Images are a valuable but often overlooked source of search traffic. When your XML sitemap includes image information, search engines can discover and index your visual content, potentially surfacing it in image search results. If you use the Yoast SEO plugin on WordPress, you may have wondered how it handles images in your sitemap, which images it counts, and why some appear while others do not. In this guide, you will learn exactly how Yoast SEO counts images in the XML sitemap and how to ensure your images are properly included.

Understanding this process helps you diagnose why certain images might be missing from your sitemap and take steps to improve your image indexing, which can lead to additional visibility and traffic from image-based searches.

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How Yoast Adds Images to the Sitemap

Yoast SEO automatically includes images within its XML sitemap by attaching image information to the URL of the post or page where those images appear. Rather than creating a separate standalone image sitemap in most cases, Yoast embeds image references inside the relevant content sitemaps, such as the posts or pages sitemap. This means that when a search engine reads the sitemap entry for a particular page, it also sees the images associated with that page.

This approach ties images directly to the content they belong to, which helps search engines understand the context of each image and how it relates to the page's topic.

Which Images Yoast Counts

Yoast counts images that it can detect within the actual content of a post or page. This typically includes images added directly to the content area, featured images set for a post, and images embedded in the main body. For Yoast to recognize an image, it generally needs to be present in the rendered content or associated with the post in a way the plugin can parse.

Images that are hosted on your own domain and properly embedded are the most reliably counted. The plugin scans the content, identifies the image references, and adds their details to the sitemap entry for that URL.

Which Images May Be Excluded

Not every image on a page ends up in the sitemap. Several situations can cause images to be excluded. Images loaded through certain page builders, sliders, or dynamic scripts may not appear in the raw content that Yoast parses, so they can be missed. Images inserted purely through CSS backgrounds are typically not counted because they are not part of the content markup. Additionally, if a page itself is set to no index, its images will not be included in the sitemap either, since the entire URL is excluded.

External images hosted on other domains are also generally not included, because the sitemap focuses on content belonging to your own site. Understanding these exclusions explains why your image count may be lower than the total number of images you see on your pages.

How to Ensure Your Images Are Counted

To maximize the images included in your sitemap, add important images directly into your content rather than relying solely on background images or scripts that Yoast cannot parse. Set a featured image for each post, use standard image blocks when adding visuals, and host your images on your own domain. Make sure the pages containing those images are set to be indexed rather than no index, so they remain eligible for the sitemap.

Adding descriptive file names and alt text does not change whether an image is counted, but it strongly improves how well search engines understand and rank your images, so it is worth doing alongside sitemap optimization.

Verify Your Image Sitemap

To confirm which images are being included, open your sitemap in a browser and inspect the entries for specific pages. You can also use your search console to check how many images have been discovered and indexed. If important images are missing, review how they are embedded and adjust your approach so Yoast can detect them. Clearing your cache after changes ensures you are viewing the current version of the sitemap.

Conclusion

Yoast SEO counts images by detecting them within your content and attaching their information to the corresponding page URLs in the XML sitemap. Images added directly to your content and hosted on your own domain are reliably included, while background images, script-loaded visuals, and images on no index pages are typically excluded. By embedding your key images properly and keeping their pages indexable, you help search engines discover and rank your visual content. When you are ready to optimize every technical detail of your site for maximum visibility, we at AAMAX.CO are here to help.