A step-by-step guide explains how to submit a sitemap to Google Search Console on both Blogger and WordPress sites. Blogger sites typically use sitemap.xml while WordPress core generates wp-sitemap.xml, though SEO plugins may override this. The guide clarifies that sitemap submission is only a discovery hint, not a guarantee of indexing, and covers prerequisites like verifying property ownership, enabling search engine visibility on Blogger, and troubleshooting common submission errors.
Questions this post answers
What is the correct sitemap URL for a WordPress site's core sitemap?
The WordPress core sitemap is available at https://yourdomain.com/wp-sitemap.xml, not sitemap.xml. WordPress's built-in sitemap functionality registers and serves this index file automatically and also adds a reference to it in the site's robots.txt. If an SEO plugin generates sitemaps instead, use that plugin's sitemap URL rather than the WordPress core one. Developers configuring WordPress SEO settings can find sitemap and plugin guidance discussed on daily.dev.
Does submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console guarantee my pages get indexed?
No, submitting a sitemap does not guarantee indexing. Google explicitly treats sitemap submission as a hint rather than a guarantee, meaning it only offers another way for Google to discover pages. A sitemap can be successfully fetched and processed by Google without every listed URL being crawled or indexed. Anyone troubleshooting indexing issues can follow SEO and web platform discussions on daily.dev.
What is the typical sitemap URL for a Blogger blog?
A standard Blogger sitemap is located at https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml, or the equivalent path on a custom domain. Blogger generates this file automatically, so no plugin or manual XML creation is needed. Before submitting it, ensure the blog's Privacy setting has 'Visible to search engines' enabled so Google can find it. Bloggers optimizing site discoverability can track more web platform tips on daily.dev.