In short. Enter comma-separated WordPress content IDs in Rank Math SEO > Sitemap Settings > General > Exclude Posts, then save the changes.
Definition: A sitemap lists website content URLs for search engines. As of 17 October 2026, Rank Math's Exclude Posts setting accepts comma-separated WordPress content IDs to remove selected posts, pages and custom post types from its sitemap.
Key facts
- Rank Math's sitemap settings documentation places Exclude Posts in the General section and requires numeric IDs.
- Rank Math's sitemap troubleshooting guide states that the plugin generates sitemaps at runtime.
- Rank Math's Advanced tab documentation provides a separate No Index option for requesting that search engines exclude a page from their index.
How is a post's ID found?
A WordPress content ID is the number WordPress assigns internally to a post, page or custom post. Rank Math's Exclude Posts instructions identify it in the editor URL. Opening the relevant post for editing exposes the number after post= in the browser's address bar.
The documentation gives this example:
yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1&action=edit
The ID in that example is 1. The value entered in Exclude Posts is therefore:
1
For several exclusions, the field takes the corresponding numeric IDs separated by commas.
Where are the IDs entered and saved?
The route is Rank Math SEO > Sitemap Settings > General > Exclude Posts. Rank Math's configuration guide documents this field for individual content exclusions, including pages and custom post types.
The Posts tab also has an Include in Sitemap switch that controls inclusion for posts as a content type. The General section's ID field provides selection of individual items within that content.
After entering the IDs, Save Changes at the bottom right saves the configuration. The same guide states that leaving the settings page without saving loses the changes. A confirmation message appears at the top after the settings are saved.
How is the result checked?
Rank Math's sitemap settings guide locates the Posts sitemap URL at the top of the Posts settings page; the Pages tab similarly displays its sitemap URL. Opening the appropriate sitemap and searching for the excluded content's URL checks the generated output after saving.
If the sitemap displays a blank or white page, Rank Math's troubleshooting guide recommends inspecting its source code. Where source data exists, the guide identifies flushing the sitemap cache and excluding the sitemap from the caching plugin as corrective steps.
Related terms
- XML sitemap
- How do I enable a sitemap in Rank Math?
- How do I set noindex on a page in Rank Math?
- How do I exclude a taxonomy from Rank Math sitemaps?
FAQ
Can I enter a post's public URL in Exclude Posts?
Rank Math's instructions require the numeric WordPress ID. You can find it after post= in the editor URL and enter just the number.
Can I exclude a page with the same field?
Yes. The same Rank Math documentation explicitly includes pages and custom post types among the content supported by Exclude Posts.
How do I also keep the page out of Google Search?
Rank Math's Advanced tab offers the page-level No Index option, which requests exclusion from search indexing. Google's noindex documentation requires the page to remain accessible to its crawler so the rule can be read; blocking it through robots.txt prevents that access.
Sources
- Rank Math, "How to Configure Sitemaps in Rank Math", undated
- Rank Math, "Rank Math Sitemap Issues and Their Fixes", undated
- Rank Math, "Advanced Tab in Rank Math Meta Box", undated
- Google Search Central, "Block Search indexing with noindex", undated
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