Sitemap.xml
Sitemap dot ex-em-el (ˈsaɪtˌmæp ˌɛks ˌɛm ˈɛl)
Definition
A sitemap.xml is a file that Squarespace automatically creates to list all the public pages of your website. It helps search engines like Google understand and index your site so people can find it more easily online.
Where you’ll find it
You can view your Squarespace sitemap by appending "/sitemap.xml" to the end of your domain URL. For example, if your website is www.example.com, you would go to www.example.com/sitemap.xml.
Common use cases
- SEO Improvement: Regularly check your sitemap to ensure that all new pages are listed so they can be discovered and indexed by search engines.
- Website Management: Use the sitemap to review the structure of your site and ensure all important pages are public and accessible.
- Troubleshooting Visibility Issues: Diagnose why certain pages may not be appearing in search engine results.
Things to watch out for
- Automatic Updates Only: The sitemap.xml file is automatically generated and cannot be manually edited within Squarespace.
- Visibility of Public Pages Only: Only public pages appear in the sitemap; private or password-protected pages will not be listed.
- Always Up-to-date: The sitemap updates automatically with changes in your site structure, but it’s worth checking after major updates to ensure all is as expected.
Related terms
- SEO
- Crawling
- Indexing
- Metadata
- Public Pages
Pixelhaze Tip: Even though you can't edit the sitemap.xml file directly, you can influence what gets included by managing which pages are public and how your site's content is organized. Keep your web structure logical and straightforward to optimize search engine indexing.