Your site just crossed into the thousands of pages, and the single sitemap you set up years ago is now a file nobody can debug. You need a plan for what goes in, what stays out, and how to split it. These seven Gemini prompts for XML sitemap plans walk through that decision.
Quick checklist for sitemap plans
- — Every URL in the sitemap can be indexed and returns a 200.
- — No redirects, 404s, or noindex pages are included.
- — Sitemaps are split by content type, not dumped in one file.
- — Each sitemap stays under the file size and URL-count limits.
- — The sitemap index links to every child sitemap.
- — Last-modified dates reflect real edits.
The prompts
1. Decide what belongs
My site has these page types: [page types]. Tell me which ones belong in an XML sitemap and which should be excluded, with one reason each.What it does: Filters the sitemap down to indexable pages only.
How to use: Replace [page types] with your actual templates.
2. Plan the split
I have about [page count] pages across [content types]. Propose a sitemap structure that splits the files by content type, and name each file.What it does: Keeps each sitemap small enough to manage.
How to use: Replace [page count] and [content types].
3. Build the index
Write the XML for a sitemap index that references these child sitemaps: [sitemap URLs]. Include the correct tags and one lastmod value per file.What it does: Ties the child sitemaps together in one index file.
How to use: Replace [sitemap URLs]; confirm each file exists.
4. Set the lastmod rule
For a blog with [publish frequency] new posts, describe when lastmod should change and when it should stay the same. Give me a rule the CMS can follow.What it does: Prevents fake freshness signals that can hurt trust.
How to use: Replace [publish frequency] with your real cadence.
5. Exclude the dead weight
Here are URLs I am unsure about: [URL list]. For each one, tell me whether to include or exclude it, and why.What it does: Cleans out the pages that should never be listed.
How to use: Replace [URL list]; check each flag against the live page.
6. Reference it correctly
My sitemap lives at [sitemap URL]. Write the robots.txt line that points to it, and note where the sitemap URL should also be submitted.What it does: Makes sure search tools can actually find the sitemap.
How to use: Replace [sitemap URL]; keep one reference, not several.
7. Audit the plan
Review my sitemap plan: [paste plan]. List anything that violates sitemap rules or that could confuse a crawler, and say how to fix each issue.What it does: Catches mistakes before the file goes live.
How to use: Paste your [plan] once you have the structure drafted.
How to judge your sitemap plan
- Every URL listed is one you would want indexed tomorrow.
- No single file holds more URLs than the limit allows.
- You can point to the index and trace every page back to a sitemap.
Keep going
- Browse the SEO prompt library
- 5 Gemini prompts for robots.txt rules
- 5 ChatGPT prompts for keyword research
- 5 Claude prompts for blog names
These prompts are free to use. Copy them, tweak the [variables], ship something.