# XML sitemaps: what to include, and how to split them
> Include only canonical, indexable URLs worth ranking. The real value is diagnostic: the gap between submitted and indexed in Search Console is the most actionable SEO number you have. Split by content type long before the 50,000-URL limit so you can see which type is failing.
Source: https://rankcert.com/blog/xml-sitemap-guide
Published: 2026-08-29 · Updated: 2026-09-01
---
A sitemap does one thing: it tells search engines which URLs you consider canonical and worth crawling. It does not make pages rank, and it does not guarantee indexing.
Its real value for a small site is diagnostic. When Search Console reports "247 submitted, 189 indexed", the 58-page gap is the most actionable SEO number you have - and you only get it by submitting a sitemap.
## What belongs in it
Only URLs that are all four of these:
1. **Canonical.** The version you want indexed, matching each page's own canonical tag.
2. **Indexable.** Returns 200, no `noindex`, not blocked in robots.txt.
3. **Worth ranking.** A real page, not a utility URL.
4. **Genuine.** No parameters, no session IDs, no tracked variants.
A sitemap full of URLs that redirect, 404 or carry `noindex` sends contradictory signals and degrades the trust Google places in the file.
## What to leave out
- Paginated series beyond page one, unless each page has distinct content.
- Tag or filter pages with fewer than a handful of items.
- Search results pages.
- Login, cart, account and admin URLs.
- Any URL you have `noindex`ed.
- Non-canonical duplicates.
## The format
```xml
https://example.com/pricing
2026-08-29
```
`loc` is required and must be absolute. `lastmod` is used by Google - but only if it is accurate. A build process that stamps today's date on every URL every deploy makes the field worthless, and Google will start ignoring it.
`changefreq` and `priority` are ignored by Google entirely. Including them is harmless and pointless.
## Limits and splitting
**50,000 URLs or 50MB uncompressed per file**, whichever comes first. Beyond that, use a sitemap index:
```xml
https://example.com/sitemap/pages.xml
https://example.com/sitemap/blog.xml
```
**Split by content type long before you hit the limit.** With one sitemap you know 58 URLs are unindexed. With separate sitemaps for pages, blog, tools and products, you know *which type* is failing - and that turns a mystery into a fix.
## Getting it found
Two mechanisms, use both:
1. **A `Sitemap:` line in robots.txt.** Free, and it works for every engine.
2. **Submit in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.** This is what gives you the coverage report, which is the entire diagnostic value.
Free tool: [robots.txt Generator](https://rankcert.com/tools/robots-txt-generator) - Build a valid robots.txt with your disallow rules, sitemap reference and optional AI crawler blocks, ready to paste at the root of your site.
## Reading the coverage report
The indexed-versus-submitted gap tells you what is wrong:
- **Over 90% indexed** - healthy. Keep publishing.
- **70–90%** - some thin or duplicate pages. Look at which type is failing.
- **Under 70%** - a real quality problem. **Adding more pages will make it worse.** Fix the existing ones first.
Common reasons for exclusion, in order of frequency:
- **"Crawled - currently not indexed"** - Google fetched it and decided it was not worth indexing. Thin content, or duplicative of something else on your site.
- **"Discovered - currently not indexed"** - Google knows the URL but has not crawled it. Usually a crawl budget signal on a large site, or a site with too few links.
- **"Duplicate, Google chose a different canonical"** - your canonical tag and Google's judgement disagree. Almost always a real duplication problem.
- **"Page with redirect"** - you put a redirecting URL in the sitemap. Remove it.
If under 70% of your submitted URLs are indexed, stop adding pages. More thin content deepens the problem. Consolidate or improve what you have and the rate recovers.