8 Sitemap Examples + Types of Sitemaps and Best Practices

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A sitemap serves as a file that lists all the pages on your website, aiding search engines like Google in discovering and indexing your content. Additionally, it can simplify navigation for users visiting your site.

Sitemaps come in two primary formats:

Extensible markup language (XML) sitemap: A file tailored specifically for search engines—rather than humans—to interpret.
Hypertext markup language (HTML) sitemap: A standard webpage listing links to your site’s pages, which can assist visitors in navigating your site.

Here’s how they appear:

Side-by-side comparison of xml sitemap and html sitemap

Certain organizations also develop visual sitemaps during the planning phase of their website architecture. For instance:

an infographic illustrating visual sitemap

This allows designers to establish page hierarchy and comprehend how content will interconnect before constructing the site.

Note

This article emphasizes XML and HTML sitemap examples that enhance search engine optimization (SEO), rather than visual planning maps utilized by web designers.

Why Are Sitemaps Important?

Sitemaps play a crucial role in helping search engines locate and crawl your pages.

Before a page can be indexed (stored) and ranked (displayed in search results), search engines must first discover it. Below is a simplified overview of how this process works:

an infographic illustrating how search engines work

When search engines visit your site, they usually follow links from one page to another.

Challenges may arise if:

Pages lack inbound links pointing to them.
Your site is too large or complex for thorough crawling.
The website structure confuses search engine bots.

A sitemap resolves these issues by supplying a clear directory of the pages you wish to have crawled and indexed.

Different Types of Sitemaps

XML Sitemaps

An XML sitemap is a file created explicitly for search engine bots to assist them in identifying pages on your website.

It includes a list of significant URLs on your site and may also specify:

Each page’s last modification date.
Indicators of change frequency (how often content is updated).
Priority values (ranging from 0.0 to 1.0) that signal the importance of pages.

Here’s an example of what the XML code in a sitemap might look like:

an XML sitemap with list of pages, containing other information such as when the page was last modified

Typically, you’ll find XML sitemaps at addresses like “yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml.”

HTML Sitemaps

An HTML sitemap is a webpage featuring links to key sections of your website, enabling users to navigate more easily. It often displays categories or sections that help visitors quickly grasp your site’s organization.

For instance, an HTML sitemap might reside at “yourwebsite.com/sitemap” and resemble a table of contents:

an example of an HTML sitemap from Tata Cliq’s website

While HTML sitemaps are less prevalent today, they can still enhance user experience on large or intricate websites.

What Are the Differences Between XML Sitemaps and HTML Sitemaps?

Simply put, XML sitemaps support search engine crawling & indexing, while HTML sitemaps support user navigation.

Here are the key differences:

XML Sitemaps Are:

Created specifically for search engines.
Written in XML code that’s difficult for humans to read.
Often include technical information like update frequency and priority levels.
Able to include URLs in any order without hierarchy.
Help search engines discover and crawl your content efficiently.

HTML Sitemaps Are:

Designed primarily for website visitors.
Created in HTML and displayed as regular webpages.
Typically organized in a logical hierarchy that reflects your site’s structure.
Helpful for enabling users to navigate your site and find specific pages.
Good for improving the user experience on complex websites.

Sitemap Best Practices

Include Page Priority If Desired

In XML sitemaps, use a tag if you want to show which pages matter most. Values range from 0.0 (lowest) to 1.0 (highest).

Just know that Google ignores this tag.

Indicate Change Frequency If Desired

The tag specifies how often content changes.

There are seven values:

Never: For archived content that won’t change again, like historical records.
Yearly: For content that updates annually, such as event calendars or annual reports.
Monthly: For content with monthly updates, like feature pages or regular columns.
Weekly: For content updated weekly, such as product listings or blog sections.
Daily: For frequently changing content like news sections or daily specials.
Hourly: For rapidly changing information like weather forecasts or traffic updates.
Always: For real-time content that changes constantly, such as stock tickers or live data.

As with the tag, Google ignores the tag.

Avoid Noindex Pages

Noindex pages tell search engines not to display certain pages in results. Don’t include such pages in your sitemap to avoid creating mixed signals.

Only include pages you want visitors to find through search engines.

Avoid Duplicate Content

Duplicate pages should stay out of your sitemap. Search engines allocate resources (sometimes called a “crawl budget”), so focusing on unique pages is best.

This ensures search engines can easily discover and index your most valuable content.

Use Multiple Sitemaps

A single XML sitemap can hold up to 50,000 URLs and can’t exceed 50 MB.

If your website is larger, create multiple sitemaps grouped with a sitemap index file to organize them.

Large websites often create separate sitemaps for different content types (blog posts, product pages, etc.) to better organize their site structure for search engines.

Ensure Your Sitemap Is Error-Free

An error-free sitemap helps search engines crawl and index your webpages properly.

Semrush’s Site Audit tool helps find and fix sitemap issues along with other technical SEO problems.

Open the tool, input your website URL, and click “Start Audit.”

enter your website URL in Site Audit tool’s search bar

Follow the steps to configure the settings. Then, click “Start Site Audit.”

Site Audit Settings popup with arrow pointing to Start Site Audit button

You’ll see an “Overview” report like this:

Semrush Site Audit Overview report showing site health, crawled pages, issues, and thematic reports

Go to the “Issues” tab and search for “sitemap” to see a list of issues regarding your sitemap.xml file.

Issues tab, with “Issues” highlighted, “sitemap” typed and highlighted, and the list of Sitemap issues showing

Click “Why and how to fix it” for instructions on solving each issue.

Why and how to fix it hyperlink clicked to reveal popup with issue details for incorrect pages found in sitemap error

The tool can also identify related technical issues, like duplicate content:

Issues tab, with “Issues” highlighted, “duplicate” typed and highlighted, and the list of issues visible

And pages blocked by noindex tags:

Issues tab, with “Issues” highlighted, “noindex” typed and highlighted, and the list of issues visible

Resolve these errors to maintain a clean sitemap and strong technical SEO.

Get started with the Site Audit tool by signing up for an account today.

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