WordPress Sitemap Without Plugin – Ultimate DIY Guide

To create a sitemap for a WordPress website without a plugin you can manually generate an XML file. Once, the generation is complete securely upload the file to the root directory of your website for seamless integration.

Creating a sitemap is crucial for improving your website’s SEO, cause this sitemap helps search engines to index your content more efficiently. While plugins offer a quick solution, a manual approach provides more control and customization. First, create an XML file with all your site’s URLs. Include essential tags like –

`<urlset>`, `<url>`, `<loc>`, `<lastmod>`, `<changefreq>`, and `<priority>`

Save the file as sitemap.xml. Next, upload this file to your website’s root directory using an FTP client or your hosting provider’s file manager. In the final step, submit the sitemap URL to search engines through their respective webmaster tools (for Google, https://search.google.com/search-console). This method ensures search engines can easily crawl and index your site.

Introduction To WordPress Sitemaps

A sitemap is a map of your website. It helps search engines find your pages. And this sitemap can be created in WordPress manually without using any plugins. This method gives you more control.

Importance Of Sitemaps

Sitemaps are vital for improving your site’s SEO. They assist search engines in navigating and indexing your site more efficiently. This means your pages can rank higher. Sitemaps also help new content get indexed faster.

Here are some key points:

• Improved Crawling: Search engines find your pages easily.
• Better Indexing: New content gets indexed quickly.
• Higher Rankings: Well-structured sites rank better.

Benefits Of Manual Sitemap Creation

Creating a sitemap manually has its perks. You have full control over your sitemap. No need to rely on plugins.

Follow these steps to create a manual sitemap:

1. Create a new XML file.
2. List all your website’s URLs.
3. Save the file as sitemap.xml.
4. Then, upload the “sitemap.xml” file in your website’s root directory.

Manual sitemaps ensure your site structure is clear which helps search engines better understand and organize your site’s content.

Preparing Your WordPress Site

Before creating a sitemap without a plugin, you must prepare your WordPress site. This ensures your site runs smoothly and avoids potential issues.

i. Backup Your Site

Backing up your site is crucial. It protects your data from loss. Make sure to use a trusted backup method to regularly save your website files and database.

• Use plugins like UpdraftPlus for easy backups.
• Store your website backups on external storage like Google Drive.
• To keep your website backup data safe schedule regular backups.

Ensure you test your backup. Make sure it works as expected. This step is essential for your site’s safety.

ii. Update WordPress Core

Updating the WordPress core is vital. It ensures your site runs the latest features. It also fixes security vulnerabilities.

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
3. Click the Update Now button.

After updating, check your site for any issues. Ensure all themes and plugins are compatible. This keeps your site running smoothly.

Creating A Sitemap Manually

Creating a sitemap manually for your WordPress site can improve SEO. Also, this sitemap makes easier the process of exploring and indexing your website’s pages to search engines.

i. Understanding Sitemap Structure

Typically, a sitemap is an XML file that contains a list of all the pages and links on a website. It guides search engines through your website. Each URL in the sitemap has important information:

• URL: The webpage link.
• Last Modified: This indicates the date when the page was last updated.
• Change Frequency: Indicates how frequently the page content is updated or modified to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Priority: The significance of the page in relation to other URLs on the website, determining its priority for search engine indexing and ranking.

ii. Listing Key Pages And Posts

Begin by identifying and organizing your website’s most important pages and posts to establish a clear structure and focus. These include:

1. Homepage
2. Important blog posts
3. Category pages
4. Tag pages
5. Contact page

Ensure each key page has a unique, descriptive URL. This process aids search engines in comprehensively understanding and indexing your content more effectively, improving its discoverability.

iii. Creating The Xml File

Open a text editor like Notepad or Notepad++ and create a new XML file. Then, Save it as sitemap.xml. Use the following structure:

xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?

http://www.yoursite.com/
2023-10-20
daily
1.0

http://www.yoursite.com/blog-post
2023-10-19
weekly
0.8

Repeat the block for each key page. And then Save the file and upload it to your website’s root directory.

After uploading, test your sitemap using Google Search Console. This ensures it’s correctly formatted and accessible to search engines.

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Generating XML Sitemap

Generating an XML Sitemap is important for every website SEO. Because this sitemap helps search engines bot to index your website’s content efficiently. Many website owners opt for plugins to generate sitemaps in WordPress, but there are also manual methods available. You can also generate an XML sitemap without any plugin. This method can save resources and keep your site lightweight.

i. Using Online Tools

There are various external tools available online that can assist in generating an XML sitemap for your website. These tools are user-friendly and often free. Here, we have listed some popular tools that you can use to generate an XML sitemap online:

• XML-Sitemaps.com
• Slickplan
• G Site Crawler

Follow these steps to generate your sitemap:

1. Visit the chosen online tool.
2. Enter your website URL.
3. Set any optional parameters.
4. Click the generate button.
5. Download the generated XML file.

ii. Creating Xml File

Once you have generated the XML file for your website, then you need to upload it to your website’s root server. Follow these steps:

1. Connect to Your Website: Use an FTP client (like FileZilla) to connect to your website’s server. You’ll need your FTP login credentials, which are typically provided by your hosting provider.
2. Go to the Root Directory: Once connected, find the root folder (often called “public_html” or just the main folder of your site) where your website’s files are stored.
3. Upload the Sitemap: Drag and drop your XML sitemap file into the root directory to upload it. Make sure the file is in the correct location for search engines to find it easily.

Your sitemap is now accessible by search engines. For example, if your website is “www.example.com“, then the sitemap URL of your website will be “www.example.com/sitemap.xml“.

Informing search engines about your updated sitemap is an important step in improving your site’s visibility. You can do this by submitting the sitemap URL to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Following these steps ensures your content gets indexed efficiently. Enhancing your website’s structure and content will lead to greater visibility and higher rankings in search engine results pages.

Uploading Sitemap To WordPress

Uploading a sitemap to WordPress without using a plugin can seem challenging. But once you understand the steps, it will be a straightforward process. This guide will help you upload your sitemap easily using a File Manager and verify the upload.

Using File Manager

To upload your sitemap, you need to access the File Manager in your web hosting control panel. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your web hosting account.
2. Navigate to the File Manager section.
3. Then go to the root directory, where your WordPress site is stored. This is usually the public_html folder.
4. Upload your sitemap file (e.g., sitemap.xml) to this directory.

Ensure your sitemap file is named correctly. The common name is sitemap.xml.

Verifying Sitemap Upload

Once you upload the sitemap, you need to verify it. Follow these steps:

1. Open your web browser.
2. Type “https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml” in the address bar.
3. Press Enter.

If the sitemap appears, you will see the message “upload is successful“. If you encounter a message like “Failed”, double-check the file path and file name to ensure they are correct. Make sure the file is named something like sitemap.xml and that it’s placed in the root directory

By following these steps, you can upload and verify your sitemap easily.

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Submitting Sitemap To Search Engines

Submitting your sitemap to search engines ensures they index your site efficiently. This significantly enhances your website’s visibility in search engine results. Follow these steps to submit your sitemap manually, without relying on a plugin.

i. Google Search Console

A free service offered by Google, Google Search Console is a tool that helps website owners monitor, manage, and improve their websites’ visibility and performance.

1. Open Google Search Console.
2. Sign in with your Google account.
3. Select your website property from the dashboard.
4. Click on “Sitemaps” in the left-hand menu.
5. Now, Enter your website sitemap URL in the “Add a new sitemap” field, where you will see an input box “Enter sitemap URL”.
6. Click “Submit”.

Ensure that your sitemap URL is accurate, as Googlebot relies on this sitemap to crawl and index your website. A correctly configured sitemap helps Google efficiently discover and rank your site’s content.

ii. Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing Webmaster is similar to Google Search Console, this tool is a free service from Microsoft that allows you to add your website to Bing’s index.

1. Go to Bing Webmaster Tools.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
3. Then, Add your website to the Bing Webmaster if you haven’t done so.
4. Go to the main menu at the top and choose the option that says “Configure Your Website”.
5. Select “Sitemaps”.
6. Then, enter your website’s sitemap URL in the “Submit a Sitemap” field.
7. Click “Submit”.

Verify the status of your sitemap submission within Bing Webmaster Tools to ensure successful indexing and efficient crawling of your website by Bing.

Maintaining Your Sitemap

Maintaining your sitemap is crucial for SEO. A well-maintained sitemap ensures search engines can crawl your site efficiently. Additionally, sitemaps increase your site’s visibility by helping your content be indexed faster.

i. Regular Updates

Regular updates to your sitemap are essential. Every time you publish fresh content, ensure your sitemap is promptly updated to reflect the changes accurately. This helps search engines find your new pages faster.

Here are some tips for regular updates:

• Regularly update your sitemap after publishing new blog posts.
• Include changes in existing pages.
• Remove outdated or deleted pages.

Updating your sitemap manually can be time-consuming. Consider automating the process.

ii. Automating Updates Via Cron Jobs

Cron jobs can automate sitemap updates. This saves time and ensures your sitemap is always current.

Follow these detailed steps to successfully configure a cron job for automated task scheduling:

1. Access your server’s control panel.
2. Navigate to the Cron Jobs section.
3. Set a schedule for the cron job.
4. Enter the command to update your sitemap.

Below is an example of a cron job command:

php /path-to-your-site/wp-sitemap-update.php

Ensure the script runs at regular intervals because this keeps your sitemap updated without manual intervention.

Automating updates via cron jobs is efficient. You can be assured that your sitemap will be updated consistently to reflect the latest changes.

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Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Manually generating a WordPress sitemap without using a plugin can be a challenging but rewarding process. You may face several issues that need troubleshooting. Understanding common problems helps keep your site SEO-friendly and functional.

i. Broken Links

Broken links can harm both your website’s SEO performance and create a frustrating experience for visitors, ultimately affecting your site’s credibility.. Make sure all the links of your website that are included in your sitemap are accurate and live. Use tools like Broken Link Checker to identify faulty URLs.

Tip: Regularly check and update your sitemap. This prevents broken links.

ii. Indexing Errors

Search engines may fail to index your sitemap correctly. This can affect your site’s visibility.

• Missing Pages: Double-check that all critical pages are properly included in your sitemap.
• Blocked URLs: Check your robots.txt file for restrictions.
• Incorrect Syntax: Validate your XML sitemap using tools like XML Sitemap Validator.

1. Review your sitemap file.
2. Fix any syntax errors.
3. Submit the sitemap again to search engines.

Tip: Use Google Search Console to monitor sitemap indexing.

Frequently Asked Questions

i. What Are the Steps to Create a Sitemap on WordPress Without Using Plugins?

To create a sitemap on WordPress without using plugins, utilize built-in WordPress features. First, Navigate to the “Appearance” section, then click on “Editor”, then click on “Theme Functions”. Add the necessary code for generating the sitemap directly into the “functions” file of your WordPress theme. Once it is done save your changes by clicking on the save button, and your sitemap will be generated successfully.

ii. Does WordPress Have A Built-in Sitemap?

Yes, WordPress has a built-in sitemap that automatically creates an XML sitemap to help search engines index your site.

iii. Can You Build A WordPress Site Without Plugins?

Yes, without plugins you can build a WordPress website. Use custom code and built-in features for functionality.

iv. How Do I Enable Sitemap In WordPress?

To enable a sitemap in WordPress, install plugins like “Yoast SEO and Rankmath” and then activate the plugin. Navigate to SEO settings, then General, and enable XML sitemaps.

Conclusion

Creating a sitemap on a WordPress website manually, without the need for a plugin, is both straightforward and efficient. Follow our guide to enhance your site’s SEO. Regularly updating your sitemap ensures better indexing. A sitemap assists search engine bots or spiders in understanding your content structure. So implement these steps on your website to improve your website’s visibility and user experience.

Stay ahead in the digital world with a well-organized sitemap.