This article explains the basics of sitemaps and takes a detailed look at Shopify's sitemap. We'll walk you through concrete steps such as how to check your Shopify sitemap URL and how to register it with Google Search Console.
What Is a Sitemap?
A sitemap is a file or page that acts like a "map," clearly showing search engines and users the page structure within a website.
There are mainly two types of sitemaps.
1. XML Sitemap
This lists all the pages on a site along with update information. It's not something visitors to the site can normally view — it's essentially a file placed behind the scenes for search engines. An XML sitemap allows search engines like Google to efficiently crawl and index every page on a website.
It's especially useful for quickly notifying search engines when a new page is added to a site. In other words, it helps your store's pages appear in search results faster.
2. HTML Sitemap
This is a page created for users, presenting the links within a site organized hierarchically so they're easy to see. It's mainly used to help users find a specific page more easily.
Shopify Uses an XML Sitemap
Shopify basically generates an XML sitemap automatically, and pages are submitted to search engines without any special configuration required.
You Don't Need to Set Up a Sitemap on Shopify
Since Shopify automatically generates an XML sitemap (referred to below simply as a "sitemap"), you generally don't need to do any special configuration. Automatic sitemap generation is one of Shopify's core features, so no special apps or code changes are required.
The sitemap automatically generated by Shopify includes product pages, category pages, blog articles, custom pages, and more.
The Sitemap Is Recognized Once Your Store Goes Live
While your Shopify store is still in development, the sitemap won't be recognized by search engines. This is because Shopify applies password protection, which prevents an unpublished store from being indexed by Google.
When you launch your store, you need to remove the password protection and switch it to public. Once the store is public, search engines can crawl the sitemap and correctly index your store's pages.
How to Check Your Shopify Sitemap
Shopify automatically generates a sitemap, but you can manually verify that it has been created correctly. Because a correctly generated sitemap gets indexed by tools like Google Search Console, you'll need to address the issue if an error occurs and the sitemap isn't generated properly.
Check Your Store's Sitemap URL
Your Shopify sitemap can normally be accessed at the URL "https://your-store.com/sitemap.xml." Replace "your-store.com" with your own store's URL.
Simply enter this URL in your browser to view the contents of the generated sitemap.
If you get an error or the page doesn't display, there may be an issue with your settings that needs to be checked.
Steps to Verify Your Site with Google Search Console
Sitemap submission on Shopify is done through Google Search Console. Google Search Console also lets you check whether your site is being indexed correctly by Google.
If you haven't yet set up Google Search Console for your Shopify store, please refer to the blog article below.
How to Submit Your Sitemap to Boost SEO
First, log in to Google Search Console and add a URL property for your Shopify store.
Next, follow the domain verification steps and set up the DNS record.
For details on setting up DNS on Shopify, please see Shopify's official site below.
Find and submit your sitemap | Shopify Help Center
Once your DNS settings are complete, go to the "Sitemaps" section of Google Search Console, enter the sitemap URL you checked earlier (e.g. https://your-store.com/sitemap.xml), and submit it.
Once submitted, Google will periodically crawl your sitemap, helping strengthen your site's overall SEO performance.
Errors That Can Occur When Submitting a Sitemap
Sitemap submission is basically automatic and usually goes smoothly, but errors can occur. Here we introduce some common errors along with how to fix them.
The Sitemap Filename Is Incorrect
When manually submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console, errors can occur due to a mistyped URL. For example, if the URL should be "https://your-store.com/sitemap.xml" but you accidentally enter "sitemaps.xml" or "sitemap.xmls" due to a typo or similar, an error will occur. If you see an error, first check that the URL string is correct.
The Store Is Password-Protected
If your store isn't published and is password-protected — for example, a store still in development — sitemap submission may result in an error. Since Google can't access password-protected sites, it isn't able to read the sitemap.
Set your store to published and remove the password protection, then try submitting again.
Cached Data Remains
If the sitemap URL is correct and the site was submitted properly while public, but it still isn't reflected in Google Search Console, the issue may be caching or crawl timing.
Try waiting a few days and checking again, or use the "Request Indexing" feature to prompt Google to crawl your site.
Do You Need to Update Your Shopify Sitemap?
On Shopify, sitemaps are basically updated automatically, so frequent manual updates aren't necessary. That said, if you undergo a major site renewal or add or remove a large number of products, we recommend updating it manually. A manual update helps Google quickly pick up the latest information about your site, which contributes to SEO.
Excluding unnecessary pages from your sitemap — such as tag pages or duplicate content — also helps search engines focus on your important pages, which can also benefit SEO.
When reviewing your store's structure, don't forget to manually update your sitemap as well.
Shopify Is Recommended for Its Effortless Sitemap Handling
We've covered sitemaps in general as well as Shopify's sitemap specifically. Since Shopify has a built-in automatic sitemap generation feature by default, there's basically nothing you need to do. That said, errors can occur, so we recommend understanding how sitemaps work and knowing how to troubleshoot them.
The blog article below walks through the process of setting up a Shopify store in detail. We hope you find it useful.
