How to Submit Your Website Sitemap to Google Search Console
Overview
Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console helps Google discover your website pages and lets you monitor whether Google can retrieve and process your sitemap. Your Zibster website automatically creates and updates an XML sitemap, so you do not need to create or upload one yourself.
Your sitemap is already active even if you have not submitted it to Google Search Console. Submitting it simply gives Google another way to discover your website content and provides reporting about the sitemap.
This guide explains how to submit your Zibster sitemap, check its status, and understand the difference between pages Google has discovered and pages it has indexed.
Important Note About Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a third-party service owned and managed by Google. Zibster does not control Google's verification process, crawl schedule, indexing decisions, search rankings, or reporting tools.
Submitting a sitemap does not guarantee that Google will crawl or index every page or improve your search rankings. For help with Google's reports or indexing decisions, visit the Google Search Console Help Center.
STEP ONE
Open Google Search Console and sign in to the Google account connected to your website property.
Select the verified property for your Zibster website.
You can use either a verified Domain property or URL Prefix property. If you use a URL Prefix property, select the property that matches the complete address used by your live website, such as:
https://www.yourdomain.com/
Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.
If you have not verified your domain yet, follow our guide, How to Verify Your Domain with Google Search Console. If Zibster manages your DNS using AWS Route 53 nameservers, you can add Google's TXT verification record through your Zibster DOMAINS settings. If your DNS is managed elsewhere, add the verification record through your DNS provider or use another verification method provided by Google.
STEP TWO
Open a new browser tab and enter your sitemap URL:
https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.
Confirm that the sitemap opens. It may display XML text containing website URLs instead of a designed webpage. This is expected.
Zibster generates and maintains this file automatically. You do not need to use a sitemap generator or upload a separate sitemap file.
You can also find your sitemap URL by logging in to Zibster, clicking WEBSITE, and then clicking TRACKING at the top of the Website Builder.
For more information about your sitemap and which pages it includes, see How to Find and Control Your XML Sitemap in Zibster.
STEP THREE
Return to Google Search Console and click SITEMAPS in the left-side menu.
STEP FOUR
Check SUBMITTED SITEMAPS before adding a new submission. If your correct sitemap is already listed with a SUCCESS status, it has already been submitted successfully. You can continue to the final step to review its details.
If your sitemap is not listed, locate ADD A NEW SITEMAP.
If Google already displays your website address before the entry field, enter:
sitemap.xml
If the website address is not already displayed, enter the complete sitemap URL:
https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
Click SUBMIT.
Once submitted, you’ll see a confirmation message. Google will now begin checking your sitemap and indexing your pages.
FINAL STEP
Find your sitemap under SUBMITTED SITEMAPS and review its STATUS. Click the sitemap entry to view additional details.
A SUCCESS status means Google successfully retrieved and processed the sitemap. Processing may take some time, so check again later if the status does not update immediately.
Once your sitemap shows SUCCESS, your submission is complete. Zibster will continue updating the sitemap automatically as you make eligible changes to your Website Builder pages. Google determines when to retrieve the sitemap again and when to crawl the URLs it contains.
Understanding Your Sitemap Report
Google Search Console may provide information such as:
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LAST READ: The last time Google retrieved your sitemap file. This does not mean Google crawled every page in the sitemap on that date.
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DISCOVERED PAGES: The number of unique page URLs Google found through the sitemap. This is not the number of pages Google has indexed.
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STATUS: Whether Google successfully processed the sitemap or encountered an issue.
To review which pages Google has indexed, use the PAGE INDEXING report. You can also use URL INSPECTION to check an individual page.
Indexing means Google has added a page to its search index so that it can be considered for Google Search results. A page can be discovered without being indexed.
Helpful Notes
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Zibster automatically updates your sitemap when you add or remove Website Builder pages or change their visibility.
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Website Builder pages set to VISIBLE are included in your sitemap.
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Pages set to HIDDEN or DISABLED, as well as deleted pages, are excluded from the sitemap.
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A hidden page remains accessible through its direct URL. Removing it from your sitemap does not guarantee that Google will remove it from search results or stop discovering it through other sources.
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A disabled page is excluded from the sitemap and returns a 404 page-not-found response when someone visits its URL.
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You generally do not need to resubmit your sitemap after routine website changes because Zibster updates the existing sitemap automatically.
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Google does not provide a guaranteed timeframe for crawling or indexing your pages.
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Individual Zibster Blog post URLs are not included in your XML sitemap. Your Blog provides a separate RSS feed that you can submit through Google Search Console to help Google discover recent blog content.
For instructions, see How to Submit Your Zibster Blog RSS Feed to Google Search Console.
Troubleshooting
Your Sitemap Shows an Error
If the sitemap status shows COULDN'T FETCH or reports another error, click the sitemap entry to review the details provided by Google.
Check the submitted URL for typing errors and confirm that the sitemap opens normally in your browser.
If you use a URL Prefix property, confirm that the property matches the complete website address used by your sitemap, including HTTPS and the www version when applicable.
Some Google Search Console errors may be temporary. If the issue continues, review Google's Sitemaps report documentation. After resolving a persistent issue, you can submit the sitemap again.
If your Zibster sitemap does not open in your browser, contact Zibster Support.
Your Sitemap Is Successful, but a Page Is Not Indexed
A successful sitemap submission confirms that Google can retrieve and process your sitemap. It does not mean that Google has indexed every page listed in it.
Use the PAGE INDEXING report or URL INSPECTION in Google Search Console to review Google's information about the individual page.
Repeatedly submitting a successful sitemap does not guarantee that Google will index a page.
Want Help With Your Website SEO?
Zibster's SEO Go and SEO Go Plus Pro Services provide professional help with your website's search engine optimization. Our SEO team can help optimize your website and assist with services such as Google Search Console and sitemap setup.
You can review available Pro Services by clicking PREMIUM UPGRADES in your Zibster account.
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