Sitemaps Complete Guide
Generate and manage XML, HTML, and specialized sitemaps with ProRank SEO's powerful sitemap tools
Overview
ProRank SEO's Sitemap module provides comprehensive sitemap generation and management capabilities. Located under Technical SEO → Sitemaps in your WordPress admin, this module helps search engines discover and index your content efficiently.
The module supports multiple sitemap types including XML sitemaps for search engines, HTML sitemaps for users, and specialized sitemaps for videos and news content (Pro+ features).
Sitemap Types
XML Sitemaps
Machine-readable sitemaps for search engines with automatic generation and updates
HTML Sitemaps
User-friendly sitemaps for visitors with customizable display options
Video Sitemaps (Pro+)
Specialized sitemaps for video content with YouTube and Vimeo support
News Sitemaps (Pro+)
Google News compatible sitemaps for news publishers
Key Features
XML Sitemap Features
- ✓Automatic XML sitemap generation with pagination support (up to 50,000 URLs per sitemap)
- ✓Customizable posts per sitemap (1-50,000 entries)
- ✓Support for posts, pages, custom post types, and taxonomies
- ✓Image sitemap integration (2025 Google requirements compliant)
- ✓Author archive sitemaps (Core+ feature)
- ✓Automatic exclusion of noindex pages
- ✓Manual exclusion by post/term IDs
- ✓Automatic search engine ping on updates
HTML Sitemap Features
- ✓Shortcode [prorank_sitemap] for easy insertion
- ✓Customizable display styles (list or grid)
- ✓Multi-column layout support (1-4 columns)
- ✓Widget support for sidebars and footers
- ✓Custom CSS support for styling
- ✓Sort options (title, date, modified, menu order)
- ✓Show/hide post counts, dates, and excerpts
Module Tabs Overview
Available Tabs in Sitemaps Module
1. XML Sitemap Tab
Main settings for XML sitemap generation including enable/disable toggle, entries per sitemap, exclusion rules, and search engine ping settings.
2. Content Types Tab
Select which post types and taxonomies to include in sitemaps. Configure image inclusion, author archives, and expert-level settings.
3. HTML Sitemap Tab
Configure user-facing HTML sitemaps with display options, widget settings, and custom CSS.
4. Special Sitemaps Tab (Pro+)
Advanced sitemap types for video and news content with specialized schema support.
5. Help Tab
Built-in documentation, best practices, and quick setup guide.
Quick Start Guide
Follow these steps to set up sitemaps in ProRank SEO:
- Navigate to WordPress Admin → ProRank SEO → Technical SEO → Sitemaps
- In the XML Sitemap tab, ensure "Enable XML Sitemaps" is toggled on
- Switch to the Content Types tab and select which post types and taxonomies to include
- Configure any exclusions for specific posts or terms using their IDs
- Click Save Settings to generate your sitemaps
- Your sitemap index will be available at:
yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml - Submit your sitemap URL to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
Sitemap URLs
Default Sitemap Structure
/sitemap_index.xml/post-sitemap.xml/page-sitemap.xml/category-sitemap.xml/tag-sitemap.xml/author-sitemap.xml/video-sitemap.xml/news-sitemap.xmlNote: Paginated sitemaps will have numbers appended (e.g., /post-sitemap2.xml, /post-sitemap3.xml)
Pro Tip: ProRank SEO automatically adds your sitemap URL to your robots.txt file and pings Google and Bing when content is updated. No manual intervention required!
License Tiers
Free Features
- • XML sitemaps for posts, pages, categories, and tags
- • HTML sitemaps with shortcode
- • Image sitemap integration
- • Automatic search engine pinging
Core+ Features
- • Author archive sitemaps
- • Custom post type support
- • Advanced exclusion rules
Pro+ Features
- • Video sitemaps with YouTube/Vimeo integration
- • News sitemaps for Google News
- • Priority support
Next Steps
XML Sitemaps Deep Dive
Learn advanced XML sitemap configuration and optimization techniques
HTML Sitemaps Guide
Create user-friendly sitemaps with custom styling and layouts
Special Sitemaps (Pro+)
Set up video and news sitemaps for enhanced visibility
Troubleshooting
Common sitemap issues and their solutions