How to Submit a Sitemap to Yandex Webmaster Tools
- Sotirios Seridis
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 6
So you've poured your heart and soul into creating an amazing website; but you're not getting as many visitors in Yandex as you expected? Well, you might be missing out on one thing: sitemaps. Not submitting your sitemap to Yandex is like throwing a party and not sending out invitations. Submitting your sitemap is essentially handing out an invitation and guestlist; telling them about all the cool pages at your website! It is crucial to help this Russian search engine understand and index your site more effectively. This quick and easy guide will show you how to submit a sitemap to Yandex Webmaster Tools!
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How to Submit a Sitemap to Yandex Webmaster Tools:
Navigate to Yandex Webmaster Tools
Navigate to Indexing (left-hand-side menu)
Select Sitemap files
Add your Sitemap URL (for example: https://mysite.com/sitemap.xml)
➡️ Sitemap will be added to the processing queue, which can take up to 1-2 weeks.
How to Find Your Sitemap:
Navigate to your website's homepage
At the end of your URL type /sitemap.xml and press enter
Copy your sitemap URL
If you don't have a sitemap, use this tool to create one: https://www.xml-sitemaps.com/
Frequently Asked Questions on Submitting a Sitemap to Yandex Webmaster Tools
What is a sitemap, and why is it important for Yandex?
A sitemap is an file that lists the URLs of a website, helping search engines like Yandex crawl and index your pages more efficiently. It's important because it ensures Yandex can understand your site's structure, find all the important pages on your site, and identify recently updated content; potentially improving your visibility in search results.
Can I submit multiple sitemaps to Yandex?
Yes, you can submit multiple sitemaps, especially if you have a large website or want to organize your content into different sections or types (e.g., blog posts, images, videos).
Is submitting a sitemap guaranteed to index all my pages on Yandex?
No. While submitting a sitemap helps Yandex discover your pages, it doesn't guarantee that all pages will be indexed. Factors like content quality, site structure, site authority, an overall user experience play a role in indexing decisions.
A sitemap acts as a suggestion to Yandex, highlighting the pages you consider important, but the search engine ultimately decides which pages to include in its index. Some pages may be excluded if they're deemed low-quality, duplicate, or not meeting Yandex's guidelines.
How often should I update my sitemap in Yandex Webmaster Tools?
It's best to update your sitemap whenever you make significant changes to your website, such as adding new pages or removing old ones. Generally, once submitted, Yandex automatically revisits your sitemap periodically. However, you can manually resubmit it to prompt faster processing of updates.
How do I know if Yandex has successfully processed my sitemap?
In Yandex Webmaster Tools, you can check the status of your sitemap under the Sitemap files section. Here, you’ll see the status, errors, and details about the URLs processed from your sitemap.
What should I do if Yandex reports errors in my sitemap?
If Yandex reports errors in your sitemap, you should review the error messages, fix the issues in your sitemap file, then resubmit the corrected version.
Common issues include:
Invalid sitemap URL
Incorrect format
HTTP errors
Large file size
Outdated content
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