XML sitemap creation in SEO Fundamentals - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - XML sitemap creation

Start Sitemap Creation

↓

List URLs to include

↓

Create XML structure

↓

Add <url> entries for each URL

↓

Add <loc>, <lastmod>, <changefreq>, <priority> tags

↓

Close XML tags

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Save sitemap.xml file

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Submit sitemap to search engines

The flow shows how to create an XML sitemap by listing URLs, building XML tags for each, and submitting the file.

Execution Sample

SEO Fundamentals

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/</loc>
  </url>
</urlset>

This XML snippet creates a sitemap with one URL entry for the homepage.

Analysis Table

Step	Action	XML Tag Created	Content Added	Resulting XML snippet
1	Start XML document	<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>	Declaration	<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
2	Open <urlset>	<urlset>	xmlns attribute	<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
3	Add <url> entry	<url>	Start URL block	<url>
4	Add <loc>	<loc>	https://example.com/	<loc>https://example.com/</loc>
5	Close <url>	</url>	End URL block	</url>
6	Close <urlset>	</urlset>	End sitemap	</urlset>

💡 All URLs added and XML tags properly closed, sitemap creation complete.

State Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5	Final
XML Content		<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"> <url>	<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"> <url> <loc>https://example.com/</loc>	<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"> <url> <loc>https://example.com/</loc> </url>	<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"> <url> <loc>https://example.com/</loc> </url> </urlset>

Key Insights - 3 Insights

Why do we need the xmlns attribute in the <urlset> tag?

The xmlns attribute defines the XML namespace, telling search engines this file follows the sitemap protocol. Without it, the sitemap might not be recognized correctly (see execution_table step 2).

Can we add URLs without the <loc> tag inside <url>?

No, the <loc> tag is required to specify the exact URL. Omitting it means the URL entry is incomplete and ignored by search engines (see execution_table step 4).

What happens if we forget to close the <urlset> tag?

The XML becomes invalid and search engines will reject the sitemap. Proper closing of tags is essential for well-formed XML (see execution_table step 6).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at step 4, what content is added inside the <loc> tag?

A https://example.com/home

B http://example.com/

C https://example.com/

D example.com

💡 Hint

Check the 'Content Added' column at step 4 in execution_table.

At which step is the <url> tag closed in the execution_table?

A Step 4

B Step 5

C Step 3

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look for the 'XML Tag Created' column showing a closing tag for .

If we add a second URL, how would the variable_tracker's 'XML Content' change after step 5?

A It would include two <url> blocks before closing </urlset>

B It would only have one <url> block

C It would remove the first <url> block

D It would close <urlset> early

💡 Hint

Refer to variable_tracker showing XML content growth with each URL added.

Concept Snapshot

XML Sitemap Creation:
- Start with XML declaration
- Open <urlset> with xmlns attribute
- Add one <url> block per URL
- Include <loc> tag with full URL
- Close all tags properly
- Save as sitemap.xml and submit to search engines

Full Transcript

Creating an XML sitemap involves starting with an XML declaration, opening the <urlset> tag with the required xmlns attribute, then adding a <url> block for each web page. Each <url> block must contain a <loc> tag specifying the full URL. After adding all URLs, close the <urlset> tag to complete the XML. This sitemap file helps search engines find and index your website pages efficiently.