9 Best WordPress Sitemap Plugins in 2024 (Top SEO Picks)

Last Updated on May 16, 2024 by 8 Comments

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First Pick

Rank Math SEO

Pricing: $59.00 per year
Standout Features: Fast Loading, Custom Post Types, WooCommerce Sitemaps

Visit Rank Math SEORead Overview
Second Pick

All-in-One SEO

Pricing: $49.50 per year
Standout Features: Standard XML Sitemap, Video Sitemap, Advanced Settings

Visit All-in-One SEORead Overview
Third Pick

SEOPress

Pricing: $49.00 per year
Standout Features: XML Sitemap, Independent Options, Ping Google Manually

Visit SEOPressRead Overview
Blog / WordPress / 9 Best WordPress Sitemap Plugins in 2024 (Top SEO Picks)

Optimizing your website for organic search traffic is crucial for any website. This task can be time-consuming for busy site owners. Sitemaps are some of the best tools available to improve your website’s SEO.

They not only provide information about your website to search engines to help them index your site, but they also ping them when you update your website. In this article, we’ll look at the 8 plugins to help you decide which is the best WordPress sitemap plugin for your needs.

What is a WordPress Sitemap?

A sitemap is a list made with XML that tells search engines about your content and the structure of your website. They include page URLs, when the content was last modified, the type of content, etc. Post types are identified, and you have the option to keep post types from indexing if you want to keep them private.

Search engines such as Google can crawl your website on their own, but this takes time. Providing a sitemap ensures that search engines have all the information they need to index your website.

The XML document can be created by hand, but the best way to create a sitemap is with a WordPress sitemap plugin. Sitemap plugins inform search engines of changes on your website, so their information is always up to date. They’re easy to use, and there are plenty to choose from.

For this list, I’ve separated them into two types: SEO plugins that include sitemaps and those that are dedicated to sitemaps. I’ve only included plugins that create sitemaps for search engines since our focus is on improving search engine optimization (SEO).

Best WordPress SEO Plugins with Sitemap Features

Since sitemaps are an important part of SEO, creating a sitemap is a standard function of SEO plugins. Here are the best SEO-focused WordPress sitemap plugins with awesome sitemap features.

1. Rank Math SEO

Rank Math SEO

Rank Math SEO includes a fast-loading sitemap that works with different post types, including attachments, projects, custom post types, etc. It also creates sitemaps for taxonomies. It includes lots of detailed options for customizing your sitemaps. Generate Locations KML files for local sitemaps.

It will also create a WooCommerce sitemap. Even though this plugin has a premium version, everything you need for sitemaps is included in the free version.

Key Features:

  • Fast loading
  • Works with custom post types
  • Local sitemaps
  • WooCommerce sitemaps
  • Include images in your sitemaps
  • Exclude posts
  • Exclude terms

Price: Free the pro version starts at $59.00/yr

Get Rank Math

2. All-in-One SEO

All in One SEO

All-in-One SEO  provides several types of sitemaps, including the standard XML map, a news sitemap, a video sitemap, and an RSS sitemap. The pro version adds news, video, and RSS.

Sitemaps are included in the free version and give you the ability to enable indexes, enter the number of links per sitemap, choose the post types and taxonomies, disable by date, disable by author, enter specific URLs, and set up advanced settings.

Key Features:

  • Standard XML sitemap
  • News sitemap
  • Video sitemap
  • RSS sitemap
  • Advanced settings for each type of sitemap

Price: Free for XML sitemaps, $49.50 per year for Pro (adds news, video, and RSS sitemaps)

Get All-in-One SEO

3. SEOPress

SEOPress

SEOPress creates a sitemap for post types, taxonomies, videos, images, and HTML. The sitemap features are included in the free version. The general XML sitemap and Image sitemap are enabled by default. The settings are simple and you can adjust the general options and options for the post types, taxonomies, and HTML sitemaps independently. You can view the sitemap, ping Google manually, and flush the permalinks.

Exclude pages, posts, custom post types, or terms from the sitemap. You can also set the sort order and disable the publication date. It’s limited to 1000 posts per post type.

Key Features:

  • XML sitemap
  • Image sitemap
  • Author sitemap
  • Video sitemap
  • HTML sitemap
  • Independent options for each type
  • Ping Google manually
  • Flush permalinks

Price: Free, pro version starts at $49.00/yr

Get SEOPress

4. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO

Out of all the top WordPress SEO plugins, Yoast SEO is by far the most popular, and it includes a sitemap feature. For this reason alone, it’s one of the best choices to build a sitemap for your WordPress website. It’s available in both a free version and a premium version with expanded features.

The free version includes sitemap features, which are enabled by default. You have control over the number of sitemap entries. Mark post types that you don’t want to appear in your sitemap. Add an external sitemap if you have sitemaps for other parts of your website.

Key Features:

  • Automatically generates a sitemap
  • Limit the number of sitemap entries
  • Mark post types as index
  • Add an external sitemap
  • View the sitemap

Price: Free; premium version starts at $99.00/yr

Get Yoast SEO

5. Jetpack

Jetpack

Jetpack is a popular plugin from Automattic, the creators of WordPress, and happens to be a good option for a WordPress sitemap plugin. The free version comes with a set of traffic tools that includes sitemap features. It automatically generates a sitemap for your public posts and pages.

You can enable custom post types. It also generates a sitemap specifically for Google News. If there is another sitemap plugin in use, this feature is automatically disabled. It warns you if you have search engine visibility disabled in your WordPress settings.

Key Features:

  • Generates sitemaps for your public pages and posts
  • Add new custom post types
  • Creates a sitemap for Google News
  • Automatically disables the sitemap feature if another sitemap plugin is in use

Price: Free

Get Jetpack

Dedicated WordPress Sitemap Plugins

Dedicated WordPress sitemap plugins have no other features aside from creating a sitemap. Here’s a look at the most popular dedicated sitemap plugins.

6. Sitemap by BestWebSoft

Sitemap by BestWebSoft

Sitemap by BestWebSoft supports standard pages, custom post types, and taxonomies. It can be integrated with your Google Webmaster Tools account. Create sitemaps for your media.

The pro version adds features that support custom URLs, multisite, exclude posts, and set the frequency of your changes. The free version has tools not found in other plugins, but some of the most common features are only available in the pro version.

Key Features:

  • Integrates with Google Webmaster Tools
  • Custom post types
  • Creates media sitemaps
  • Compatible with their Multilanguage plugin
  • Pro version supports custom URLs
  • The pro version supports multisite
  • Pro version includes tools to exclude pages and posts

Price: Free for basic features, $24.00 per year for pro features

Get Sitemap by BestWebSoft

7. Google XML Sitemaps

Google XML Sitemaps

Google XML Sitemaps is one of the oldest, most popular, and highest-rated sitemap plugins available. It includes multiple languages and it’s compatible with multisite WordPress installations. It calculates the priority of posts based on their number of comments. You can set it to prioritize by comment average or disable the priority feature.

It also includes filters that allow other plugins to add their pages to the sitemap. Sitemaps include post types, taxonomies, and custom post types. Include or exclude items, change the frequencies, and change the priority of each post type.

Key Features:

  • Calculates the priority of posts based on comments.
  • Includes multiple translations
  • Compatible with multisite
  • Allows other plugins to add to the sitemap

Price: Free

Get Google XML Sitemaps

8. XML Sitemap & Google News

XML Sitemap & Google News

XML Sitemap & Google News creates a standard XML sitemap and a sitemap for Google News. You can control which sitemaps are enabled, which post types and taxonomies are included, how priority is calculated, and who to ping when the site is updated.

You can also set robots.txt rules, add external pages, and add external sitemaps. It’s compatible with multisite and it’s multilingual-ready. Several one-click tools help you ping search engines, clear cache, etc.

Key Features:

  • Creates a sitemap for Google News
  • Choose the post types and taxonomies
  • Add external pages
  • Add external sitemaps
  • Multisite compatible
  • Multilingual: Supports Polylang and WPML (both popular translation plugins)

Price: Free

Get XML Sitemaps & Google News

9. Simple Sitemap

Simple site map logo

Simple Sitemap is a WordPress plugin that helps improve the SEO ranking of a website by automatically generating an HTML sitemap of its content. With the latest version, users can build and preview their sitemap visually directly in the post editor without using complicated shortcodes. The plugin offers standard or tabbed layouts, responsive sitemap tabs, and plenty of flexible customization options.

One of the standout features of Simple Sitemap is its responsive design. The sitemap is optimized for all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This means that your visitors can easily navigate your website and find the content they are looking for, no matter what device they are using.

Key Features:

  • Allows users to choose the specific post types and taxonomies to include in the sitemap
  • Provides the ability to add external pages to the sitemap
  • Supports the inclusion of external sitemaps
  • Compatible with multisite setups

Price: Free

Get Simple Sitemap

Comparing All the Best Sitemap Plugins

Choosing the right WordPress sitemap plugin is an important step in improving your website’s SEO. The best option for your website will depend on the other SEO tools you need. Be sure to check if the features you need are available in the free version or if the premium version is required.

Sitemap Plugin Price Comparison

Many website owners prefer a one-stop SEO solution such as Rank Math or All in One SEO. These are two of the most popular SEO plugins available, and they’re solid options for creating sitemaps and much more.

PluginPriceFree Option
🥇Rank Math$59.00/yr✔️Visit
🥈All-in-One SEO$49.50/yr✔️Visit
🥉SEOPress$49.00/yr✔️Visit
4YoastSEO$99.00/yr✔️Visit
5Jetpack/✔️Visit

If you aren’t looking for a robust SEO plugin and want a simple sitemap solution, a dedicated sitemap plugin might be a better option. Sitemap by BestWebSoft and Google Sitemap Generator are two great choices.

PluginPriceFree Option
🥇Sitemap by BestWebSoft$24.00/yr✔️Visit
🥈Google XML Sitemaps/✔️Visit
🥉XML Sitemaps & Google News/✔️Visit
4Simple Sitemap/✔️Visit

Sitemap Plugin Feature Comparison

While it’s possible to create sitemaps with feature-rich SEO plugins, if you’re looking for a dedicated sitemap plugin, here’s a comparison of the features of our top three picks that can help you in choosing one that makes sense for your next website build:

🥇 Sitemap by BestWebSoft🥈 Google XML Sitemaps🥉 XML Sitemap & Google News
Starting Price$24/yrFreeFree
Add/Remove Custom Post Types from Sitemap✔️✔️✔️
Add/Remove Pages from Sitemap✔️✔️
Add External Pages to Sitemap✔️✔️✔️
Add External Sitemaps✔️✔️
Add Custom URLs✔️✔️✔️
Multisite Compatible✔️✔️✔️
Integrated with Google Webmaster Tools✔️
Creates Media Sitemaps✔️✔️
Creates Sitemaps for Google News✔️
Active Installations40,000+1,000,000+100,000+
Community Rating4.4/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read Reviews
4.8/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read Reviews
4.3/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read Reviews
Get Sitemap by BestWebSoftGet Google XML SitemapsGet XML Sitemap & Google News

What is the Best WordPress Sitemap Plugin?

Whatever your sitemap needs are, you’re sure to find the right plugin on this list! If you’re looking for a full-fledged SEO plugin like Rankmath or All in One SEO to give your SEO a boost in addition to helping you with your sitemap needs. Alternatively, consider trusting a sitemap-specific plugin like Sitemap by BestWebSoft and Google Sitemap Generator to give you the dedicated sitemap features you need for your website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Before we wrap up, let’s answer some of your most common questions regarding the best WordPress sitemap plugins. Did we miss one? Leave a question below, and we will respond!

What is the best WordPress sitemap plugin?
If you're looking for a comprehensive solution to boost your SEO, Rank Math SEO is an excellent option with features such as WooCommerce support, customizability, schema generator, keyword tracking, and more. However, if you're solely concerned with creating a custom sitemap, a plugin like Sitemap by BestWebSoft may be a better fit.
What is the best HTML sitemap plugin for WordPress?
SEOPress is the best HTML sitemap plugin for its ability to generate HTML and XML sitemaps for various post types, taxonomies, videos, and images. These sitemap features come as standard with the free version.
How to create a sitemap in WordPress?
There are two options for generating sitemaps for your WordPress website. One straightforward approach is to utilize a plugin like Rank Math SEO. Alternatively, WordPress can automatically produce a sitemap for your site without additional effort.
Does WordPress have a built-in sitemap generator?
Yes. With the advent of WordPress 5.5, the developers have introduced an in-built XML sitemap feature that automatically generates an XML sitemap for you without a plugin. However, the default WordPress sitemap lacks flexibility. Modifying the file and removing unwanted URLs from the sitemap is difficult.
How to find a sitemap in WordPress?
To find the sitemap of your WordPress website, simply add the term "sitemap.xml" after your website's URL.
Are sitemaps important for SEO?
Yes, sitemaps hold great significance in optimizing your website for search engines. One of their prime functions is enabling search engines to locate and index your website's pages, potentially enhancing your website's ranking in search results. Search engines utilize XML sitemaps to crawl and index your website efficiently.
What is a sitemap?
A website's sitemap guides search engines to navigate through all of the pages on your site easily. This allows them to analyze and categorize your content, enriching your visibility in search engine results.
What is the difference between static and dynamic sitemap?
For smaller websites, static sitemaps are typically manually made and maintained by web admins, who must ensure they are up-to-date. In contrast, larger websites often utilize dynamic sitemaps that a CMS like WordPress generates and updates automatically, allowing for more efficient website content management.
What is the difference between a sitemap and navigation?
While sitemaps are geared towards enhancing search engine visibility and indexing, navigation is designed to facilitate user experience. With a sitemap, search engines can locate and index your website's pages, while navigation is meant to assist users in quickly finding the information they seek on your website. Search engines will also crawl your website using your website’s navigation and internal links, but a sitemap helps guarantee that the search engine will find everything.
What is the difference between an XML sitemap and an HTML sitemap?
XML sitemaps are specifically designed for search engines to understand. These sitemaps contain all information about every page on your website, including the page title and last updated date. In contrast, HTML sitemaps are user-friendly versions of XML sitemaps that serve as a navigational tool for website visitors.

Looking for more great plugins? Check out this ultimate list of best WordPress plugins, which includes a top recommendation for each plugin type!

Featured image illustration via hanss / shutterstock.com

Top Picks

Explore Our Top Picks

Here are our favorites! 👇

medal iconRank Math SEOoutgoing link medal iconAll-in-One SEOoutgoing link medal iconSEOPressoutgoing link
Top Picks

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With so many great options available, it can be hard to pick one. Find out why Rank Math SEO is our favorite. 👇

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8 Comments

  1. In my opinion the yoast is the best SEO plugin. It’s easy to set up the sitemap with this plugin.

  2. Hello, I wanted to ask what is the best WordPress plugin for showing off social media account followers visible like a cloud on the social media icons and we can share it at the same time from the same button.
    I have tried to find out what is the best plugin but haven’t found it.

  3. No need for plugin to create sitemap.xml since it is now included with WordPress core

  4. I think, Rank Math is better for SEO and Divi than Yoast SEO. I have a lot of problems whit Yoast.

  5. Doesn’t the latest version of WordPress automatically create sitemap.xml without a plugin? How is this different from those generated by plugins?

    • I’m actually interested in creating a sitemap that is visible so that I can have an index of all the posts and pages, and possible for users to be able to see the index as well. Do you have a suggestion for plugins for that? Or perhaps you’ve already done a post on that?
      Thanks.

  6. Is a plugin enough to submit the sitemap? Don’t we need to submit it through Google Search Console? Thanks

  7. Instead of having to manually create and update your sitemap, a sitemap plugin can automatically manage everything for you. It saves you a ton of time and effort, which can be applied somewhere else.

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