ByTheWeb GEO can automatically provide an XML Sitemap for your public, indexable WordPress content.
When ByTheWeb GEO is managing your site’s SEO layer, the main Sitemap is available at:
You can choose which public Post Types and Taxonomies are included, while ByTheWeb GEO applies its indexing rules to individual content before adding it to the Sitemap.
The Sitemap can also include supported images and videos found in your content.
For a product overview, see:
The XML Sitemap is a local ByTheWeb GEO feature and does not require a ByTheWeb AI API Key or AI credits.
Where Do I Configure the XML Sitemap?
In your WordPress Dashboard, go to:
ByTheWeb > SEO Settings > Sitemap XML
The section is labeled:
XML Sitemap Display Management
Starting with ByTheWeb GEO 1.3.2, the XML Sitemap can be enabled or disabled using the Enable XML Sitemap option.
When enabled and ByTheWeb GEO is managing the site’s SEO layer, ByTheWeb GEO generates and manages the XML Sitemap. When disabled, ByTheWeb GEO does not provide its Sitemap output.
What Happens If I Use Yoast SEO or Rank Math SEO?
ByTheWeb GEO does not generate a competing Sitemap while Yoast SEO or Rank Math SEO is the active supported SEO provider.
In that situation:
- The external SEO plugin remains responsible for the XML Sitemap.
- The ByTheWeb GEO Sitemap controls are disabled.
- ByTheWeb GEO does not serve its own
/sitemap.xml.
ByTheWeb GEO can continue providing its non-overlapping GEO functionality.
For more information, see:
Which Content Types Are Included?
By default, the selected Post Types are:
- Posts
- Pages
The default Taxonomies are:
- Categories
- Tags
Supported public Custom Post Types and public Custom Taxonomies registered on the website can also be selected.
Selecting a Post Type or Taxonomy makes its content eligible for the Sitemap. Individual items must still meet the applicable inclusion rules.
Which Posts and Pages Are Included?
For a selected Post Type, an individual item must be:
- Published
- Not password protected
- Indexable according to the applicable ByTheWeb GEO settings
Draft and password-protected content is not included.
Content that is effectively set to noindex is also excluded.
How Do Index and Noindex Settings Affect the Sitemap?
When ByTheWeb GEO is managing SEO, Sitemap eligibility follows the effective Index/Noindex setting.
A Post Type or Taxonomy can have a default Index or Noindex setting, while individual Posts or Terms can have their own override.
For example:
- If a Post Type defaults to Index, an individual item set to Noindex is excluded.
- If a Post Type defaults to Noindex, an individual item explicitly set to Index can still be included.
The same principle applies to supported Taxonomy terms.
For the complete indexing controls, see:
Does WordPress Search Engine Visibility Affect the Sitemap?
Yes.
ByTheWeb GEO respects the WordPress setting under:
Settings > Reading > Search Engine Visibility
If the website is configured to discourage search engines from indexing the site, ByTheWeb GEO respects that global setting when determining Sitemap eligibility.
Can I See How Many URLs Are Included?
Yes.
The Sitemap settings include an eligibility summary showing:
Included URLs
for the selected Post Types and Taxonomies.
A Total row shows the combined number of currently eligible URLs.
How Is the Sitemap Organized?
/sitemap.xml is a Sitemap index.
It links to separate child Sitemaps for selected Post Types and Taxonomies.
For example:
/sitemap-pt-post-1.xml
or:
/sitemap-tax-category-1.xml
You do not need to create these files manually.
How Many URLs Can a Child Sitemap Contain?
The current ByTheWeb GEO Sitemap paginates eligible entries into child Sitemaps of up to:
5,000 entries
If more eligible content exists, additional Sitemap pages are generated automatically.
Does the Sitemap Update Automatically?
Yes.
The Sitemap is generated dynamically from the current WordPress content and ByTheWeb GEO settings.
You do not need to manually regenerate or upload an XML file after publishing or updating content.
Does the Sitemap Include Images?
For supported Post Type content, ByTheWeb GEO can include:
- The WordPress Featured Image
- Supported images found in the saved post content
Supported images are represented using the XML image Sitemap namespace.
For eligible Taxonomy terms, supported images found in the term description can also be included.
Does the Sitemap Include Videos?
ByTheWeb GEO can detect supported video sources in Post content, including:
- YouTube iframe URLs
youtu.beiframe URLs- Vimeo iframe URLs
- Supported MP4
<source>URLs
Detected videos can be included using the video Sitemap namespace.
Other custom players or unsupported storage formats may not be detected.
Does the Sitemap Include Taxonomy Terms?
Yes.
When a public Taxonomy is selected, its eligible terms can be included in a dedicated Taxonomy Sitemap.
Individual Index/Noindex settings are respected.
The Sitemap query does not automatically require a Taxonomy term to contain assigned Posts, so an empty but otherwise eligible term can still be included.
Can I Remove One Page from the Sitemap?
Yes.
When ByTheWeb GEO is managing SEO, setting an individual item to:
Noindex
makes it ineligible for the Sitemap.
This does not require disabling the entire Post Type.
Is LLM Exclusion the Same as Sitemap Exclusion?
No.
The:
Exclude from LLM files
setting is specifically for llms.txt and llms-full.txt.
It does not remove the item from the XML Sitemap and does not change its normal Index/Noindex setting.
For more information, see:
Is the Sitemap Added to robots.txt?
When ByTheWeb GEO is managing both Sitemap and robots.txt functionality, it can add the ByTheWeb GEO Sitemap URL to the WordPress virtual robots.txt output.
For more information, see:
Does the XML Sitemap Use AI Credits?
No.
Generating, updating, or opening the Sitemap does not consume AI credits.
It is generated locally by ByTheWeb GEO.
How Do I Check the Sitemap?
Open:
You should see the main Sitemap index and links to its child Sitemap files.
You can open a child Sitemap to check the actual URLs included for that Post Type or Taxonomy.
The ByTheWeb GEO Sitemap settings also provide Copy URL and Open controls when the ByTheWeb Sitemap is active.
Why Is a Page Missing from the Sitemap?
Check that:
- Its Post Type is selected.
- The content is published.
- It is not password protected.
- Its effective robots setting is not Noindex.
- WordPress Search Engine Visibility is not blocking the site.
- ByTheWeb GEO is currently responsible for the Sitemap.
If Yoast SEO or Rank Math SEO is active, check the Sitemap generated by that provider instead.
For additional help, see:
Why Is a Taxonomy Term Missing?
Check that:
- The Taxonomy is selected.
- The Taxonomy is public.
- The term is effectively Indexable.
- WordPress Search Engine Visibility is not blocking the site.
What Happens If ByTheWeb GEO Is Deactivated?
The ByTheWeb GEO Sitemap is generated dynamically by the plugin.
If ByTheWeb GEO is deactivated, it no longer provides its Sitemap output.
Your WordPress content and saved ByTheWeb GEO settings are not automatically deleted by normal plugin deactivation.
Recommended Setup
- Open ByTheWeb > SEO Settings > Sitemap XML.
- Confirm that ByTheWeb GEO is the active SEO provider.
- Review the selected Post Types.
- Review the selected Taxonomies.
- Save the settings.
- Check the Included URLs summary.
- Open
/sitemap.xml. - Open a child Sitemap and confirm that the expected URLs appear.
- Confirm that intentional Noindex content is excluded.
Summary
The ByTheWeb GEO XML Sitemap:
- Is available at
/sitemap.xmlwhen ByTheWeb GEO manages SEO. - Includes selected public Post Types and Taxonomies.
- Uses Posts, Pages, Categories, and Tags as the default selections.
- Excludes unpublished, password-protected, and Noindex content.
- Respects individual Index/Noindex overrides.
- Respects WordPress Search Engine Visibility.
- Provides Included URLs counts.
- Uses paginated child Sitemaps of up to 5,000 entries.
- Can include supported images and videos.
- Is generated dynamically.
- Does not use AI credits.
- Is not generated by ByTheWeb GEO when Yoast SEO or Rank Math SEO is the active supported SEO provider.
Where Should I Go Next?
For the product overview:
For Index/Noindex settings:
For robots.txt:
For LLM files and individual LLM exclusions:
For SEO provider compatibility:
For Sitemap problems: