WordPress Sitemap Plugin: Do You Need One? 8 Verified
Most sites do not need a WordPress sitemap plugin at all: WordPress has generated its own XML sitemap at /wp-sitemap.xml since version 5.5, and Rank Math, Yoast SEO and All in One SEO each replace it with a fuller one the moment their sitemap module is on. A dedicated plugin earns its place in three cases only — you want an HTML sitemap page for visitors, you publish Google News or video content and your SEO plugin charges for those sitemaps, or you run no SEO plugin and want images in the sitemap. For the first, WP Sitemap Page (200,000+ installs, 4.8 from 205 reviews) is the safe pick; for the second, XML Sitemap & Google News is the only free Google News sitemap on this list.
Jump to: do you need one · the comparison · which setup fits you · what each one generates · the verdict · questions
Do you need a WordPress sitemap plugin at all?
Probably not. Since WordPress 5.5 in 2020, core builds a sitemap index at /wp-sitemap.xml covering every public post type, taxonomy, author archive and the homepage, splits it into files of up to 2,000 URLs, and adds a Sitemap: line to robots.txt so crawlers find it. It deliberately leaves out image, video and news entries, which the core team called useful only to a small number of websites.
Every major SEO plugin then takes that job over. Yoast SEO switches the core sitemap off whenever its own XML sitemap feature is enabled; All in One SEO says on WordPress.org that its sitemaps override the default ones; Rank Math serves its index at /sitemap_index.xml. WPNeon runs Rank Math on this site, and requesting wpneon.com/wp-sitemap.xml lands on Rank Math’s index rather than a core file. Nothing else was installed or disabled to make that happen.
Google’s own limit is 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed per sitemap file, so size is not a reason to add a plugin either: core caps a file at 2,000 entries and Rank Math’s recommended setting is 200. The only real reasons left are an HTML sitemap for people, a news or video sitemap your SEO plugin keeps behind a paywall, or images on a site with no SEO plugin.
How do the WordPress sitemap options compare?
| Option | Price | Active installs | Rating | Tested to WP | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress core (wp-sitemap.xml) | Free, built in | Every site on 5.5+ | – | – | Any site with no SEO plugin that does not need images |
| Rank Math SEO (sitemap module) | Free; news and video sitemaps in Pro | 4 million+ | 4.8 from 7,498 | 7.1 | Sites that want XML, images and an HTML sitemap from one free plugin |
| Yoast SEO (sitemap module) | Free; Video SEO and News SEO are paid add-ons | 10 million+ | 4.8 from 27,819 | 7.1 | Sites already on Yoast that only need XML plus images |
| All in One SEO (sitemap module) | Free; video and news sitemaps from the Pro plan | 2 million+ | 4.7 from 5,202 | 7.1 | Sites already on AIOSEO |
| XML Sitemap Generator for Google | Free; some formats subscriber-only | 1 million+ | 4.8 from 2,233 | 7.0.4 | Long-standing installs that already depend on it |
| XML Sitemap & Google News | Free; paid Advanced extensions | 100,000+ | 4.4 from 85 | 7.0.4 | A free Google News sitemap, with or without an SEO plugin |
| WP Sitemap Page | Free, no paid tier | 200,000+ | 4.8 from 205 | 7.1 | An HTML sitemap page by shortcode, XML left alone |
| Simple Sitemap | Free; Pro adds custom post types and layouts | 60,000+ | 3.9 from 72 | 7.1 | An HTML sitemap built with blocks in the editor |
| Companion Sitemap Generator | Free, no paid tier | 7,000+ | 4.7 from 55 | 6.9.7 | XML, HTML and robots.txt from one small plugin |
Figures read from each plugin’s WordPress.org page on 9 September 2026; plan boundaries from each vendor’s documentation or pricing page the same day.
Which sitemap setup fits your site?
The right answer depends on two things: whether you already run an SEO plugin, and whether you need anything the free tier of that plugin does not produce. Choose your SEO plugin, tick what applies, and the pick below changes — including the cases where the honest answer is to install nothing.
Install nothing — use wp-sitemap.xmlbuilt in
WordPress core since 5.5 · up to 2,000 URLs per file · already listed in your robots.txt
With no SEO plugin and nothing ticked, WordPress core already publishes a sitemap index at /wp-sitemap.xml covering posts, pages, taxonomies and author archives, and adds the Sitemap line to robots.txt for you. Submit that URL in Search Console and you are done. It carries no image, video or news entries, so tick a box above if you need any of those.
Install counts, ratings and free-tier boundaries read from each plugin’s WordPress.org page and vendor documentation on 9 September 2026.
What does each option actually generate?
Every roundup says these plugins “create sitemaps”. What none of them tells you is which kinds, which ones cost money, and what happens to the sitemap WordPress already publishes. The table below is read from each plugin’s WordPress.org description, FAQ and changelog, and from the vendors’ own sitemap documentation.
| Option | XML index | Images | Video | Google News | HTML page | Core wp-sitemap.xml |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress core | Yes, 2,000 URLs per file | No | No | No | No | Is the core sitemap; off via wp_sitemaps_enabled |
| Rank Math SEO | Yes, 200 links per file by default | Free, on by default | Pro | Pro | Free, shortcode or page | Replaced; on WPNeon /wp-sitemap.xml lands on Rank Math’s index |
| Yoast SEO | Yes | Free, included | Paid Video SEO add-on | Paid News SEO add-on | No | Disabled whenever Yoast’s XML sitemap is on |
| All in One SEO | Yes | Not stated on WP.org | Pro and Elite plans | Pro and Elite plans | Listed; plan not stated | Overridden, per its description |
| XML Sitemap Generator for Google | Yes, plus RSS | Listed | Listed, may be subscriber-only | Listed, may be subscriber-only | Listed | Detects it for deactivation (changelog 4.1.18) |
| XML Sitemap & Google News | Yes, can be switched off | Free, featured or attached | No | Free | No | Your choice: core or plugin serves it; can disable core and redirect |
| WP Sitemap Page | No | No | No | No | Yes, shortcode | Untouched |
| Simple Sitemap | No | No | No | No | Yes, blocks and shortcode | Untouched, stated in its description |
| Companion Sitemap Generator | Yes | Free, since 4.5.0 | No | No | Yes | Not mentioned |
Read from each plugin’s WordPress.org description, FAQ and changelog, the WordPress 5.5 core announcement, and the Rank Math, Yoast and AIOSEO documentation on 9 September 2026.
Two things stand out. Only two rows produce a news sitemap for free, and one of them hedges with “some types are subscriber-only”. And three of the eight do nothing at all to the XML side — which is exactly why they are safe to add next to an SEO plugin, while any second XML generator is a duplicate waiting to happen.
The WordPress sitemap plugins, verified
Rank Math SEO
For a site that wants XML, images and an HTML sitemap from a single free plugin, and does not publish news or video.
Version 1.0.278, updated the day before this check, 4 million+ active installs, 4.8 from 7,498 reviews, tested up to WordPress 7.1, requires PHP 7.4.
The sitemap module serves an index at /sitemap_index.xml, includes images by default, and ships a free HTML sitemap you can output by shortcode or as a generated page. Rank Math’s guide sets 200 links per file as its recommended value, well under Google’s 50,000. WPNeon runs it here: Search Console shows the index with 374 page URLs and 3,022 image URLs submitted, zero errors, zero warnings. The limitation is that both the news sitemap and the video sitemap are Pro features, so a news publisher on the free plan needs the add-on route below.
Yoast SEO
For a site already on Yoast that needs nothing beyond XML plus images.
Version 28.4, updated a week before this check, 10 million+ active installs, 4.8 from 27,819 reviews, tested up to WordPress 7.1, requires PHP 7.4.
Yoast’s sitemap index updates itself as you publish, includes information about any images on a page, and disables the core wp-sitemap.xml automatically whenever its XML sitemap feature is enabled, so there is never a duplicate to tidy. What it does not do: video and news sitemaps are the separate Video SEO and News SEO add-ons, bundled with Premium, and Yoast’s own guide says an HTML sitemap is not a feature of the plugin. Add WP Sitemap Page for the human-readable page.
All in One SEO
For a site already on AIOSEO.
Version 5.0.1.1, updated two weeks before this check, 2 million+ active installs, 4.7 from 5,202 reviews, tested up to WordPress 7.1, requires PHP 7.2.
Its WordPress.org description says plainly that once enabled, its XML sitemaps override the default WordPress ones, and it lists XML, video, news, HTML and RSS sitemap types. The pricing table then draws the line: video and news sitemaps are ticked only for the Pro and Elite plans. The HTML sitemap is documented as a virtual page, shortcode, block or widget, though its own documentation does not say which plan it belongs to, so check inside your install before assuming it is free.
All in One SEO on WordPress.org
XML Sitemap Generator for Google
For sites that installed it years ago as Google XML Sitemaps and still depend on it.
Version 4.1.24, updated three months before this check, 1 million+ active installs, 4.8 from 2,233 reviews, tested up to WordPress 7.0.4, requires PHP 5.0. Listed under the author name Auctollo.
The description promises XML, HTML and RSS formats across page, image, news and video types, which is the widest list here. The catch is one line in its FAQ: “Some formats and types are only available to subscribers”, with no list of which. Its changelog says version 4.1.18 added WordPress’ own sitemap to the generators it detects for deactivation, so it will take over from core. For a fresh install with no SEO plugin, XML Sitemap & Google News is clearer about what is free.
XML Sitemap Generator for Google on WordPress.org
XML Sitemap & Google News
For anyone who needs a Google News sitemap without paying for it, with or without an SEO plugin.
Version 5.7.7, updated three months before this check, 100,000+ active installs, 4.4 from 85 reviews, tested up to WordPress 7.0.4, requires PHP 5.6. Author Rolf Allard van Hagen.
It builds a sitemap index with post type, taxonomy and author sitemaps, adds featured or attached images, and produces a Google News sitemap free. Two settings make it unusually well behaved: you can choose whether WordPress core or the plugin serves the main sitemap, and you can disable the main index entirely, which is how it runs beside Rank Math or Yoast for the news file alone. Video is not covered, and the paid “Advanced” extensions sit outside WordPress.org.
XML Sitemap & Google News on WordPress.org
WP Sitemap Page
For a visitor-facing sitemap page next to whatever already handles your XML.
Version 1.9.6, updated three weeks before this check, 200,000+ active installs, 4.8 from 205 reviews, tested up to WordPress 7.1. Author Tony Archambeau, no paid tier.
Put [wp_sitemap_page] on any page and it lists pages, posts, categories and custom post types in a hierarchy. Its description states outright that it does not generate an XML sitemap, which is the point: it cannot collide with core, Rank Math or Yoast. The limitation is the same fact from the other side — it is an HTML page and nothing more, so it solves navigation, not crawling.
WP Sitemap Page on WordPress.org
Simple Sitemap
For an HTML sitemap you want to configure inside the block editor rather than with a shortcode.
Version 3.8.0, updated a week before this check, 60,000+ active installs, 3.9 from 72 reviews, tested up to WordPress 7.1, requires PHP 7.4. Author David Gwyer.
Three blocks (Simple Sitemap, Simple Sitemap Group, Child Pages) plus two shortcodes, with a live preview in the editor and a tabbed layout option. The description says it does not replace the XML sitemap used by search engines, so it is safe beside any SEO plugin. Custom post types, taxonomies and the horizontal layouts are held back for Simple Sitemap Pro, and the 3.9 rating is the lowest on this page, so read the recent reviews before choosing it over WP Sitemap Page.
Simple Sitemap on WordPress.org
Companion Sitemap Generator
For a small site with no SEO plugin that wants XML, an HTML page and a robots.txt editor from one lightweight install.
Version 4.6.2, updated five months before this check, 7,000+ active installs, 4.7 from 55 ratings, tested up to WordPress 6.9.7, requires PHP 7.0. Author Papin Schipper, no paid tier.
It generates an automatic XML sitemap, a public HTML sitemap page, image entries since version 4.5.0, and includes a robots.txt manager inside the WordPress admin, which none of the other dedicated plugins here offer. Two limitations: it is the only option in this comparison not yet tested against WordPress 7.x, and its page says nothing about how it treats the core wp-sitemap.xml, so check for a duplicate index after activating.
Companion Sitemap Generator on WordPress.org
Which WordPress sitemap plugin should you choose?
For most people, none. If you run Rank Math, Yoast SEO or All in One SEO, the sitemap module you already have replaces the core file, includes images, and stays within Google’s 50,000-URL limit by splitting files. Submit its index in Search Console and stop there.
If you need an HTML sitemap for visitors, WP Sitemap Page — unless you are on Rank Math, which ships one free. It is HTML-only by design, so it cannot create a second XML index.
If you publish news, XML Sitemap & Google News with its main index disabled, or the paid tier of your SEO plugin if you would rather keep one plugin in charge. Skip installing any second XML generator next to an SEO plugin; two indexes pointing at the same URLs is the most common sitemap problem in Search Console and it is entirely self-inflicted.
Once you have chosen
- Rank Math vs Yoast SEO — if you have no SEO plugin yet and the chooser keeps pointing you at one, this settles which of the two to install before you touch sitemaps.
- The best WordPress SEO plugins — the wider field beyond those two, including what each does with sitemaps, schema and redirects.
- Schema markup plugins for WordPress — a sitemap gets pages found; structured data decides how they show up once they are.
- Rank Math Pro review — whether the news and video sitemaps, among other Pro features, are worth the licence for your site.
Frequently asked questions
Does WordPress have a built-in sitemap?
Yes. Since version 5.5, WordPress publishes a sitemap index at /wp-sitemap.xml that covers public post types, taxonomies, author archives and the homepage, with up to 2,000 URLs per file, and it adds a Sitemap line to robots.txt automatically. It contains no image, video or news entries. SEO plugins such as Yoast and All in One SEO switch it off and serve their own index instead.
How do I add a sitemap to WordPress?
You already have one at /wp-sitemap.xml if you run no SEO plugin, or at /sitemap_index.xml if you run Rank Math or Yoast. Open that URL to confirm it loads, then paste it into the Sitemaps report in Google Search Console and submit. Only install a dedicated plugin if you need an HTML page for visitors, a Google News or video sitemap, or images without an SEO plugin.
Where is my WordPress sitemap located?
Try /wp-sitemap.xml first; that is the core location. If it redirects or shows a different index, an SEO plugin has taken over: Rank Math and Yoast use /sitemap_index.xml. Your robots.txt at /robots.txt should list the live one on a Sitemap line, which is the quickest way to find out which plugin is serving it on a site you did not build.
Which sitemap generator is best for SEO?
The one that stays consistent with the rest of your SEO setup, which for most sites means the sitemap module inside Rank Math, Yoast or All in One SEO rather than a separate plugin. A sitemap helps crawlers discover URLs; a fuller or fancier one does not make those pages rank any higher. Avoid running two XML generators at once.
Do I need an HTML sitemap as well as an XML one?
Not for search engines; Google’s sitemap documentation covers XML, RSS and text formats, not HTML pages. An HTML sitemap is a navigation aid for people, useful on large sites with deep archives or on sites that must offer an accessible overview. WP Sitemap Page and Simple Sitemap add one without touching your XML index, and Rank Math includes one free.
How many URLs can a WordPress sitemap hold?
Google’s limit is 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed per sitemap file, after which the content must be split across files listed in an index. WordPress core splits at 2,000 URLs per file and Rank Math recommends 200, so both stay far inside the limit on their own. A WooCommerce store with tens of thousands of products needs no extra plugin for size; the index handles it.
