Sitemap and Robots.txt Guide for WordPress & Blogger
Master SEO indexing with our guide on creating an XML Sitemap and optimizing Robots.txt for WordPress and Blogger. Boost your Google Search Console rankings today.
How to Speed Up Indexing: A Guide to Sitemap & Robots.txt
Struggling with slow Google indexing? This technical SEO guide covers the exact steps to configure your Sitemap and Robots.txt for maximum visibility on WordPress and Blogger.
1. Creating & Submitting Your XML Sitemap
A Sitemap acts as a blueprint for search engines, helping Googlebot discover your latest content efficiently.
For WordPress Users
The most effective way is using SEO plugins like Rank Math or Yoast SEO. These tools automatically generate your sitemap at:
yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
For Blogger Users
Blogger provides a built-in sitemap. You can access it by adding the following suffix to your URL:
yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
How to Submit to Google Search Console
- Log in to your Google Search Console.
- On the left sidebar, click on Sitemaps.
- Under “Add a new sitemap,” enter:
sitemap_index.xml(for WordPress) orsitemap.xml(for Blogger). - Click Submit.
2. The Best Robots.txt Configuration
The Robots.txt file tells search engines which parts of your site they should (or shouldn’t) crawl. Use these optimized snippets:
| Platform | Recommended Code Snippet |
|---|---|
| WordPress |
User-agent: * Disallow: /wp-admin/ Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php Allow: /wp-content/uploads/ Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml |
| Blogger |
User-agent: Mediapartners-Google Disallow: User-agent: * Disallow: /search Allow: / Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml |
yourdomain.com with your actual URL. Ensure you use HTTPS if your site has an SSL certificate.
Summary for Better Ranking
Properly configuring these files is a pillar of Technical SEO. While the Sitemap ensures discovery, Robots.txt manages your crawl budget wisely.
- Sitemap: Facilitates content discovery.
- Robots.txt: Directs crawler behavior and protects sensitive directories.
