Squarespace Sitemap Is Wrong: Remove Junk URLs + Fix It — Cause & Clarity
Cause & Clarity
Authority-first websites and messaging
Sitemap.xml problems
Squarespace sitemap is wrong.

If your /sitemap.xml shows random pages you don’t want, Google can discover and crawl those URLs.

You usually can’t “edit the sitemap.” You fix this by changing the pages so Squarespace stops including them.

Fix it step-by-step Search Console
Why this happens
Squarespace generates sitemap.xml automatically.

That sitemap is basically Squarespace saying: “Here are the URLs I think are public.” If something is accessible, it can end up listed.

Common “junk” URLs

These are the ones that usually surprise people.

  • Thank-you pages (form confirmations)
  • Old drafts you accidentally published
  • Store/category pages you don’t actually use
  • System pages like /404 (sometimes appears)
  • Duplicate versions of pages (old slugs)

What Google does with them

Sitemap inclusion is not a guarantee of ranking. But it is a discovery signal. If you don’t want a page found, don’t feed it to Google.

  • Google may crawl them
  • They can dilute your site quality signals
  • They can create duplicate/competing URLs
Fix
How to remove junk URLs from your Squarespace sitemap

Use this in order. You don’t need to “force Google.” You need to stop publishing the junk.

Step 1 — Identify what the URL actually is

Open /sitemap.xml, copy the junk URL, and answer: is this a real page you can edit, or a system/store page?

If it's a normal page: Pages → find it → open settings → confirm status (published vs draft) If it's a store or category URL: Commerce → Products / Categories → confirm what’s enabled If it's a system URL (like 404): You usually can't remove it. Ignore unless it's indexing and causing issues.

Step 2 — If you don’t want it indexed, make it non-public

The cleanest fix is to make the page inaccessible. Options depend on what Squarespace features you have.

  • Unpublish the page (best if it shouldn’t exist publicly).
  • Password protect (works when you need it for internal use).
  • Disable store/category visibility if it’s an unused commerce section.

Step 3 — Handle the “already indexed” problem (Search Console)

Even after you remove a page, Google can keep it for a while. Use Search Console to speed up cleanup.

In Search Console: 1) URL Inspection → paste the junk URL 2) If it’s indexed: request removal (Removals tool) OR make it return 404/410 3) If it's not indexed: stop. You already won.

Step 4 — Resubmit your sitemap.xml

This doesn’t “force” Google. It signals “here’s the updated map.”

Search Console → Indexing → Sitemaps Submit: sitemap.xml Then: Request indexing for your TOP 3 pages (home + 2 key pages) Do NOT request indexing for everything.

Step 5 — Make sure your good pages are the ones Google sees

If your site has 4 real pages and 40 “junk” ones, Google gets mixed signals. Make your important pages loud:

  • Add internal links to the pages you want indexed (footer links count).
  • Make page titles match what people search.
  • Add an FAQ block on key pages so Google has context.

If you need the foundation first: Connect Search Console and Squarespace SEO Basics.

Quick next step
If your sitemap is clean, Google still needs a reason.

Clean sitemap = discovery. Ranking comes from clarity, proof, and internal linking.

Use these: Website Audit Checklist, Website Copy Template, Update Without Breaking It.