SEO & AEO glossary

What Is XML Sitemap?

Definition

An XML sitemap is a machine-readable file listing canonical URLs a site wants search engines to discover and consider for indexing.

How XML Sitemap Works

The file contains URL entries and may include accurate last-modified dates. It can be submitted through search-engine webmaster tools or referenced from robots.txt.

A Simple Example

A glossary sitemap can surface newly published definition URLs even before every page has accumulated many internal links.

Why XML Sitemap Matters

Sitemaps improve discovery and provide a clean inventory for monitoring submitted versus indexed URLs.

Common Misreading

A sitemap is not an indexing guarantee. It should contain canonical, indexable URLs—not redirects, duplicates, errors or noindex pages.