In short. Enable entity-type support, configure sitemap inclusion, generate the sitemap manually or through cron, and inspect /sitemap.xml.
Definition: Simple XML Sitemap is a Drupal module that generates XML files listing website URLs for search engines. Setup consists of enabling content inclusion, configuring the sitemap, and running generation manually or through scheduled Drupal tasks.
Key facts
- As of 17 October 2026, Drupal's Simple XML Sitemap project record describes support for content entities, including nodes and taxonomy terms, plus views and custom links.
- The module's release README states that the default sitemap initially contains only the home page and is available at
/sitemap.xml. - Google's sitemap guidance states that Google ignores the optional
<priority>and<changefreq>values that sitemap tools can provide.
Where is sitemap content configured?
For an installed module, the README's configuration instructions identify these administration paths:
/admin/config/search/simplesitemap
/admin/config/search/simplesitemap/entities
/admin/config/search/simplesitemap/settings
The first page lists sitemap instances, meaning separately configured sitemaps. The module supplies an instance named default. The entities page enables support for content entity types, which are categories of Drupal content such as nodes or taxonomy terms. After a type is enabled, its Configure control sets inclusion for each sitemap.
A bundle is a subtype of an entity type, such as a content type for nodes. Inclusion can also be configured on its own administration page, using the documented path pattern:
/admin/structure/types/manage/[content type]
Bundle settings can be overridden on individual content edit forms. Ordinary entity links must be accessible to anonymous visitors to appear in the sitemap; the README separately exempts links supplied through module hooks from access checks.
How is generation started and kept current?
The README's usage instructions place manual generation at /admin/config/search/simplesitemap. That page also reports overall generation status and the status of each sitemap.
When inclusion settings change, the Regenerate sitemaps after clicking save option requests immediate regeneration. The option may appear only after the module detects a settings change.
For command-line operation, Drush, Drupal's command-line tool, runs the documented generation command:
drush simple-sitemap:generate
The command continues work already in the generation queue, the pending work list. When the queue is empty, it rebuilds the queue for all sitemaps before generating them.
For recurring updates, enabling cron generation uses the Sitemap generation interval setting. Cron is Drupal's scheduled task mechanism. Each sitemap is published after all its links are generated, while the previous sitemap remains accessible during generation.
How is the generated sitemap checked?
The module README gives /sitemap.xml as the default sitemap location and [sitemap]/sitemap.xml as the location pattern for individual instances. Opening the default location and inspecting its XML source allows a review of the generated URLs against the configured content types.
Google's submission instructions direct site owners to the Search Console Sitemaps report. It shows when Googlebot accesses the sitemap and reports potential processing errors. The same guidance requires fully qualified, absolute URLs in sitemap entries.
Related terms
- XML sitemap
- How do I exclude a Drupal entity from Simple XML Sitemap?
- How does Drupal Simple XML Sitemap handle translations?
- Does submitting a sitemap ensure indexing?
FAQ
Why does my sitemap contain only the home page?
The release README documents this initial state. You can enable entity-type support at /admin/config/search/simplesitemap/entities, configure inclusion, and regenerate the sitemap.
Can I include Drupal Views pages?
You can enable the optional simple_sitemap_views submodule. The same README places per-sitemap inclusion settings on the view edit page and supports views with arguments.
Sources
- Drupal.org, "Simple XML sitemap" project record, accessed 17 October 2026
- Simple XML Sitemap maintainers, "README.md", release 4.2.3, accessed 17 October 2026
- Google Search Central, "Build and submit a sitemap", updated 8 July 2026
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