In short. Squarespace generates and updates its sitemap automatically, with page settings affecting inclusion rather than direct file editing.
Definition: A Squarespace sitemap is an automatically generated file listing site URLs and image metadata. As of 17 October 2026, Squarespace documents that site owners cannot directly edit this file; changes to site content and page settings affect its contents.
Key facts
- Squarespace's sitemap documentation says the sitemap updates automatically when site content is added or removed.
- Squarespace's search exclusion guide distinguishes page settings, which remove a hidden page from the sitemap, from code injection, which leaves it listed.
- Google's sitemap overview explains that pages listed in a sitemap can still remain uncrawled or unindexed.
What does Squarespace generate automatically?
Squarespace's sitemap guide describes automatic generation of site URLs and image metadata. Its answer to whether the sitemap can be edited for SEO is no. The guide points site owners toward built-in SEO tools for changing page information, including heading tags.
Squarespace also assigns sitemap priority values by page type: the homepage receives 1.00, other pages receive 0.75, and blog posts receive 0.50. The same guide describes these as signals of internal site hierarchy and says they do not directly influence search result rankings. These values are part of the generated file.
Which settings affect sitemap inclusion?
Squarespace's search exclusion instructions describe a page setting that adds noindex, an instruction asking search engines to exclude the page from results. The control, Hide page from search results, is in the Pages panel, under the page's settings and SEO tab.
Turning this setting on also removes the page from the sitemap. The built-in option is available in all plans, but homepages and individual collection items have no such toggle.
Code injection is a separate method for adding noindex: it inserts custom code into a page header. Squarespace explicitly says a page hidden through this method stays in the sitemap. A sitemap inclusion check therefore needs to account for which method applies to the page.
Site availability also affects access to the file. The sitemap guide says a private or password-protected site must be made Public for its sitemap to load. Trial sites and parking pages have no sitemap available.
How can an update be checked?
Squarespace's sitemap instructions give these browser address formats:
https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
https://sitename.squarespace.com/sitemap.xml
The first uses the primary custom domain; the second uses the built-in Squarespace site name. After a content change, the documented update usually appears within an hour, though it can take up to 24 hours. Checking the generated file after that interval helps establish whether the change appears in the sitemap.
Related terms
- XML sitemap
- Where is a Squarespace sitemap and what does it contain?
- Does hiding a Squarespace page remove it from the sitemap?
- How do I hide a Squarespace page from search results?
FAQ
Can I remove a page by adding noindex through code injection?
You can add the instruction, but Squarespace's comparison of exclusion methods says the page stays in the sitemap. Its built-in page setting removes the page from that file.
Does an updated sitemap mean Google has indexed my page?
No. Google's sitemap documentation says sitemap entries may remain uncrawled or unindexed. A change appearing in Squarespace's file establishes that the sitemap has updated.
Sources
- Squarespace, "View your site map", 7 July 2026
- Squarespace, "Hiding your site from search results", 22 May 2026
- Google Search Central, "Learn about sitemaps", 10 December 2025
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