Sitemap Glossary

What is WordPress Sitemap (wp-sitemap.xml)?

WordPress's built-in XML sitemap feature, available since WordPress 5.5.

Written by SitemapKit Editorial TeamUpdated: Jul 21, 2026

Key takeaways

  • Interpret WordPress Sitemap (wp-sitemap.xml) in its sitemap XML context; the detailed definition below explains its role and constraints.
  • Validate WordPress Sitemap (wp-sitemap.xml) against a real XML example instead of relying on the field or tag name alone.

Since WordPress 5.5, the CMS includes a built-in XML sitemap feature accessible at `/wp-sitemap.xml`. This generates a sitemap index that references individual sitemaps for posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, and authors.

The default WordPress sitemap is functional but basic. Many site owners use plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or All in One SEO for more control over sitemap generation, including the ability to exclude specific post types, add image sitemaps, and customize priorities.

WordPress sitemaps follow the standard Sitemaps.org protocol and are compatible with all major search engines.

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Sources and further reading

Work with sitemaps programmatically

SitemapKit's API discovers and parses XML sitemaps into structured JSON, including fields such as WordPress Sitemap (wp-sitemap.xml).

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