Glossary

What is a sitemap?

A sitemap is a file, usually sitemap.xml at the root of a website, that lists the URLs a site wants search engines to find, often with the date each page last changed.

Also called XML sitemap, sitemap.xml

How it works

The XML sitemap format follows the sitemaps.org protocol, which Google, Bing and other search engines support. Each entry holds a URL and, optionally, a last-modified date. One file can hold up to 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed; larger sites split their URLs across several files listed in a sitemap index.

You tell search engines where it is by submitting it in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, and by adding a Sitemap: line to robots.txt.

XML sitemap vs HTML sitemap

An XML sitemap is written for crawlers. An HTML sitemap is a normal page that links to every page on the site, written for people, and it also gives crawlers a path to pages that nothing else links to. Many sites use both.

Why it matters for B2B websites

B2B sites grow in layers: service pages, industry pages, case studies, guides, comparisons, landing pages for campaigns. Some of those end up with few or no internal links. A sitemap makes sure search engines still know they exist, and the last-modified date tells them which pages to re-crawl after an update.

A sitemap does not guarantee indexing. It is a list of suggestions; pages still have to be useful, reachable and not blocked.

What belongs in it

  • Only canonical URLs that return a 200 status
  • No redirected, broken, noindex or duplicate URLs
  • Accurate last-modified dates, not today’s date on every page
  • New pages added automatically when they are published

How we handle it

On the sites we build, the sitemap is generated from the same list of pages the site is built from, so a new page appears in it without anyone remembering to add it. pentaclay.com has both an XML sitemap and a page that lists every page, so no page is more than a few clicks from the home page.

Last updated 15 November 2026

Related terms

Terms that go with sitemaps

All glossary terms

Questions about sitemaps

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Do small websites need a sitemap?

Google says a small, well-linked site may not need one, but it never hurts. Most website platforms create one automatically, so the only work is checking it is correct and submitted.

Where should the sitemap be?

Usually at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml. It can live elsewhere as long as you submit its location in Search Console or list it in robots.txt.

Do priority and change frequency values matter?

Google has said it ignores the priority and changefreq fields. It does use the last-modified date when it is consistently accurate.

Do Framer and Webflow create sitemaps?

Yes. Both generate a sitemap automatically and include CMS pages. You can usually exclude individual pages in their page settings.

Your business grew up. Your website should too

If customers need a demo just to understand what you sell, your website isn’t doing its job.

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  • You own the site, the code and every account once it’s paid.
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Kazi Mohammed ErfanFounder

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Pentaclay, in short

Pentaclay is a B2B website design agency for AI companies that sell to enterprises. We write, design and build marketing websites in Framer, Webflow and Next.js, and stay to help after launch. Pentaclay LLC is registered in New Mexico, USA; our team works from Dhaka, Bangladesh, with calls until 12:30pm US Eastern. Founded in 2023 by Kazi Mohammed Erfan, who brings 12 years of design experience.