Sitemap index generator
Tie several sitemap files together into one index.
Free, no signup, and it runs entirely in your browser.
Output
Paste your sitemap URLs.About this tool
Once a site outgrows one sitemap file, the index is what holds the set together: a small XML document listing the sitemaps rather than the pages. It is also the single URL worth submitting to Search Console, because adding the index means every shard beneath it is discovered without submitting each one.
- An index may reference up to 50,000 sitemaps, which is more than any site will need. Indexes cannot nest — an index pointing at another index is invalid.
- lastmod here means when that sitemap file changed, not when the pages inside it did. It is a genuinely useful hint, so long as it is true.
- Every referenced sitemap must be on the same host as the index. Cross-domain references are ignored unless the other domain is verified in the same Search Console account.
- Reference the index from robots.txt and submit that one URL. There is no need to submit each shard separately.
Questions
- When do I need a sitemap index?
- Once you have more than 50,000 URLs, or when it is simply easier to keep separate sitemaps for products, categories and blog posts.
- Can a sitemap index point to another index?
- No. The specification allows one level, so an index must reference ordinary sitemaps only.
- Do I submit the index or each sitemap?
- The index. Search engines follow it to every sitemap it lists, so submitting one URL covers all of them.