HTML sitemaps may seem like a relic of an earlier era of search engine optimisation, but Google says they can still serve a useful purpose when designed around website navigation and user needs.
In a recent episode of Google’s Search Off the Record podcast, Google Search representatives John Mueller and Martin Splitt discussed how HTML sitemaps differ from XML sitemaps and why website owners may still benefit from using both.
Their discussion highlights an important distinction: XML sitemaps provide search engines with URLs in a structured format, while HTML sitemaps function primarily as navigational pages that visitors can use to find important sections of a website.
Why XML Sitemaps Became the Standard
Before XML sitemaps became widely adopted, website owners often relied on internal links and dedicated HTML sitemap pages to help search engines discover new content.
These pages commonly appeared in website footers and contained extensive lists of links to internal pages. By following those links, crawlers could discover content that might otherwise be difficult to reach through a site's navigation.
The introduction of a shared XML sitemap standard, developed through collaboration among major search companies, gave website owners a more structured way to communicate which URLs were available for crawling.
XML sitemaps can also include information such as when a page was last modified, helping search engines interpret the submitted URLs. HTML sitemaps, by contrast, are ordinary web pages containing links and do not follow the same dedicated sitemap format.
Google Clarifies What HTML Sitemaps Can—and Cannot—Do
During the podcast discussion, Mueller explained that HTML sitemaps cannot be submitted and processed in the same way as XML sitemap files because they lack the latter's formal structure.
However, that does not mean HTML sitemaps are useless for search engines.
Mueller noted that when a crawler discovers an HTML sitemap, it can follow the links on that page just as it would follow links elsewhere on a website. This gives search engines another potential route to discover content.
Splitt similarly observed that HTML sitemaps can support crawling by making links available in one place, even though they do not provide the structured information associated with XML sitemaps.
The distinction matters for website owners: an HTML sitemap should not be treated as a substitute for maintaining and submitting an appropriate XML sitemap through tools such as Google Search Console.
Why Category-Based Sitemaps May Work Better
Google's discussion also addressed how website owners should organise HTML sitemaps, particularly on large websites.
Mueller used an e-commerce website as an example, explaining that an HTML sitemap would not necessarily need to list every individual product. Instead, it could direct visitors to major product categories, allowing them to navigate to the products they want from there.
The same approach can work for publishers, service providers and other websites with extensive content libraries. A sitemap organised around major sections or topic categories can provide a useful overview without overwhelming visitors with thousands of links.
For example, a news website might organise its HTML sitemap around politics, business, technology and sports, while an online retailer could group links by product category.
The objective is to help people find relevant information quickly while providing search engine crawlers with additional internal links to important sections.
Practical Considerations for Website Owners
For websites with complicated structures or large content libraries, a well-designed HTML sitemap can provide an alternative navigation route. It may be particularly useful when visitors need a straightforward way to locate sections that are not immediately obvious from the main menu.
Website owners considering an HTML sitemap should focus on a few principles:
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Prioritise important sections: Organise links around major categories, topics or services rather than automatically listing every URL.
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Use descriptive anchor text: Make link labels clear enough for visitors to understand where each link leads.
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Keep the page accessible: Place a link to the sitemap somewhere visitors can reasonably find it, such as the website footer.
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Maintain accurate links: Update the sitemap when the website's structure changes and remove links to pages that no longer exist.
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Continue using XML sitemaps: Maintain the appropriate technical sitemap separately to support search engine discovery.
HTML sitemaps should also complement, rather than replace, effective internal linking throughout the website.
User Navigation Remains the Main Reason to Use HTML Sitemaps
The renewed discussion around HTML sitemaps does not establish that every website needs one, nor does it demonstrate that adding one will automatically improve search rankings.
Instead, Google's explanation reinforces the value of making important content accessible through clear navigation. An HTML sitemap can support that objective while providing crawlers with another way to reach linked pages.
For website owners, the practical takeaway is straightforward: retain XML sitemaps for structured URL discovery, and consider an HTML sitemap when it would make a complex website easier to navigate.
Ultimately, the value of an HTML sitemap begins with its usefulness to visitors. If it helps people find important content more easily, it can also strengthen the site's internal linking and provide search engines with additional paths to discover its pages.
Source: Search Engine Journal