Sitemap checker
Enter a domain or a sitemap URL. We find the sitemap, validate it against the sitemaps.org rules Google uses, and test a sample of the URLs it lists.
What this checks
- The sitemap is a valid
<urlset>,<sitemapindex>, or plain-text list of URLs (gzip supported) - It stays under 50,000 URLs and 50 MB
- Every <loc> is a full URL on the same site, over https if the site uses it
- No duplicate URLs
- <lastmod> dates use valid W3C format
- The sitemap is listed in robots.txt
- For a sitemap index, the first 3 child sitemaps load and how many URLs each has
- A sample of 10 URLs: 200 OK, redirecting, or broken
Frequently asked questions
Where is my sitemap?
Usually at /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml, and ideally listed in robots.txt with a "Sitemap:" line. This checker looks in robots.txt first, then the usual paths. If yours is elsewhere, paste its full URL.
How many URLs can a sitemap have?
Up to 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed per file. Larger sites split their URLs across several sitemaps and list them in a sitemap index.
Should a sitemap list redirecting URLs?
No. List only the final, canonical URL of each page that returns 200. Redirecting or broken URLs waste crawl budget and send mixed signals.
Is lastmod required?
No, but Google uses it when it is consistently accurate. It must use W3C date format, such as 2026-10-31 or 2026-10-31T09:00:00+00:00.
Does this check every URL in my sitemap?
It validates every entry’s format, but only requests the first 10 URLs (and the first 3 child sitemaps of an index), to keep checks fast and avoid hammering your server.
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