Where is the Sitemap on BigCommerce?

E-commerce platforms can be complex terrain, even for seasoned online store-owners. One such dilemma many often face is locating the sitemap on the BigCommerce website. If this sounds familiar, Epic Design Labs, a leading BigCommerce development agency, has got you covered. Our CEO, Kal, not only understands the intricacies from a store owner's perspective but also as a developer. In a recently released video, he offers an insightful guide on where to locate your sitemap on BigCommerce.

Understanding the Two Types of Sitemaps

For many, the term 'sitemap' may be singular in their vocabulary, but did you know there are two types of sitemaps?

• Visual Sitemap: This is an HTML page where you can see links leading to the significant areas on your site. It's accessible via the sitemap link that's commonly found in your footer and directs you to sitemap.php. Most themes automatically include this when installed. This sitemap serves as a beacon for various crawlers to discover the pivotal sections of your site.

• XML Sitemap: This is probably the one you're on the hunt for. This BigCommerce sitemap URL is positioned at URL/xmlsitemap.php, this is the one you submit to search engines like Google. The intent is to help crawlers navigate your site efficiently, accelerating the indexing process. And guess what? This is a hard-coded URL, meaning it is uniform across various themes. This is the one you want to give to Google Search Console to improve your performance on their search engine.

Diving Deeper: XML Sitemap Structure

The XML sitemap index isn’t just a simple list. Instead:

• It comprises four to six main links, which lead to what Kal affectionately terms sub-sitemaps or lower-level sitemaps.

• These sitemaps segregate the content into categories, ensuring Google's search engine crawlers seamlessly navigate through them. Submitting just the BigCommerce XML sitemap dot php link to Google suffices, as their technology dives into each of these subsequent links.

Are you curious to see this website in action? Visual demonstrations always simplify complex topics. Click to watch the video above and let Kal guide you through the nuances of the BigCommerce sitemap.

Watch the video above to learn more.