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Sitemap Checker

Enter a domain or a sitemap URL. The tool finds the sitemap, validates the XML and spot-checks that the pages it lists really load.

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Sitemap Checker - results and guide

What the Sitemap Checker checks

  • Finds the sitemap from robots.txt or the usual locations
  • Valid XML with the correct root element and namespace
  • URL count and file size against the 50,000 URL and 50 MB limits
  • URLs that are relative, duplicated, on another host or use http
  • lastmod dates: missing, wrongly formatted, in the future or all identical
  • Whether the sitemap is listed in robots.txt
  • HTTP status of the first URLs in the file

What is an XML sitemap?

A sitemap is a file that lists the URLs you want search engines to know about, usually at /sitemap.xml. Each entry has the address and, optionally, the date the page last changed. Large sites split their URLs across several sitemaps and list those in a sitemap index.

A sitemap does not guarantee indexing. It helps search engines discover pages, particularly new ones, pages deep in the site and pages with few internal links, and it tells them which version of each URL you consider the main one.

What a healthy sitemap looks like

List only pages that return 200, are not redirected, are not set to noindex and are the canonical version. Every URL that fails one of those tests teaches search engines to trust the file a little less. Stay within 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed per file.

Use real lastmod dates. Google uses them when they prove accurate and ignores them when every entry carries today's date. It ignores priority and changefreq entirely. Reference the sitemap in robots.txt, which you can verify with the Robots.txt Checker, and submit it in Search Console.

How to use the Sitemap Checker

  1. Enter the domain or page address you want to check. You can leave out https://.
  2. Press Check sitemap. The page is fetched from our servers, the way a search engine crawler would fetch it.
  3. Read the findings from top to bottom: problems first, then warnings. Each one says what to change.

Common problems and how to fix them

No sitemap found

Most platforms can generate one: WordPress serves /wp-sitemap.xml by default and SEO plugins add their own. Otherwise create the file and list it in robots.txt.

URLs in the sitemap redirect or return 404

The sitemap is out of date. Regenerate it so it lists final, live URLs only.

Every lastmod is the same date

The generator stamps the build time. Change it to use each page's real modification date, or remove lastmod.

Frequently asked questions

Where is my sitemap?
Usually at /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml. It should also be named in a Sitemap line in robots.txt. Enter your domain and this tool will look in those places.
How many URLs can a sitemap contain?
Up to 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed per file. Larger sites use several sitemaps and a sitemap index.
Does Google use priority and changefreq?
No. Google has confirmed that it ignores both. It does use lastmod when the dates are consistently accurate.
Do I need a sitemap for a small site?
A small site with good internal links can be crawled without one. A sitemap is still cheap insurance and gives you indexing reports in Search Console.

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