Technical

How Do I Submit a Sitemap to Google?

28 August 2026 2 min read

Submitting a sitemap means adding your sitemap URL in Google Search Console so Google can find every page you want indexed, immediately and completely. It takes five minutes and it is the single fastest SEO action available.

Step by step

  1. Verify your site in Google Search Console.
  2. Check your sitemap loads at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and lists every page you care about.
  3. In Search Console, open Sitemaps, paste sitemap.xml, hit Submit.
  4. Use URL Inspection on your most important pages and click Request Indexing.

Check your sitemap quality first

A sitemap full of redirects, broken URLs or noindex pages trains Google to distrust it. Run it through the free Sitemap and Robots Checker before submitting, then re run the On-Page SEO Checker on key pages to confirm they are indexable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does indexing take after submitting?

Usually days, sometimes weeks for new domains. Request indexing speeds it up.

Do I need a sitemap for a small site?

Yes. It costs nothing and guarantees discovery.

Related reading

Put these tactics to work

Run InRankSEO's free SEO tools to audit your site, research keywords, and track your visibility across Google and AI search.