A sitemap is one of the basic technical SEO files a website can have. It gives search engines a list of URLs that you want them to discover and crawl. Google describes a sitemap as a file containing information about the pages, images, videos, and other resources that are important on a website.
For bloggers, submitting a sitemap through Google Search Console is a straightforward process. The exact sitemap URL depends on whether the website runs on Blogger or WordPress, however. Blogger generates its own sitemap, while WordPress has built-in XML sitemap functionality.
Submitting a sitemap does not guarantee that Google will index every URL listed in it. Google specifically describes sitemap submission as a hint rather than a guarantee. It can, however, give Google another way to discover your pages and lets you monitor whether Google can access and process the sitemap.
Here is how to submit one correctly on both platforms.
What Is a Sitemap?
A sitemap is a file that tells search engines which URLs on your website they should know about. It can help Google discover important pages, particularly when a website has many pages or when some pages are not easily reached through internal links.
Google says small websites with about 500 pages or fewer may not necessarily need a sitemap if every page can be reached through links from the homepage. Nevertheless, submitting one through Search Console can provide useful monitoring information.
A sitemap should contain the URLs you want Google to consider for search results. Google recommends using complete, absolute URLs rather than relative URLs. For example, a sitemap should contain a full URL such as https://example.com/article/, not simply /article/.
Most modern blogging platforms generate sitemaps automatically. This means you usually do not need to create an XML sitemap manually.
Before Submitting Your Sitemap
Before opening Google Search Console, make sure your website is accessible and that you have verified the appropriate property in Search Console.
Google states that you need owner permissions on a property to submit a sitemap through the Sitemaps report.
For Blogger, also check that your blog is visible to search engines.
In Blogger, go to Settings , then look under Privacy and make sure Visible to search engines is enabled. Google lists this setting as the option that allows search engines to find your blog.
Once that is done, you can locate and submit the sitemap.
How to Submit a Blogger Sitemap
Blogger automatically generates sitemap-related files, so you do not normally need to install a sitemap plugin or manually create an XML file.
For a Blogger website, start by opening your blog's sitemap URL in your browser.
The standard sitemap address is generally:
https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
Replace yourblog with your actual Blogger address.
If you use a custom domain, use your actual domain instead. For example, a site using www.example.com would use the sitemap address associated with that domain.
Google's documentation specifically notes that platforms such as Blogger may manage sitemap creation themselves, so website owners should follow the platform's sitemap system rather than assuming they need to upload a separate file manually.
Step 1: Open Google Search Console
Sign in to Google Search Console and select the verified Blogger property you want to manage.
If you have multiple websites connected to your Google account, make sure you select the correct property before submitting anything.
Step 2: Open Sitemaps
In the Search Console navigation menu, find Sitemaps.
You will see a section for adding a new sitemap.
Step 3: Enter the Sitemap URL
If Search Console already displays your domain before the input field, you generally only need to enter the sitemap path.
For example:
sitemap.xml
Do not paste the entire website address if Search Console has already populated the domain portion of the field.
Step 4: Click Submit
Click Submit.
Google will attempt to fetch the sitemap and process the URLs it contains. The Sitemaps report allows you to monitor the submission and see potential processing errors.
Do not confuse successful sitemap submission with successful indexing. Google can read a sitemap without indexing every URL listed in it.
How to Submit a WordPress Sitemap
WordPress is slightly different because modern WordPress installations include native XML sitemap functionality.
WordPress's core sitemap system uses wp-sitemap.xml as the main sitemap index. The WordPress developer documentation confirms that the core sitemap functionality registers and serves sitemap files, and that the sitemap index is also added to the site's robots.txt.
For a standard WordPress installation, your sitemap should therefore normally be available at:
https://yourdomain.com/wp-sitemap.xml
Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain.
Step 1: Check Your WordPress Sitemap
Before submitting anything to Google, open your sitemap URL in a browser:
https://yourdomain.com/wp-sitemap.xml
If WordPress is generating the sitemap correctly, you should see the sitemap index.
Do not automatically submit sitemap.xml simply because that is a common sitemap filename. WordPress core uses wp-sitemap.xml, while plugins and other SEO systems can generate their own sitemap structures.
Step 2: Sign in to Search Console
Open Google Search Console and select the verified WordPress property.
Step 3: Open the Sitemaps Report
Select Sitemaps from the Search Console navigation.
You should see the Add a new sitemap field.
Step 4: Enter the WordPress Sitemap
Enter:
wp-sitemap.xml
Then click Submit.
Google will attempt to retrieve the sitemap and process it.
If your WordPress website uses an SEO plugin that generates a different sitemap system, use the sitemap URL provided by that system instead of blindly submitting the WordPress core sitemap.
The important point is to submit the sitemap that actually exists on your website.
What Happens After Submission?
Once you submit the sitemap, Search Console displays information about the submission and whether Google was able to process it.
Google says the sitemap should normally be fetched immediately after submission, but crawling the URLs listed in the sitemap can take additional time. Google also makes clear that not every URL in a sitemap will necessarily be crawled.
This distinction matters.
A sitemap is primarily a discovery mechanism. It does not force Google to index a page.
If an article is technically accessible but does not appear in Google Search, submitting the sitemap again repeatedly is unlikely to solve the underlying problem.
Instead, inspect the individual URL using Search Console's URL Inspection tool. Google allows website owners to request indexing for individual URLs through this tool when appropriate.
Common Sitemap Problems
One of the most common mistakes is submitting the wrong sitemap URL.
On WordPress, for example, the core sitemap is normally wp-sitemap.xml, not sitemap.xml. If an SEO plugin is responsible for your sitemap, however, its sitemap URL may be different.
Another problem occurs when the sitemap itself cannot be accessed by Googlebot. Google recommends testing whether the sitemap is accessible and not blocked by login requirements or other restrictions before submitting it.
You should also avoid submitting a sitemap containing URLs that you do not want appearing in Google's search results. Google recommends including the canonical URLs that you want search engines to consider.
If Search Console reports an error, open the sitemap entry in the Sitemaps report and review the details rather than repeatedly resubmitting the same URL.
Do You Need to Submit Your Sitemap Again?
Usually, no.
Once your sitemap has been successfully submitted and Google can access it, there is generally no reason to submit it every time you publish a new article.
A properly generated sitemap can be updated as your website changes. Google can return to the sitemap and discover URLs that have been added or modified.
Google also supports discovering sitemaps through the site's robots.txt file. A robots.txt file can contain a sitemap directive pointing Google to the sitemap location.
The main objective is therefore to establish a working sitemap and make sure Google can access it.
Sitemap Submission Is Only One Part of SEO
Submitting a sitemap is useful, but it is not a substitute for good SEO.
Google Search Console itself provides tools for monitoring whether Google can find and crawl your website, identifying indexing problems, requesting recrawls, and analyzing search performance.
For Blogger users, the first priority is making sure the blog is visible to search engines and that the correct sitemap is available.
For WordPress users, the priority is confirming which system is generating the sitemap, whether that is WordPress core or an SEO plugin, and then submitting the correct sitemap to Search Console.
You should also make sure your important pages are internally linked, your URLs are accessible, your canonical URLs are correct, and your content is actually worth indexing.
A sitemap tells Google where your important URLs are. It does not tell Google that those pages deserve rankings.
Submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console is a simple technical SEO task, but using the correct sitemap URL matters.
For Blogger , use the sitemap generated by Blogger, typically sitemap.xml.
For WordPress , the native WordPress sitemap is typically wp-sitemap.xml, unless another system, such as an SEO plugin, is generating the sitemap instead.
After submitting the sitemap, monitor its status in Search Console and investigate any reported errors. Do not assume that a successful submission means every article will immediately appear in Google Search.
The sitemap gives Google another route to discover your content. Your site's accessibility, content quality, internal linking, canonicalization, and overall technical setup still determine what Google ultimately crawls, indexes, and ranks.
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