Squarespace SEO guide
Squarespace sitemap: find it, submit it and check missing pages.
Find the file Google uses to discover your pages, submit it in Search Console and work out what to check when a URL seems to be missing.
Where is my Squarespace sitemap?
Your Squarespace sitemap is normally at your primary website address followed by /sitemap.xml. Squarespace creates it for you. For example:
Open your own version of that address in a browser. In Google Search Console, choose the matching property, open Sitemaps and submit that sitemap address. Squarespace’s sitemap documentation explains availability and updates.
1. Find and read your Squarespace sitemap
Use the domain visitors normally see, including its usual www version if applicable. Add /sitemap.xml after the domain, not after a page address.
Use the website address, not a page address
Use: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml
Avoid: https://www.example.com/about/sitemap.xml
The browser may show plain XML, a tree of tags or a message that the file has no style information. That appearance is normal. Look for <loc>: the address between that opening tag and </loc> is a listed URL.
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/services</loc>
</url>The listed page is /services. You are checking addresses here, not reading the page’s text.
Use Ctrl + F on Windows or Command + F on Mac to search for a page’s address or distinctive URL ending. If the file lists other sitemap files instead, open the relevant listed file and search there.
Squarespace also supports the built-in domain format https://sitename.squarespace.com/sitemap.xml, but use the primary domain for your live website’s checks. Trial sites and parking pages do not have the normal sitemap available. Updates usually appear within an hour and can take up to 24 hours, according to Squarespace.
2. Submit the sitemap in Google Search Console
You need access to a verified property for your website. If that is not set up, follow Squarespace’s Search Console verification guide first. Google requires owner permissions to submit a sitemap through the report.
- Open Google Search Console and select your website in the property selector.
- Choose Sitemaps under Indexing in the navigation.
- In Add a new sitemap, enter your sitemap location. If the field already shows your full website prefix, enter only
sitemap.xml. Otherwise enter the complete address. - Choose Submit, then review the submitted sitemap row and its status.
You are giving Google the file’s address, not uploading an XML document. If you use a URL-prefix property, check that its HTTPS and www version match the website you are testing. A Domain property covers the domain more broadly.
Success means Google read the sitemap successfully. Couldn’t fetch needs a retrieval check; errors in a readable file need the specific error details. Google explains the available statuses in its Sitemaps report guide.
3. Work through a missing page in the right order
First copy the page’s current, public address. A missing search result, an absent sitemap entry and an old address redirecting to a replacement are three different situations.
| What you find | What to check next |
|---|---|
| The whole sitemap will not load | Confirm the primary domain, the exact /sitemap.xml path and the site’s availability. Keep a genuinely private site private; do not expose it just to make a sitemap load. |
| A new page is not in the file | Check that the page is enabled, public and intended for search. If it has just changed, allow the update window before checking again. |
| The page has a password or is hidden from search | That exclusion may be intentional. Only change the setting if the page is meant to be public and discoverable. |
| The old address is absent after a move | Look for the replacement URL. Test the old address separately to confirm it redirects to the intended page. |
| You can find the URL in the sitemap | Move to URL Inspection. Rebuilding the sitemap is not the next diagnostic step. |
Squarespace excludes disabled, password-protected and search-hidden pages, and old redirect addresses, from its sitemap. It also does not list uploaded file URLs or Code Block content as separate entries. A page containing a Code Block can still have its own page URL listed. See the platform’s inclusion table.
Not linked does not mean private
A page in Squarespace’s Not linked area is simply outside the normal navigation. It can still be public and accessible to search engines. Check its actual settings rather than moving it into the main menu as a supposed fix. Squarespace explains the distinction here.
What if the homepage appears as /home?
Squarespace homepages can have both the root address and a page-slug address. Its canonical tag tells Google which version to prefer. A report showing the alternate homepage URL is not automatically a fault. Squarespace documents this homepage behaviour.
If you have changed addresses, our Squarespace redirects guide explains how to preserve the journey from an old page to its replacement.
4. If the page is listed but is not appearing in Google
A sitemap helps Google discover URLs. It does not replace useful content or links, and it does not tell you whether every page has entered Google’s index. Google describes the file’s role in its sitemap overview.
Paste the exact page URL into Search Console’s URL Inspection bar. Read the page’s status and expand Page indexing. Check when Google last crawled it, whether crawling and indexing are allowed, and which canonical URL Google selected.
If you have since fixed a problem, use Test live URL to check the current version. The initial inspection describes Google’s stored information; the live test checks the page now. After a relevant fix, you can request indexing for that URL. See Google’s URL Inspection documentation.
Give the page a useful route from the rest of your site
For a new service page, add a relevant link from its parent service page. For a collection, connect it to the shop’s navigation or related content. Use descriptive wording that helps visitors choose where to go next.
For restricted category templates, our guide to adding text and links to Squarespace category pages includes a content builder and tutorial.
Squarespace sitemap questions
Does Squarespace create a sitemap automatically?
Yes. Squarespace generates the XML sitemap for an eligible public site. Open your primary domain followed by /sitemap.xml to view it; you do not need to install a sitemap generator.
Can I edit my Squarespace sitemap?
No. Squarespace manages the XML sitemap. Change the underlying page or its settings instead, then allow the sitemap to refresh. A separate page listing links for visitors is an HTML sitemap, not an edit to this XML file.
Do Not linked pages appear in a Squarespace sitemap?
Moving a page to Not linked only removes it from the normal navigation. It does not make the page private or automatically exclude it from search. Check whether the page is enabled, password protected or hidden from search, then look for its URL in the sitemap.
Why does Search Console say Success when my Squarespace page is not on Google?
Success means Google could read the submitted sitemap. It does not confirm that each listed page is indexed. Inspect the individual page URL and read its Page indexing details to investigate the reason.
Do I need to submit the Squarespace sitemap after every change?
No. Once Google knows the sitemap address, you do not need to submit it for every page edit. Check that important changes appear in the file, and use URL Inspection when you need to investigate a particular page.
Keep improving your Squarespace website
Explore the Squarespace SEO learning hub for more practical guides and tools. If you would like help investigating the wider website, our Squarespace SEO services and technical SEO services cover the checks behind discovery, content and internal linking.