In short. Disable TSF’s optimized sitemap setting to use WordPress Core’s sitemap index at /wp-sitemap.xml.
Definition: The SEO Framework, also called TSF, lets you choose between its optimized sitemap output and WordPress Core sitemaps with the “Output optimized sitemap?” setting. The saved choice changes the sitemap link shown in TSF and the public sitemap path used by the site.
Key facts
- The setting is in SEO Settings → Sitemap Settings, on the General tab, under “Output optimized sitemap?” The SEO Framework’s sitemap documentation says the setting controls which sitemap link appears there.
- With optimized output, TSF uses
/sitemap.xml; with WordPress Core sitemaps, TSF points to the Core index at/wp-sitemap.xml. - WordPress Core exposes a sitemap index at
/wp-sitemap.xml. Its index lists the sitemap pages exposed by the site, according to WordPress Core’s XML sitemap documentation. - TSF’s documentation revised on 13 October 2026 says that Core sitemaps do not receive TSF’s per-language extras for WPML or Polylang.
- WordPress’s generated
robots.txtreferences the Core sitemap index, while TSF lists/sitemap.xmlwhen optimized output is enabled.
How do you switch the sitemap output?
Open SEO Settings → Sitemap Settings and find “Output optimized sitemap?” on the General tab. Enable the setting for TSF’s optimized output, or disable it so WordPress Core sitemaps can serve the public sitemap, provided another plugin or theme has not disabled Core sitemaps.
TSF changes the link shown on that settings page after the saved choice. Optimized output uses the label “View the base sitemap.” Core output uses “View the sitemap index.” The documentation says to save the setting before using the link because the page warns that its sitemap links update after saving.
The corresponding public paths are:
/sitemap.xml
/wp-sitemap.xml
The first path is TSF’s primary sitemap endpoint. The second is WordPress Core’s sitemap index. TSF also supports /sitemap_index.xml as an endpoint for hosts expecting that path, but the documentation identifies /sitemap.xml as the correctly configured primary endpoint.
What does WordPress Core provide?
WordPress introduced native sitemaps in version 5.5. The Core documentation describes the index at /wp-sitemap.xml as the main XML file that lists the site’s individual sitemap pages. It says the index can contain a maximum of 50000 sitemaps and that one sitemap can contain a maximum of 2000 entries.
Core creates sitemaps for public and publicly queryable post types and taxonomies, author archives, and the homepage by default. WordPress also exposes a robots.txt reference to the sitemap index. Developers can register custom providers through the documented sitemap provider mechanism.
What does TSF change when Core sitemaps are selected?
Selecting Core output does not remove all TSF sitemap integration. TSF documents that it augments Core sitemaps: the posts sitemap omits password-protected posts, and the users sitemap lists authors who have published posts. It also omits authors whose archive is set to noindex or redirect, while an author set to index on an individual profile remains in the users sitemap even when all author archives are set to noindex.
The users sitemap stays registered when every author archive is set to noindex. It returns a 404 error when no author is indexable. TSF also states that most Sitemap Settings on its SEO Settings page affect the sitemap when Core is selected, and that the availability of those settings changes dynamically according to the selected sitemap since TSF version 5.0.5.
Related terms
- Where is the built-in WordPress XML sitemap?
- How do I enable XML sitemaps in Yoast SEO?
- How do I enable a sitemap in Rank Math?
FAQ
Which link should you open after changing the setting?
Save the setting first. Open “View the base sitemap” for TSF output, or “View the sitemap index” for WordPress Core output. The public paths are /sitemap.xml and /wp-sitemap.xml, respectively.
Does Core output keep TSF’s language sitemap links?
No. TSF’s sitemap documentation says WordPress Core sitemaps do not receive TSF’s per-language extras for WPML or Polylang.
What should you check in robots.txt?
Check for /sitemap.xml when optimized output is enabled and for the Core index at /wp-sitemap.xml when Core output is selected. TSF documents these as the sitemap references it adds or uses in the two modes.
Sources
- The SEO Framework, "All You Must Know About Sitemaps", 13 October 2026
- WordPress Core, "New XML Sitemaps Functionality in WordPress 5.5", 22 July 2020
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