If you're searching "shopify sitemap seo", you're likely trying to understand how Shopify's sitemap works, how to submit it to Google, and how to make sure all your pages get indexed.
Good. Indexing is one of the most important (and most misunderstood) parts of Shopify SEO. Without proper indexing, even perfectly optimized product pages will never appear in search results.
As CEO of Topify, I've reviewed thousands of Shopify sitemaps and indexation issues. This guide explains exactly how Shopify sitemaps work — and how to control what Google crawls.
1. What Is a Sitemap & Why Shopify SEO Depends on It
The sitemap is a file that lists all URLs Shopify wants Google to crawl and index. For Shopify stores, it lives at:
https://yourstore.com/sitemap.xml
Why it matters:
- Google discovers new pages faster.
- You ensure all products/collections are included.
- You reduce the risk of pages being missed or ignored.
- You increase crawl efficiency, especially on large stores.
In short: If Google can't find your pages, it can't rank them. The sitemap solves this.
2. How Shopify Automatically Generates the Sitemap
Shopify creates and updates your sitemap automatically — you don't need plugins.
Your main sitemap links to smaller sitemaps:
/sitemap_products_1.xml/sitemap_collections_1.xml/sitemap_pages_1.xml/sitemap_blogs_1.xml/sitemap_articles_1.xml
Every time you publish, unpublish, or change content, Shopify updates the relevant sitemap.
Good news:
You never need to "regenerate" your sitemap — Shopify does it instantly.
3. How to Submit Your Shopify Sitemap to Google Search Console
This is the core step of shopify sitemap seo — making sure Google knows where your sitemap is.
Steps:
- Open Google Search Console.
- Select your domain property.
- Go to Indexing → Sitemaps.
- Enter:
sitemap.xml - Click Submit.
After submitting, check:
- Status = Success
- Discovered URLs = matches your expected page count
Tip: You only need to submit your sitemap once per domain. Shopify updates it automatically — GSC fetches new versions over time.
4. What Shopify Automatically Includes in the Sitemap
Shopify includes:
- live product pages
- active collections
- published pages
- blogs + articles
- store policies (sometimes)
Shopify excludes:
- unpublished products
- hidden collections
- duplicate URLs
- filtered / faceted pages
This protects you from index bloat — too many low-value URLs that dilute crawl budget.
5. How to Check Which Pages Are Indexed
Submitting your sitemap is only half the job. Now you must verify which URLs Google actually indexed.
Method 1 — Search Console "Pages" report
- Go to Indexing → Pages.
- Filter by "Indexed" or "Not Indexed."
- Look for products stuck in "Crawled — not indexed."
Method 2 — URL Inspection tool
- Paste any product or collection URL.
- Check "URL is on Google" or "URL not indexed."
- Request indexing if needed.
This tells you exactly where indexing fails.
6. Why Some Shopify Pages Don't Get Indexed
Even with a correct sitemap, some pages won't index. Common reasons:
- Thin content (short descriptions, no text)
- Duplicate content (variants, similar products)
- Missing internal links (Google can't find enough signals)
- Poor performance (slow theme, huge images)
- Blocked by robots.txt (rare, but possible)
- No demand (Google sees no search value)
Fix: improve on-page SEO, add internal links, expand content, and check your theme's structure.
7. Best Practices for Shopify Sitemap SEO
Follow these to ensure clean indexation:
- ✔ Keep product & collection content unique.
- ✔ Link products to collections (and vice versa).
- ✔ Add descriptive alt text to images.
- ✔ Avoid creating unnecessary pages.
- ✔ Use clean URL handles (no numbers or special chars).
- ✔ Remove old or duplicate products that add "noise."
- ✔ Make sure every high-value page is internally linked.
Internal linking is the #1 factor merchants underestimate.
8. How to Remove URLs From the Shopify Sitemap
You can't edit the sitemap directly — Shopify doesn't allow manual editing.
But you can remove URLs indirectly:
- Unpublish a product or page.
- Unlink a "hidden" collection.
- Set products to "draft" (they won't appear in the sitemap).
- Avoid generating unnecessary blog tags & collections.
Within 24–48 hours, Shopify updates your sitemap.
9. Shopify Sitemap SEO for Large Stores (1,000+ Products)
For big stores, indexation problems get worse. Here's how to avoid them:
- Group products into well-structured collections.
- Avoid duplicate variants (similar SKUs with minor changes).
- Use internal linking frameworks (collections → products → guides).
- Keep descriptions long and unique.
- Monitor crawl behavior in Topify's analytics.
Large catalogs need clean hierarchy — or Google will ignore large parts of your store.
10. Use Topify to Track Indexing & Sitemap Issues Automatically
Submitting your sitemap is easy. Knowing which pages Google actually indexes — and which ones bring revenue — is hard.
Topify connects to your Google Search Console and shows:
- indexed vs non-indexed product pages
- pages stuck in "crawled, not indexed"
- which collections Google considers important
- which pages lose visibility over time
- how indexation affects revenue
This lets Shopify merchants fix SEO issues in minutes instead of blindly guessing.
11. Shopify Sitemap SEO Checklist (Copy & Paste)
- ✅ Verify
/sitemap.xmlloads correctly - ✅ Submit sitemap in Google Search Console
- ✅ Check indexed vs non-indexed pages weekly
- ✅ Improve thin or duplicate pages
- ✅ Add internal links to isolated pages
- ✅ Keep URL handles short & clean
- ✅ Use descriptive alt text & optimized images
- ✅ Remove pages/products you don't want indexed
- ✅ Track indexation issues with Topify
Final Thoughts from Udjin
Sitemap SEO is the foundation of every Shopify store's visibility. Without proper indexing, no amount of content or links will help you rank.
Focus on:
- a clean sitemap,
- strong internal linking,
- unique product & collection content,
- and consistent indexation monitoring.
Do this, and Google will crawl more often, index more reliably, and reward your store with higher rankings. And with Topify, you'll always know which pages are discovered, indexed, and bringing real revenue from search.
