How to Create an XML Sitemap in Joomla

What you'll need	Details
Joomla site	Joomla 4.x, 5.x, or 6.x (this guide uses Joomla 6.1)
Admin access	Super User or an account with Extensions: Install permission
Sitemap extension	OSMap Free (or OSMap Pro for advanced features)
Google Search Console account	Free — needed to submit the sitemap to Google
Time required	~10 minutes

An XML sitemap is a file that lists every page you want search engines to crawl and index. Joomla doesn't generate one out of the box, so this guide walks through installing OSMap, configuring which content appears in the sitemap, and submitting it to Google Search Console. Steps and screenshots below reflect Joomla 6.1 and OSMap 5.1, but the same workflow applies to Joomla 4 and 5.

Step 1: Download OSMap

Go to the official OSMap page on the Joomla Extension Directory or the Joomlashack website and download the free package. You'll receive a ZIP file such as com_osmap_free_5.1.7.zip — do not unzip it, Joomla installs it directly.

🖼️ [SCREENSHOT NEEDED] OSMap download page showing the "Free" download button and version number

Step 2: Install OSMap in Joomla

In the Joomla administrator, go to System → Install → Extensions (or Extensions → Manage → Install on older Joomla versions). On the "Upload Package File" tab, click to select the OSMap ZIP file you downloaded, then click Upload & Install. Joomla will confirm a successful installation within a few seconds.

🖼️ [SCREENSHOT NEEDED] Joomla admin, System → Install → Extensions screen with the OSMap ZIP file selected, ready to click "Upload & Install"

Step 3: Configure the Default Sitemap

Go to Components → OSMap. You'll land on the Sitemaps manager showing a default sitemap already created for you. Click on Default Sitemap to open it, then select which menus and menu items should be included. By default OSMap pulls from your Main Menu — review the tree and untick any items you don't want search engines to index (e.g., a login page or a private form).

🖼️ [SCREENSHOT NEEDED] OSMap Default Sitemap edit screen, menu tree expanded, showing checkboxes next to each menu item that will be included in the sitemap

Step 4: Set Up Content-Specific Sitemap Options

Click the Extensions tab on the left sidebar, then select OSMap – Joomla Content. This controls how Joomla articles are added to the sitemap — priority, change frequency, and whether unpublished or archived content is excluded. The default settings work well for most sites; adjust only if you have a specific crawl-priority strategy.

Step 5: Publish and View Your Sitemap

Back on the OSMap Sitemaps manager, confirm the green checkmark next to Default Sitemap — this means it's published. Click the Sitemap Links to preview each format:

Format	Purpose
XML	The version search engines read. This is what you'll submit to Google.
HTML	A human-readable sitemap page you can link to from your site footer.
News	Formatted for Google News (relevant only if your site is approved for Google News).
Images	Lists image URLs for Google Image search.

📊 [SCREENSHOT NEEDED] OSMap Sitemaps manager list view, showing the green published checkmark and the row of Sitemap Links (XML / HTML / News / Images) for the Default Sitemap

Right-click the XML link and copy the URL — it typically looks like https://yourdomain.com/index.php?option=com_osmap&view=xml&id=1, or a clean URL like https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml if you've set a menu alias for it. You'll need this URL in the next step.

Step 6: Reference the Sitemap in robots.txt (Optional but Recommended)

Open your site's robots.txt file (in the Joomla root directory) and add a line pointing to your sitemap:

Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/index.php?option=com_osmap&view=xml&id=1

This helps any crawler discover the sitemap automatically, not just Google. Note that Google retired its sitemap ping API in January 2024 — adding the sitemap to robots.txt and submitting it in Search Console (next step) are now the recommended methods, not pinging a URL directly.

Step 7: Submit the Sitemap to Google Search Console

Log in to Google Search Console and select your property. In the left sidebar, click Sitemaps, paste the XML sitemap URL you copied earlier into the field, and click Submit.

🖼️ [SCREENSHOT NEEDED] Google Search Console, Sitemaps section, with the Joomla sitemap URL entered in the "Add a new sitemap" field just before clicking Submit

Once submitted, Search Console will show a status of "Success" within a few minutes to a few hours, along with the number of discovered URLs. If it shows "Couldn't fetch," double-check that the XML link is publicly accessible (not blocked by robots.txt or a login wall) and resubmit.

Step 8: Verify Indexing Over Time

Sitemap submission doesn't guarantee instant indexing. Check back in Search Console under Pages over the following days to see how many submitted URLs get indexed versus excluded, and review any listed reasons for exclusion (duplicate content, noindex tags, crawl errors) so you can fix them.

🧯 Common Mistakes to Avoid

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Does Joomla have a built-in XML sitemap feature?

No. Joomla core does not generate an XML sitemap automatically. You need an extension such as OSMap, JSitemap, or Aimy Sitemap to create and maintain one.

Is OSMap free to use?

Yes. OSMap Free covers standard Joomla article sitemaps, HTML/XML/Images/News output, and works on Joomla 3 through 6. OSMap Pro adds support for third-party components like K2 and VirtueMart, plus priority support.

Where do I find my Joomla sitemap URL?

Go to Components → OSMap in your Joomla admin panel, then click the XML link under Sitemap Links to view or copy the URL.

Do I need to manually submit my sitemap to Google?

Yes. Since Google retired its ping API in 2024, submit the sitemap URL through Google Search Console's Sitemaps section, and optionally reference it in robots.txt so other crawlers find it too.

Which Joomla versions does OSMap support?

OSMap officially supports Joomla 3, 4, 5, and 6, and is actively maintained with regular compatibility updates.

What's the difference between an XML and HTML sitemap?

The XML sitemap is machine-readable and meant for search engine crawlers. The HTML sitemap is a normal page on your site that human visitors can browse to find content, and it's optional but useful for navigation.

➡️ What's Next

Once your sitemap is submitted, review your robots.txt rules and Global Configuration SEO settings (SEF URLs, canonical URLs) to make sure Joomla isn't accidentally blocking the same pages you just asked Google to crawl.