XML sitemaps
type: TechArticle
description: An XML file listing the canonical URLs of a site, with optional metadata about when each was last changed. The fastest way to tell a search engine what exists.
language: en
is part of: Web Specification Studio
author: Web Specification Studio
publisher: Web Specification Studio
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
date modified: 2026-07-09T00:00:00.000Z
citation: Sitemaps XML format
  type: CreativeWork
  publisher: sitemaps.org
citation: Build and submit a sitemap
  type: CreativeWork
  publisher: Google Search Central
citation: XSL Transformations (XSLT) Version 1.0
  type: CreativeWork
  publisher: W3C
citation: XML sitemaps: the most important SEO tool
  type: CreativeWork
  publisher: Yoast

Web Specification Studio
type: WebSite

Web Specification Studio
type: Organization

breadcrumb
type: BreadcrumbList
item list element: Home
  type: ListItem
  position: 1
  item: https://webspecification.com/
item list element: Spec
  type: ListItem
  position: 2
  item: https://webspecification.com/spec/
item list element: SEO
  type: ListItem
  position: 3
  item: https://webspecification.com/spec/seo/
item list element: XML sitemaps
  type: ListItem
  position: 4
  item: https://webspecification.com/spec/seo/xml-sitemaps/