Sitemap Index: A Sitemap That Lists Your Sitemaps
A sitemap index is an XML file that groups multiple sitemaps, letting you exceed the per-sitemap limits of 50,000 URLs and 50 MB.
Sitemap Index is an XML file that lists multiple sitemaps.
What It Is
A sitemap index is an XML file that points to other sitemap files.
You submit the index to Google, and it reads every sitemap listed inside.
When You Need It
- Your site has more than 50,000 URLs in one sitemap.
- A sitemap exceeds the 50 MB uncompressed limit.
- You want separate sitemaps by section, like pages and images.
- You run a large site with many subdirectories.
How It Works
- The index file lists sitemap locations, not URLs.
- Each entry includes the sitemap URL and its last modification date.
- Google processes the sitemaps referenced by the index.
Best Practices
- Follow the same XML format limits at every level.
- Keep the index small, under the same 50,000 sitemap limit.
- Reference only sitemaps that exist and load correctly.
- Submit the index URL in Search Console.
Before: a large store exceeds 50,000 URLs in a single sitemap.
After: URLs are split into several sitemaps listed in one sitemap index.
The result: Google processes all products and pages correctly.
The lesson: one index can rule many maps.
Quick Tip
A sitemap index adds no ranking value; it only organizes files so Google can process them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sitemap Index, in Short
The index is a sitemap for your sitemaps.
Split large sites into maps and let the index hold them together.