Free and Pro guide
Build a useful HTML sitemap in WordPress.
Start with a ready-made sitemap draft, configure a visitor-friendly block in the editor, or maintain an established shortcode workflow. This guide covers Simple Sitemap 3.9.2 Free and Pro, including consistent spacing, focused content selection, and richer product and child-page sitemaps.
Quick start
Publish your first sitemap
- Create a Page. Give it a clear title such as “Sitemap”.
- Insert a starter pattern. Open the inserter, choose Patterns → Simple Sitemap, then select Posts and Pages, Tabbed Posts and Pages, or Child Pages. You can also add an individual sitemap block.
- Choose the content. Select the block and use the sidebar to set content, ordering, labels, exclusions, pagination, and presentation.
- Preview the public result. Test every tab and link while signed out, then publish the Page.
Simple Sitemap creates a visible HTML sitemap for people browsing your site. It does not replace the XML sitemap used by search engines.
Checkpoint: the editor should show a live preview, and the block sidebar should expose controls relevant to the selected sitemap type.
Show a post index in manageable batches
Linked pagination is included in Simple Sitemap Free. Instead of one long list, visitors can use numbered links and Next or Previous to browse another batch of posts. This does not create extra WordPress Pages.
- Open Simple Sitemap → Home and choose the Paginated posts starter. It creates a private draft, not a published Page.
- Select the Content Sitemap block. Under General Settings, choose Posts as the content type.
- In Pagination, turn on Enable linked pagination and set Entries per page. The starter uses 25; choose a number that suits your site.
- Preview the draft and check Next and Previous before publishing. You need more matching published posts than your chosen entries-per-page value for the controls to appear.
Prefer a shortcode? This example shows five posts at a time:
[simple-sitemap types="post" paginate="true" page_size="5" id="journal-index"]Give each paginated shortcode a different id when you use several on one Page.
Try the live pagination example.
| What visitors need | Free | Pro adds |
|---|---|---|
| Browse a long post list | Linked pagination in the Content block and shortcode | Optional search within the entries currently displayed |
| Browse posts by topic | Grouped sitemaps with linked pagination for individual sections | Search with matching topic headings preserved |
| Choose individual posts or Pages | Basic include/exclude ID controls | Per-section and taxonomy selection rules |
Pro search filters the current result page. It does not search other result pages or your whole website.
Choose the right sitemap block
Start with the block that matches the structure visitors need. Free includes three complete sitemap workflows; Pro adds four specialist blocks and deeper controls to the existing ones.
Core sitemap blocks
List published posts and Pages, use one continuous list or responsive tabs, and control labels, links, excerpts, ordering, include/exclude IDs, and pagination.
Group posts under categories or tags, then control term limits, item ordering, labels, excerpts, links, and per-section pagination. Pro can focus the block on one searched-for term.
Display the published child-page hierarchy beneath a chosen parent, optionally show that parent as a linked root, and control depth, order, and spacing.
Specialist sitemap blocks
Publish a hierarchy of terms from any public taxonomy, with include/exclude rules, depth, counts, ordering, and empty-term controls.
Turn a saved WordPress menu into a curated sitemap and optionally include or exclude individual menu items.
List post-type, date, author, or taxonomy archives with link limits, headings, counts, ordering, and nofollow control.
Build a bounded WooCommerce product sitemap by category, sale state, stock status, featured state, or exact product IDs, with optional images, prices, SKUs, excerpts, and stock labels.
Use Simple Sitemap when…
You need a straightforward list of posts, Pages, or—with Pro—another public content type.
Use Simple Sitemap Group when…
Visitors should browse entries under terms such as categories, tags, or—with Pro—a custom taxonomy.
Free and Pro feature guide
Free is a capable HTML sitemap plugin for posts and Pages. Pro is for structured sites that need custom content, specialist sitemap types, advanced presentation, or integration-aware filtering.
| Capability | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Core content sitemaps | Posts and Pages | Posts, Pages, and public custom post types |
| Included blocks | Simple Sitemap, Group, and Child Pages | All Free blocks plus Taxonomy Terms, Navigation Menu, Archive Links, and WooCommerce Products |
| Content selection | Search for posts or Pages to include or exclude by ID | Custom content, taxonomy-term rules, subtree exclusions, and per-section rules |
| Ordering and scale | Multiple sort modes, term limits, and linked pagination | Per-section ordering and limits plus additional large-site controls |
| Visitor search | Not included | Optional filtering within Content and Grouped sitemaps, in blocks and shortcodes, with a custom placeholder, live result count, and Clear control |
| Presentation | Standard lists, responsive tabs, labels, excerpts, links, Page depth, and global or per-sitemap item and nested spacing | Horizontal layouts, images, separators, nofollow, colour, spacing, line-height, width, and breakpoint controls |
| Child Pages | Parent, optional linked parent root, depth, ordering, and spacing | Hierarchical custom post types, include/exclude rules, descendant removal, excerpts, separators, exact square featured-image thumbnails, and nofollow |
| WooCommerce products | Not included | Category, sale, stock, featured, and exact-product filters with optional images, prices, SKUs, excerpts, and stock labels |
| SEO and languages | Normal public WordPress content queries | Optional noindex filtering for Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and SEOPress; current-language filtering for WPML and Polylang |
| Shortcodes | [simple-sitemap] and [simple-sitemap-group] | Enhanced core shortcodes plus child-page, taxonomy-term, and navigation-menu shortcodes |
| Support | Public WordPress.org support forum | Private customer support and updates while the licence is active |
Important: basic include-only and exclude-by-ID controls for posts and Pages, spacing presets, and the linked-parent Child Pages option are included in Free. You do not need Pro for those controls.
Follow the visual workflow
The surrounding WordPress editor may look different with another WordPress version or theme, but the sitemap workflow remains the same: select a block, configure its sidebar, preview the result, and check the published Page.
Settings reference
Select a sitemap block to open its settings. Only controls that apply to that block and edition are shown.
| Control | What it changes | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Content types | Select the lists shown by the Content block. | Every selected type has published, publicly viewable entries. |
| Include / exclude | Search for exact posts or Pages, or enter a comma-separated ID list. | An include list intentionally hides every item not named. |
| Order / order by | Sort by title, author, date, ID, menu order, comment count, or random order. | The order makes sense to visitors, not only administrators. |
| Labels and excerpts | Add context above each section and beneath individual items. | Long excerpts do not make the sitemap harder to scan. |
| Links and new tabs | Use linked or plain-text items and optional new-tab behaviour. | New tabs are genuinely useful and not enabled by habit. |
| Responsive tabs | Separate content types within a compact interface. | Every tab works with a keyboard and at narrow widths. |
| Page depth | Control how much of the Page hierarchy is displayed. | Child Pages appear under the intended parent. |
| Sitemap spacing | Choose Inherit, Compact, Comfortable, or Custom globally, then override individual blocks or shortcodes only where necessary. | Item spacing and nested-level spacing remain consistent across the Page and fit the active theme. |
| Show parent page | Display the selected Child Pages parent as the linked root of the hierarchy. | The parent provides useful context rather than repeating the Page heading. |
| Pagination | Split large lists into bounded pages; the default page size is 50. | Each sitemap on the Page has a distinct ID when necessary. |
Let visitors search a sitemap (Pro)
Enable front-end search in the Content or Grouped Sitemap block, or add search="true" to its shortcode. An optional search_placeholder gives the field a useful prompt for your content.
[simple-sitemap types="page,post" search="true" search_placeholder="Find a page or article…"]
[simple-sitemap-group tax="category" search="true" search_placeholder="Find a topic…"]The search filters item titles and displayed excerpts in the sitemap currently on screen. Matching child items retain their parent path, and Grouped sitemaps retain the relevant topic heading. Each search field works independently, even when several sitemaps appear on the same Page.
With pagination: search filters the current result page, not every page of the directory. Pagination links remain available when there are no matches. Use Clear to restore the list and return focus to the field. Without JavaScript, the complete server-rendered list remains available.
Start with Searchable content directory on the plugin Home page, or Paginated posts in Free when a long article list simply needs shorter result pages.
Use shortcodes when you need them
Blocks and starter patterns are recommended for new Pages. Existing classic-editor and page-builder layouts can keep their shortcodes; upgrading does not require replacing them.
Content sitemap
[simple-sitemap types="page,post" orderby="title" order="asc"]Common options include types, order, orderby, show_excerpt, show_label, links, page_depth, include, exclude, paginate, and page_size.
Grouped sitemap
[simple-sitemap-group tax="category" orderby="title" order="asc"]Use tax for the taxonomy, then control item order, excerpts, labels, links, Page depth, term limits, and per-section pagination.
Child pages
[simple-sitemap-child child_of="42" title_li="@" separator="true" image="true" image_size="24" spacing_preset="compact"]Build a compact child hierarchy with its linked parent, subtle item separators, and small featured-image thumbnails. Includes, exclusions, excerpts, nofollow, and hierarchical content types remain available.
Terms and menus
[simple-sitemap-tax taxonomy="category" show_count="true"]
[simple-sitemap-menu menu="primary" label="Site navigation"]Use specialist shortcodes when a block is unavailable in an established builder workflow.
Pagination example: [simple-sitemap types="page" paginate="true" page_size="50" id="main-pages"]. Add a unique id when more than one similar sitemap appears on the same Page.
Advanced Pro controls
Pro extends the same editor-first workflow rather than replacing it. Enable advanced controls only when they solve a clear content or presentation requirement.
- Custom content: select public custom post types and custom taxonomies.
- Per-section rules: use different ordering, limits, and include/exclude rules for individual Content block sections.
- Focused grouped sitemaps: search for one taxonomy term when a category or another term needs its own directory.
- Presentation: show featured images, remove list icons, add separators, create horizontal lists, and control colours, spacing, width, and responsive breakpoints.
- Clearer child hierarchies: add optional separators and exact square featured-image thumbnails without distorting older non-square images.
- SEO awareness: optionally omit content explicitly marked noindex by Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or SEOPress.
- Language awareness: optionally limit results to the current WPML or Polylang language.
- WooCommerce: filter products by category, sale state, stock status, featured state, or exact product IDs and show selected product details.
- Developer extension: use the plugin’s filters when a project needs a controlled custom rule.
Large-site advice: enable bounded pagination, set deliberate limits, and avoid loading every entry when a sitemap covers a very large content library.
Troubleshooting
The sitemap is not showing the content I expected
Confirm the selected content type, publication status, include/exclude rules, taxonomy, and ordering. Preview while signed out so private or draft content does not affect the test.
A sitemap becomes empty after adding include rules
An include list intentionally removes every item not named. Clear the include field, confirm the list returns, then add the required items again using the content search control or valid IDs.
The layout looks different in the editor and on the front end
Check the public Page at desktop and narrow widths. Theme styles can affect list spacing and typography, while the plugin controls the sitemap structure and responsive behaviour.
The grouped sitemap is empty
Confirm that the chosen content type uses the selected taxonomy and that published items are assigned to visible terms. Temporarily remove term and item rules to identify which filter removes the expected content.
The tabs or links do not respond
Check for a JavaScript error, temporarily disable optimisation that combines or delays scripts, and test with a default WordPress theme on a non-production copy. Re-enable each layer separately once the conflict is identified.
Do existing shortcodes still work?
Yes. Blocks provide the visual workflow, while the established Free and Pro shortcodes remain available for existing content and page builders.
Is this an XML sitemap plugin?
No. It creates an HTML sitemap for visitors. WordPress or your SEO plugin can continue providing an XML sitemap for search engines.
Include this context with a support request
- Simple Sitemap version and Free or Pro edition.
- WordPress, PHP, active theme, and editor or page-builder versions.
- The block name or shortcode, with private IDs and URLs removed.
- Steps that reproduce the issue and the result you expected.
- A screenshot of the block settings and published result when relevant.
Still stuck?
Choose support for your edition.
Pro customers can sign in for private support connected to their purchase. Free-edition questions belong in the public WordPress.org forum.