Best SEO Checklist
ONE FOCUSED ACTION

Use sitemap index files to split large sitemaps exceeding 50,000 URLs or 50MB size.

Crawl-budget optimization

1 checklist items

Save for later 0

Use × to move an item here. You can restore it when you’re ready.

    Your checks and saved items stay in this browser. Nothing is submitted.

    Why this matters

    Splitting sitemaps improves crawler processing efficiency and prevents errors or ignores.

    A STARTING-POINT EXAMPLE

    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.

    1. Check sitemap size and URL count.
    2. Divide sitemap URLs into multiple files under limits.
    3. Create sitemap index XML referencing all sitemap files.
    4. Submit sitemap index in Search Console.
    5. Maintain sitemap index regularly as content changes.

    Watch for

    Overly large sitemaps can be ignored or cause crawl processing delays.

    Definition of done

    Sitemap index properly references multiple smaller sitemap files within size limits.

    Sources & attribution

    1. Crawl Budget Optimization: A Technical Guide for SEO ↗

    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.