The usual address for each platform
Add the path to the end of your domain, for example https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
| Platform | Usual sitemap path | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress (built in) | /wp-sitemap.xml | Available from WordPress 5.5. It is switched off when an SEO plugin provides its own sitemap. |
| WordPress with Yoast SEO | /sitemap_index.xml | Yoast replaces the built-in sitemap. |
| WordPress with Rank Math | /sitemap_index.xml | An index that lists separate sitemaps. |
| WordPress with All in One SEO | /sitemap.xml | |
| Shopify | /sitemap.xml | An index with separate sitemaps for products, collections, pages and blog posts. |
| Squarespace | /sitemap.xml | |
| Wix | /sitemap.xml | An index that points to sitemaps for each type of page. |
| Webflow | /sitemap.xml | Available when automatic sitemap generation is switched on in the site’s SEO settings. |
| Ghost | /sitemap.xml | An index of posts, pages, tags and authors. |
If it isn’t at the usual address
- Check robots.txtOpen
https://yourdomain.com/robots.txtand look for a line that starts withSitemap:. That address is your sitemap. - Check your SEO plugin or platform settingsMost plugins show the sitemap address in their settings, and may let you switch the sitemap on.
- Paste it into Link SignalsEnter the full address on the New scan page and choose Load sitemap.
- Check the page countLink Signals shows how many pages it found. If the number is far lower than your site, the sitemap may be leaving pages out.
What a sitemap looks like
A sitemap is a plain XML file. Open the address in a browser and you will see one of two things. Either way, Link Signals can read it.
- A list of pages. The file contains a
<urlset>element with one<url>entry per page, each with a<loc>address and often a<lastmod>date. - A list of other sitemaps. The file contains a
<sitemapindex>element, a sitemap index. Large sites and most platforms use one, with separate files for posts, pages, products and so on.
<sitemapindex>
<sitemap><loc>https://example.com/post-sitemap.xml</loc></sitemap>
<sitemap><loc>https://example.com/page-sitemap.xml</loc></sitemap>
</sitemapindex>If you see a web page with a layout, a login form or an error message instead, you have not found a sitemap. A compressed .xml.gz file is also fine, and is unpacked automatically.
If something looks wrong
| What you see | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| A 404 error at the usual path | The platform uses a different path, or the sitemap is switched off. | Check robots.txt, then your SEO plugin or platform settings. |
| Two sitemaps that seem to overlap on WordPress | The built-in WordPress sitemap and an SEO plugin’s sitemap are different files. | Use the one the plugin publishes. The built-in one is switched off when a plugin provides its own. |
| A page count far below the site | Pages are excluded from the sitemap, or you pasted one child sitemap instead of the index. | Paste the index address, or check the plugin’s settings for excluded content types. |
| A page count above your plan’s limit | The site is bigger than your plan reads. | A scan reads a sample spread across the site. See choosing a plan. |
Several Sitemap: lines in robots.txt | The site publishes more than one. | If robots.txt declares more than 10 sitemaps, only the first 10 are used, so paste the one you most want checked. |
| A redirect to another address | The site moved, or forces https or www. | Redirects are followed for a few hops, but pasting the final address is quicker. |
Choosing which sitemap to scan
A sitemap belongs to one site. A blog on a subdomain, a separate shop or a regional site usually has its own, and each is scanned and tracked on its own. If you look after several, find the sitemap for each and scan them one at a time. For a staging copy, remember that its sitemap is a different address from the live site’s, and its results are kept apart.
A worked example
A café owner has a Squarespace site and is not sure where its sitemap is. They try https://thecafe.example/sitemap.xml and see a list of addresses for pages, blog posts and products. They paste that address on the New scan page and choose Load sitemap, and Link Signals reports 62 pages. That matches the number of pages they expect, so they run the scan.
Had the count been 6, the next step would be to look at what the sitemap leaves out. A count that is far too low is the quickest sign that the wrong file was pasted, or that a plugin is excluding most of the site.
Questions
Can I just paste my domain?
Yes. Link Signals reads robots.txt for Sitemap: lines, then tries the usual paths in turn. If it finds nothing, paste the full sitemap address.
Does my site need a sitemap to be scanned?
Yes. Link Signals starts from a sitemap to know which pages to read. A site with no sitemap needs one created first, and most platforms and SEO plugins can do that.
Do I need to change anything on my site?
No. Link Signals reads the sitemap and the public pages it lists, and does not change your site.
Will it read pages that are not in the sitemap?
No. A page missing from the sitemap is not scanned. That is worth knowing if you are looking for injected content, which can sit outside it.
Paste your sitemap address and load it to see how many pages Link Signals will read.
