Want to improve your Shopify store’s SEO? Here’s how managing your XML sitemap can help search engines discover and index your content efficiently:
- Shopify automatically generates sitemaps at
yourdomain.com/sitemap.xmlfor products, collections, pages, and blog posts. - You can’t edit sitemaps directly, but you can control indexing using the
robots.txtfile. - Key SEO tips: Highlight important pages, fix crawl errors, and optimize product images.
- Stay within limits: Sitemaps can have up to 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed.
For better results, submit your sitemap to Google Search Console, review it regularly, and update your robots.txt file to guide search engines effectively. Let’s explore how to do it step-by-step.
Shopify XML Sitemap Basics
What XML Sitemaps Do
XML sitemaps act as a guide for search engines, directing them to your store’s public pages. These files list all public-facing pages in an organized way, helping search engines understand your site’s structure and content layout.
A properly set up XML sitemap allows search engines to:
- Quickly locate new or updated content
- Grasp the relationships between pages
- Access key store pages
- Index your site more efficiently
Why Sitemap Changes Help SEO
Sitemaps don’t just assist search engines in navigating your site – they also play a role in boosting your SEO. A well-maintained sitemap supports better rankings by improving how search engines understand and prioritize your content.
| SEO Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|
| Faster Indexing and Content Discovery | Highlights new and essential store content for search engines |
| Better Crawl Efficiency | Helps search engines prioritize the most important pages |
| Improved Page Hierarchy | Clarifies your site’s structure for search engines |
Understanding how Shopify handles sitemaps can help you make smarter choices about optimizing your store for search engines.
How Shopify Creates Sitemaps
Shopify automatically generates sitemaps to keep your store content easy for search engines to find. Your sitemap is available at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and includes the same types of content mentioned earlier.
"An XML sitemap aids SEO by acting as a roadmap for search engines, ensuring they can find and index all important pages on a website." – Arthur Camberlein, Technical SEO and Data Specialist at Shopify [1]
Here are some key limitations to keep in mind:
- File size cap: 50 MB uncompressed
- URL limit: 50,000 entries [1]
- Only includes active content linked to the online store sales channel
- Automatically updates whenever you modify your store
Although Shopify automates sitemap creation, knowing its constraints lets you step in and make adjustments when needed.
Finding Your Store’s Sitemap
Get Your Sitemap URL
Shopify automatically creates a sitemap for your store. You can find it by appending /sitemap.xml to your store’s domain. For example, use myshop.com/sitemap.xml for your main domain or store.co.uk/sitemap.xml for a regional domain. Each domain, including international ones, has its own sitemap to ensure proper indexing for different regions.
View Your Sitemap Content
To see your sitemap, open its URL in any web browser. This will display the raw XML file, which shows your store’s structure.
Here’s a quick breakdown of key elements in the sitemap:
| Element Type | What It Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
<url> |
Individual page entries | Lists all indexed pages |
<loc> |
Full page URLs | Provides exact page locations |
<lastmod> |
Last updated dates | Highlights how recent the content is |
<priority> |
Page importance values | Helps search engines prioritize crawling |
When reviewing your sitemap, ensure all crucial pages are included, such as:
- Product pages
- Collection pages
- Blog posts
- Static pages (e.g., About Us, Contact)
If any important pages are missing or showing incorrect details, you’ll need to fix this through your store settings or update your robots.txt file (covered in later sections).
Regularly checking your sitemap helps search engines crawl and index your key pages effectively, which can directly influence your store’s SEO performance.
Making Sitemap Changes
Shopify Sitemap Restrictions
Shopify sitemaps come with specific limitations: they can’t exceed 50 MB uncompressed or include more than 50,000 URLs. This can pose challenges for larger stores. Additionally, Shopify’s automated sitemap generation has the following constraints:
| Limitation Type | Details | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Editing | You can’t manually edit XML sitemaps | Requires alternative ways to manage sitemap control |
| Content Types | Includes only active pages with the "online store" channel | Limits the flexibility of included content |
While direct sitemap editing isn’t an option, you can still manage indexing and crawling through the robots.txt file.
Using Robots.txt for Control
The robots.txt file allows you to manage which pages search engines crawl and index. It can help you refine your store’s SEO structure without needing to edit the sitemap directly. Here’s what you can do with it:
- Exclude certain pages from being crawled by search engines.
- Decide which parts of your store should appear in the sitemap.
- Adjust indexing priorities for various types of pages.
- Highlight your most important pages for better visibility.
Change Your Robots.txt File
To update your robots.txt file in Shopify, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify admin.
- Open the theme code editor and locate the
robots.txt.liquidfile.
Key Modifications to Consider
Here are some common updates you can make and their purposes:
| Directive | Syntax | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Disallow | Disallow: /admin/* |
Prevents search engines from accessing admin pages |
| Allow | Allow: /products/* |
Ensures product pages are indexed |
| Sitemap | Sitemap: https://store.com/sitemap.xml |
Specifies the location of your sitemap |
It’s important to test any changes to your robots.txt file in a development environment before applying them to your live store. This helps avoid unintended impacts on your SEO performance.
To keep your store optimized, regularly review and adjust your robots.txt file. This ensures your configuration aligns with your current store structure and SEO goals, while also preventing search engines from accessing restricted or duplicate content.
SEO-Focused Sitemap Updates
Set Page Importance
Setting page priority is key for improving your store’s SEO. Assigning the right priority ensures search engines focus on your most important pages. Here’s a simple guide:
| Page Type | Recommended Priority | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | 1.0 | Acts as the central hub for navigation. |
| Main Collections | 0.8 | Highlights key category pages. |
| Best-Selling Products | 0.7 | Drives attention to high-value content. |
| Standard Products | 0.5 | Default priority for regular items. |
| Blog Posts | 0.4 | Provides supporting content. |
"Overall, however, we’ve found that Shopify’s autogenerated sitemap.xml is a good solution for our clients" [1].
After setting priorities, don’t forget to optimize product images in your sitemap. This step ensures they stand out in search results.
Include Product Images
Product images can make or break your SEO efforts. Unfortunately, Shopify’s default sitemap doesn’t include enough image data. To fix this, follow these steps:
-
Optimize Image Data
Make sure each image has a clear URL, a descriptive title, and relevant alt text. This boosts both accessibility and SEO. -
Use Image Automation Tools
Leverage tools to keep your image sitemaps updated automatically. These tools can include all product images and submit updates to Google in real-time.
"An optimized sitemap helps search engines index your content efficiently, driving more traffic to your store" [1].
Related video from YouTube
Managing Your Sitemap
After setting up your sitemap and robots.txt file, the next step is to keep an eye on your sitemap to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Submit to Google Search Console
To get started, verify your site ownership in Google Search Console. Then, head to the Sitemaps section and add your sitemap URL (yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml).
"An XML sitemap aids SEO by acting as a roadmap for search engines, ensuring they can find and index all important pages on a website." – Arthur Camberlein, Technical SEO and Data Specialist at Shopify [1]
Fix Common Sitemap Issues
Here are some typical problems and how to address them:
| Issue Type | What to Check | How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Missing Pages | Pages that should be indexed but aren’t | Ensure the page status is "active" in Shopify |
| Crawl Errors | Pages returning 404 or similar errors | Remove or redirect broken URLs |
| Duplicate Content | Multiple URLs showing the same content | Use canonical tags to define the main URL |
After resolving these issues, make it a habit to maintain an accurate and updated sitemap for better SEO performance.
Keep Your Sitemap Updated
Having an updated sitemap is key to good SEO. Use Google Search Console to regularly check for issues like missing pages or crawl errors. While Shopify automatically updates your sitemap for new products, collections, and blog posts, periodic reviews ensure your sitemap matches your store’s structure.
To make the most of your sitemap, use your robots.txt file to guide search engines toward your most important pages. This helps prioritize the right content while managing your crawl budget effectively [1][2].
Conclusion
To keep your SEO efforts on track, maintaining a well-optimized sitemap is key. With a solid strategy, you can speed up Google’s indexing process to just 48-72 hours, ensuring your content reaches your audience faster.
Here are the essentials for effective sitemap management:
- Update regularly: Monitor and refresh your sitemap monthly to stay current.
- Stay within limits: Keep it under 50,000 URLs and 50MB when uncompressed.
- Use Google Search Console: Verify and submit your sitemap for better indexing.
While Shopify automatically generates sitemaps, you can take extra steps like adjusting your robots.txt file and closely monitoring your sitemap through Google Search Console to improve your store’s SEO performance. Consistent oversight ensures search engines index your content efficiently.
For businesses looking to grow their Shopify stores, E-commerce Dev Group offers customized solutions, including advanced sitemap management, to help boost SEO and support expansion goals.
