 1000 images per page (Google's limit).
Does this work on Mac, Linux, Chrome, and Edge?
You don't need an xml sitemap generator extension or xml sitemap generator chrome extension — this xml sitemap generator browser tool runs directly in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari: a single web page, no download, no operating-system dependency. Whether you searched for an xml sitemap generator chrome extension or an xml sitemap generator edge extension, the answer is the same: nothing to install. Whether you need an xml sitemap generator linux tool or an xml sitemap generator mac app, it works identically on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Because there is no server involved, it also works offline once the page is loaded.
Do I need an API key or an account?
No xml sitemap generator key exists — there is no API key, no account, no signup, and no usage quota. Everything runs locally in your browser, so there is nothing to authenticate against — paste URLs, generate, download.
Can I generate a sitemap with code instead?
If you prefer an xml sitemap generator code solution over a web tool, yes — for programmatic use. Developers looking for an xml sitemap generator c# snippet: build the XML with System.Xml.Linq.XDocument, remembering to escape entities and use the http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9 namespace. In Python, xml.etree.ElementTree works the same way. This web tool is for the no-code path: paste a list, get a file. If you generate XML in code, validate it the same way — parse it with a real XML parser and check the 50,000 URL / 50MB limits.
Is my URL list uploaded anywhere?
No. This page makes zero network requests — no analytics, no fonts, no CDNs, and your pasted URLs are never sent to any server. Generation and validation happen in JavaScript in your own browser. You can verify this in your browser's DevTools Network tab. Your URL list (which may reveal unlaunched pages) stays on your machine.
Privacy
Your URL list may reveal unlaunched pages, staging URLs, or site structure — so this tool was built to never see it. All processing happens in your browser; the page makes no network requests at all (verify in DevTools → Network). Nothing is stored, logged, or transmitted.