As blog posts accumulate over time, finding older content becomes increasingly difficult for visitors. This is especially true for blogs that regularly cover multiple categories or topics, where relying solely on the homepage or category pages isn't always sufficient for navigation. A well-organized Sitemap page provides an elegant solution to this problem. Using the built-in Sitemap plugin in the Probha Blogger Template, you can easily display all your blog posts on a dedicated Sitemap page. Best of all, you don't need to manually edit the Sitemap every time you publish a new post—once configured, new posts automatically update on the page.
Many Blogger users rely on complex custom JavaScript snippets, external generators, or third-party services to create a sitemap. In the Probha Template, however, there is no need for external workarounds. Everything is controlled through the built-in Sitemap plugin included in the theme. You simply create a page, point the plugin to its location, and the plugin automatically populates and formats your content on that page.
What Is the Sitemap Plugin?
Simply put, the Sitemap plugin is a feature designed to neatly display and organize all your published blog posts inside a single dedicated page. Visitors can head to this page to browse your entire library of content at a glance and find specific articles effortlessly. For larger blogs, a Sitemap page is particularly valuable because it surface-level brings old content back into view while giving visitors a clear overview of your site's overall content structure.
The Sitemap plugin in Probha is engineered so you don't have to manually update your Sitemap page every time you publish a new article. Once configured, new posts are automatically added to the list. Whether your blog contains 10 posts or hundreds, maintaining your Sitemap requires no manual HTML editing down the line.
Key Benefits of the Probha Sitemap Plugin
The primary advantage of the Sitemap plugin is that it keeps your blog content neatly organized. If a visitor wants to locate an older post, they can easily find it on the Sitemap page instead of manually clicking through multiple pages or category archives. Additionally, eliminating manual updates saves significant time while ensuring your directory stays up to date automatically.
Another benefit is structure. Instead of listing posts randomly, the plugin organizes them cleanly by categories or labels, making large content archives simple and intuitive to browse. Because the Sitemap page remains lightweight, it loads fast and displays content cleanly without unnecessary bloat.
Where to Find the Sitemap Plugin
You don't need to download or install the Probha Sitemap plugin separately. It comes pre-integrated directly within the Plugins section of the template layout. To access it, sign in to your Blogger Dashboard and navigate to the Layout tab. Locate the Plugins section, where you will find a gadget labeled Sitemap. This gadget contains the configuration settings for your Sitemap plugin.
This means you don't need to dig through your theme's underlying HTML code or search for JavaScript tags. The plugin configuration is handled entirely from the Layout interface. This approach is especially beginner-friendly, as it allows you to configure full Sitemap functionality without touching the core template code.
Create a Dedicated Sitemap Page
Before configuring the plugin, you need to create a dedicated page on your blog. From your Blogger Dashboard, navigate to the Pages section and click to create a new page. Set the Page Title to Sitemap. You do not need to paste any HTML code inside the page content area—Probha's Sitemap plugin automatically generates and injects the sitemap content onto this page.
Once created, go ahead and publish the page. Take note of its permalink URL. In Blogger, a typical page URL looks like yourblog.com/p/sitemap.html. Your specific domain name and slug may vary based on your blog settings, but what matters most for configuration is the URL path relative to your domain.
Configure the Sitemap Plugin
With your Sitemap page published, return to the Blogger Dashboard and head back to the Layout section. Locate the Sitemap gadget under the Plugins section and click to edit it. Inside the gadget content box, you will see a small JSON configuration object that looks like this:
{
"status": true,
"location": "/p/sitemap.html"
}This compact snippet consists of two simple key settings: status and location. Understanding how these two values work makes configuring the plugin a breeze.
Understanding the status Property
The status property serves as an on/off toggle for the Sitemap plugin. If you want the plugin enabled and active on your blog, keep its value set to true:
"status": trueIn this active state, the plugin automatically renders the sitemap layout on the designated page path. If you ever need to temporarily disable the plugin without deleting your settings, simply change the value from true to false:
"status": falseAlways ensure status is set to true whenever you want your Sitemap page active and visible.
Understanding the location Property
The location setting is the most critical property in the configuration, as it tells the plugin precisely which page path should display the sitemap output. In the default configuration example:
"location": "/p/sitemap.html"The plugin targets the path /p/sitemap.html, combining your blog's base domain with this path to identify the target page.
It is crucial to use the relative path rather than the full domain URL here. For example, if your full published page URL is https://example.blogspot.com/p/sitemap.html, enter only the path portion as your location value:
"location": "/p/sitemap.html"If your page uses a custom slug or different folder path, update the location value to match that exact path segment.
Complete Sitemap Configuration Example
Assuming you want the plugin enabled and your target page path is /p/sitemap.html, your full gadget configuration code should look like this:
{
"status": true,
"location": "/p/sitemap.html"
}Here, status ensures the plugin remains active, while location directs the rendered output to the correct page. With both settings properly matched, the plugin seamlessly outputs your content directory.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
To summarize the process step-by-step: First, open your Blogger Dashboard, navigate to Pages, and create a new page titled Sitemap. Publish the page and note its relative URL path. Next, go to Layout, locate the Sitemap gadget under Plugins, and click edit. Ensure status is set to true, enter your relative page path under location, and click save.
{
"status": true,
"location": "/p/sitemap.html"
}Once saved, visit your live Sitemap page in a web browser. If configured properly, your blog posts will appear categorized and formatted automatically. Moving forward, any newly published posts will populate without requiring manual edits.
Common Setup Pitfall to Avoid
The most common reason a Sitemap page fails to display content is a path mismatch between the published page URL and the plugin's location property. Double-check your page permalink after publishing. For instance, if your page generated the URL https://example.com/p/my-sitemap.html, your gadget configuration must state /p/my-sitemap.html. Exact alignment between these paths is essential.
Another common mistake is leaving "status": false set in the configuration, which keeps the plugin inactive. If your sitemap isn't showing up, verify these two primary settings first: is status set to true, and does location match your page path precisely?
Do You Need to Write Content on the Sitemap Page?
No, you do not need to add any HTML code or script content inside the page editor itself. You can optionally include introductory welcome text if you like, but the plugin handles all sitemap generation dynamically. There is no need for external generators, custom scripts, or manual list building—just publish the blank page and let the layout plugin handle rendering.
What Happens When You Publish New Posts?
Automatic content syncing is one of the plugin's best features. Once set up, publishing a new post requires zero manual updates on your Sitemap page. The plugin automatically fetches and includes your newest content dynamically, ensuring your directory grows right alongside your blog archives.
For instance, if your blog currently has 50 posts and you publish 10 more over the next month, those new articles will seamlessly appear on the Sitemap page automatically. This hands-off maintenance makes the plugin ideal for active, content-rich Blogger blogs.
HTML Sitemap vs. Search Engine XML Sitemap
When people hear the term "sitemap," they often think of XML sitemaps designed for search engines like Google. However, the plugin discussed here creates a user-facing HTML Sitemap page meant specifically for site visitors. Think of it as a clean, organized visual directory that helps real human readers explore your content archives.
While an XML sitemap submitted in search consoles helps web crawlers index site pages, a user-facing HTML sitemap aids human navigation and site usability. The two serve distinct purposes, so this layout plugin should not be confused with your technical search engine XML sitemap settings.
Troubleshooting Checklist
If your Sitemap page renders blank or fails to display posts, run through this quick troubleshooting checklist:
- Open the Sitemap gadget settings and ensure
statusis set totrue. - Verify that the
locationstring matches your published page's relative path exactly. - Confirm that the page is fully published in Blogger's Pages tab (and not saved as a draft).
- Check the configuration object for JSON syntax errors, such as missing quotes, trailing commas, or missing curly braces.
If you suspect a syntax error, reset the gadget content with this clean baseline snippet:
{
"status": true,
"location": "/p/sitemap.html"
}Conclusion
As your Blogger blog grows, providing a structured, well-organized Sitemap page makes exploring past articles significantly easier for your audience. With the built-in Sitemap plugin in the Probha Blogger Template, setting up an auto-updating directory requires no complex scripting or third-party tools. Simply publish a Sitemap page, set your relative path in the Layout settings, and keep the status enabled.
Once configured, the system manages itself completely in the background. Because it updates automatically as you publish new content, it provides a hassle-free way to improve site structure and user experience. If you use the Probha Template and maintain an active archive of posts, setting up this dedicated Sitemap page is a quick and effective upgrade for your blog.
