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3/25/20257 min readProUtility Editorial Team

Image Sitemaps Explained: How to Get Indexed Faster (2026)

Google can’t rank what it can’t find. Learn how to create and submit an image XML sitemap to boost visibility for your visual content.

What is an Image Sitemap?

Ideal for: Site Owners, SEOs, and Developers managing large visual libraries.

Last updated: Jan 2026

TL;DR (Quick Setup)

  • Use It: If images are loaded via JS or deep galleries.
  • Include: Only canonical, high-quality images.
  • Submit: Add to Google Search Console.
  • Monitor: Check "Indexed Images" vs "Submitted".

An Image Sitemap is a specific XML file (or an extension of your regular sitemap) that gives Google extra information about the images on your site. It helps crawlers discover images that might be reached via JavaScript code or are not directly listed in the HTML.

Common Image Sitemap Mistakes

  • Junk Images: Submitting thumbnails, decorative icons, or layout placeholders.
  • Robots Blocking: Submitting URLs that are disallowed in robots.txt.
  • Non-Canonical: Linking to a CDN URL that redirects or changes often.
  • Forgetfulness: Not re-submitting or updating the map after a major site update.

Do Image Sitemaps Improve Rankings?

No, they do not improve rankings directly. However, discovery is a prerequisite for ranking. If Google can't find your image (because it's buried in a JS gallery), then it can't rank it. Sitemaps solve the discovery problem.

When Image Sitemaps Actually Matter (Real Scenarios)

You don't need a sitemap for every single blog post image. You absolutely need one in these cases:

  1. JavaScript Galleries: Images loaded via "Load More" buttons or infinite scroll often get missed by crawlers.
  2. Lazy Loaded Images: Some aggressive lazy loading libraries hide the src attribute until the user scrolls. sitemaps tell Google, "Hey, there is an image here."
  3. CDN Domains: If your images are hosted on cdn.example.com instead of your main domain, sitemaps help verify that you own them.
  4. Stock Photo & E-commerce: Sites with thousands of product images need sitemaps to track indexing rates in Search Console.

Do You Need One?

If your site has thousands of images (e-commerce, stock photo site, real estate), YES. If you want your images to appear in Google Image Search, YES.

The Structure

A standard image sitemap entry looks like this:

<url>
  <loc>http://www.example.com/product-page.html</loc>
  <image:image>
    <image:loc>http://www.example.com/image.jpg</image:loc>
    <image:title>My Product Image</image:title>
  </image:image>
</url>

Best Practices

1. Include Only Canonical Images

Don't include thumbnails or placeholder images in your sitemap. Only submit the high-quality, original versions you want to rank. Note: Google supports up to 1,000 images per URL entry.

2. Verify in Search Console

After submitting, monitor the "Sitemaps" report in Google Search Console to see how many images have been indexed vs. submitted.

Using a Generator

You don't need to write XML manually. Most CMS plugins handle this, or you can use tools to generate it.

Read Next

Final Summary Checklist

  • Only create sitemaps for important, original images.
  • Exclude thumbnails and layout graphics.
  • Verify ownership of CDN subdomains in Search Console.
  • Check your Index Coverage report weekly.

👉 Need sitemap-ready images? Use our Image Converter to ensure your files are optimized before indexing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an image sitemap for a small site?
If you have fewer than 50 images and they are all embedded directly in standard <img> tags, you probably do not need one.
Can I include WebP and AVIF images?
Yes. Google supports modern formats in sitemaps.
Do image sitemaps help Google Discover?
Yes, helping Google index your high-quality images faster increases the likelihood of them appearing in Discover feeds.
Should I include thumbnails in the sitemap?
No. Only submit the high-resolution, canonical URL of the image you want to rank. Google creates its own thumbnails.
Can image sitemaps hurt SEO?
No, unless you spam it with thousands of low-quality or irrelevant images, which wastes crawl budget.
Do blogs need image sitemaps?
Most blogs do not need them if images are standard HTML. They are essential for galleries, portfolios, or sites with images hidden in JavaScript.
How often should I resubmit?
Search Console usually detects updates automatically if you use a dynamic sitemap. If you use a static file, resubmit it whenever you add a large batch of new images.