Video Sitemap Generator: Build an XML Sitemap for Your Videos
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This video sitemap generator creates a Google video sitemap from the watch page URL, video file or player URL, thumbnail, title and description of each video. It is for publishers, course creators, ecommerce teams and SEOs who host or embed videos and want Google to find and index them. Paste one video per line, click Generate video sitemap, and download an XML file ready for Search Console.
The tool checks each line and counts any with a missing or invalid URL or title as invalid, so you can fix them before submitting.
What a Video Sitemap Tells Google
A video sitemap lists the pages on your site that contain videos, along with details Google uses to understand and show them.
Required video tags
Each entry is a <url> block with the page’s <loc>, plus a <video:video> element. Google requires four pieces of information inside it: <video:thumbnail_loc> for the thumbnail image, <video:title>, <video:description>, and either <video:content_loc> or <video:player_loc>. Optional tags such as duration, publication date and expiration date can add detail, and you can add them by hand after generating the file. The generator writes the required tags with the correct video namespace and escapes special characters in titles and descriptions.
Player URL vs content URL
content_loc points to the actual media file, such as an .mp4. Google can fetch it directly, which gives it the most information about the video. player_loc points to a player, usually an embed URL like https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID or a hosted player from Vimeo or Wistia. Use content_loc when you host files yourself. Use player_loc for embedded videos where you do not control the file. At least one is required, and the generator writes content_loc by default or player_loc when you tick the player option.
How to Generate a Video Sitemap
Each line follows one format: page | video URL | thumbnail | title | description.
Step 1: Enter the watch page URL
Start each line with the URL of the page where the video plays, such as https://example.com/video-page/. This should be an indexable page, ideally one where the video is the main content. Use the canonical version of the URL.
Step 2: Add thumbnail, title, description
After the video URL (see Step 3), add the thumbnail image URL, the video title and a short description, separated by |. Use the same title and description that appear on the page. If you leave the description out, the title is used in its place.
Step 3: Add player or content URL
The second field on each line is the video itself. Paste the direct file URL for self-hosted videos. For embedded videos, paste the embed URL and tick “Second URL is a player/embed URL (not a file)”. The option applies to every line, so generate separate files if you mix both types.
Step 4: Generate and submit
Click Generate video sitemap and check the counts. Download video-sitemap.xml, upload it to your site and submit it in Search Console under Sitemaps. Watch the Video indexing report over the following weeks.
Video Sitemap vs VideoObject Schema
Google supports two ways to describe videos: sitemaps and VideoObject structured data on the page.
Using both
A video sitemap is a central list that helps Google discover videos, which is helpful for large libraries and new content. VideoObject markup sits on each watch page and describes that video in detail, including upload date, duration and key moments. They do not conflict. Many sites use both, with matching titles, descriptions and thumbnails. You can build on-page markup with the Video Schema Generator.
Which one Google prefers
Google does not require one over the other and documents both. Structured data is generally the more complete option, because it lives with the page and supports extra features like key moments and live badges. A sitemap is easier to generate in bulk and keeps all your video URLs in one place. If you only do one, add VideoObject markup to your watch pages. If your library is large, add a sitemap too.
Fixing the Video Indexing Report
Search Console’s Video indexing report shows which pages had videos indexed and why others did not.
“Video isn’t on a watch page”
Google indexes videos mainly from watch pages, where the video is the main purpose of the page. A blog post with a video halfway down or a product page with a small demo may show this message. It does not hurt the page itself. If you want the video indexed, create a dedicated page for it with the video near the top and supporting text below.
Thumbnail and size issues
Google needs a valid, crawlable thumbnail. Thumbnails must be at least 60 by 30 pixels, and larger images look better in results. Videos that are too small on the page, hidden or slow to appear may also fail. Make the player prominent.
Embedded YouTube Videos in Sitemaps
Many sites embed YouTube videos rather than hosting files.
Player URLs for embeds
You can list embedded YouTube videos in your sitemap using the embed URL as player_loc and your own page as the loc. Grab the thumbnail URL from YouTube, which follows the pattern https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/hqdefault.jpg. Embed code itself can be built with the YouTube Embed Code Generator.
Hosting choice and SEO
Videos on YouTube often rank as YouTube results rather than your page. Self-hosting or a business video host keeps the focus on your site, but needs more bandwidth and setup.
Video Sitemap Errors to Avoid
These issues cause most sitemap warnings.
Blocked thumbnails
If robots.txt or hotlink protection blocks thumbnail URLs, Google cannot fetch them. Test them in a private browser window.
Deprecated tags
Google dropped support for several older tags, such as video:category and video:gallery_loc. They are ignored, so leave them out.
Pages with several videos
You can list several <video:video> entries under one page. Google usually indexes the most prominent video on a watch page.
Make Every Video Discoverable
Paste your video details above and download a valid video sitemap in seconds. Pair it with the Video Schema Generator for on-page markup, the Image Sitemap Generator for photos, and the XML Sitemap Generator for every other page. Share key moments with the YouTube Timestamp Link Generator. All tools live on FHSEO Hub.