What is a sitemap index?
A sitemap index is an XML file that lists other XML sitemaps. It is used when a site has many sitemaps — for example, one per content type or language — so search engines can discover them all from a single location.
Why sitemap indexes matter
Large sites exceed the limits of a single sitemap (50,000 URLs or 50 MB). A sitemap index organizes multiple sitemaps, keeps crawl discovery clean, and lets you prioritize different content sections for different crawling needs.
Structure and limits
- Each sitemap index can reference up to 50,000 sitemaps.
- Each referenced sitemap must be a valid XML sitemap.
- Submit the index URL to Google Search Console.
- Reference the index in robots.txt.
Related terms
How Social SEO Team can help
We set up sitemap architecture for large sites. See our technical SEO services.