Place sitemap files at site root or appropriate directory levels.
- Place sitemap files at site root or appropriate directory levels1 cited source1 category
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Why this matters
Sitemaps influence URLs in their directory or below; placing them at root maximizes discoverability and scope.
Hypothetical standard operating procedure
Adapt this example to your site, access, tools, and change process. It is our suggested procedure, informed by the sources below.
- Identify main site root and URL directory structure.
- Place sitemap files at root (e.g., https://example.com/sitemap.xml) or in directories matching URL namespaces.
- If sitemaps are in subdirectories, ensure they only list URLs under those paths.
- Reference sitemaps in robots.txt with full absolute path.
- Submit sitemap location in Search Console accordingly.
Watch for
Sitemaps outside appropriate directories may not affect URLs above their location, causing crawl gaps.
Definition of done
Sitemaps are stored at the root or directory containing target URLs, accessible for direct and robots.txt reference.
Sources & attribution
Original checklist wording and example SOP by Best SEO Checklist, using source-grounded AI assistance. Editorial contact: Ted Kubaitis, @tedkubaitis on Teams. Check current source guidance before implementation.