Simple Image XML Sitemap
The Simple Image XML Sitemap plugin will generate a XML sitemap for all your images uploaded within pages and posts (added as attachments).
Consider an alternative
Simple Image XML Sitemap shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 34/100 on our health check.
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 2 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.6 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Simple Image XML Sitemap stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| advanced custom fields | >100 |
| google image sitemaps | #66 |
| xml image sitemap | #31 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
About Simple Image XML Sitemap
From the official readme · v3.5Description
The Simple Image XML Sitemap plugin will generate a XML sitemap for all your images uploaded within pages and posts (added as attachments).
Therefore, the specific Image XML Sitemap will contain the URL to the post or page and URLs to all attached images and image meta data (caption and title).
The plugin is written by Janine, and is based on Herbert van-Vliet’s image sitemap plugin.
Installation
From your WordPress dashboard
- Visit ‘Plugins > Add New’.
- Search for ‘Simple Image XML Sitemap’.
- Activate Simple Image XML Sitemap from your Plugins page.
From WordPress.org
- Download Simple Image XML Sitemap plugin.
- Upload the ‘simple-image-xml-sitemap’ directory to your ‘/wp-content/plugins/’ directory, using your favorite method (ftp, sftp, scp, etc…)
- Activate Simple Image XML Sitemap from your Plugins page.
Once Activated
- Visit WordPress dashboard sidebar in ‘Tools > Simple Image XML Sitemap’.
- Click the “Generate” button to create or update your sitemap.
- Once you have created your Image XML Sitemap, you can submit it to Google Search Console (formerly known as Webmaster Tools).
Frequently asked questions
How are images technically recognised according to posts and pages?
Every image you upload to media center via post or page creation is stored as “attachment” and therefore will be added to the Image XML Sitemap
Where does the image meta data caption and title come from?
When you upload an image, you enter image meta data such as title, caption, alt text, description. (Otherwise you can add this information also instantly in Media Center). This place is where the data displayed in Image XML Sitemap does come from.
How can I speed up sitemap creation?
With every post save, the sitemap will be recreated. Depending on the amount on posts and images, this can take a bit of time. To speed up, post saving, you can create image sitemaps manually. To do so, first uncheck the “auto save” in the sitemap settings, and then click the “generate sitemap” button in the tools section.
How can I submit the image sitemap to Google?
In Google Search Console (formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) there is a menu entry for Sitemap. This location is to enter your path to your Image XML Sitemap.
Where is the sitemap file stored?
The sitemap is stored as sitemap-images.xml in the WordPress folder of your website.
I am getting errors indicating I do not have the proper permission
This is most likely caused by the fact that you do not have write permission on the website webroot. Use chmod to set the necessary permissions. Do NOT set that to 0777, unless you know what you are doing.
Changelog
3.5
- Ready for WP 6.6
- Sitemap will now saved to WordPress folder (root before)
3.4
- Ready for WP 6.3
3.3
- Minor bug fixes
3.2
- Minor bug fixes
- Ready for WP 6.2
3.2
Ready for WP 5.7
3.1
Minor changes of translations and added settings link
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Simple Image XML Sitemap alternatives
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FAQ
Simple Image XML Sitemap: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Is Simple Image XML Sitemap free?
Yes. Simple Image XML Sitemap is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Simple Image XML Sitemap safe to use in 2026?
Simple Image XML Sitemap shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 34/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Simple Image XML Sitemap?
Simple Image XML Sitemap is active on 1K+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 12,871 times since it launched in September 2019. It was downloaded 253 times in the last 30 days.
Does Simple Image XML Sitemap work with WordPress 7.1?
Simple Image XML Sitemap is officially tested up to WordPress 6.6.10, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Simple Image XML Sitemap last updated?
The latest version, 3.5, was released on July 28, 2024 (2 years ago).
Who makes Simple Image XML Sitemap?
Simple Image XML Sitemap is developed and maintained by Janine.
What are the best alternatives to Simple Image XML Sitemap?
The most popular alternatives to Simple Image XML Sitemap are ACF Content Analysis for Yo… (100K+ installs), Advanced Custom Fields: Fon… (90K+ installs) and Table Field Add-on for ACF… (50K+ installs).
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