Sitemap Validator
Validate XML sitemaps and check for common issues.
Enter a sitemap URL or just a domain name (we will check /sitemap.xml automatically).
What Is an XML Sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a structured file that lists the URLs on your website, along with optional metadata like last modification date, change frequency, and priority. It helps search engines discover and crawl your pages more efficiently. Sitemaps follow the sitemaps.org protocol, supported by Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other major search engines.
Why Validate Your Sitemap?
An invalid or poorly formatted sitemap can prevent search engines from indexing your content properly. Common issues include malformed XML, missing required elements, URLs that return errors, and exceeding the 50,000 URL limit per file. Regular validation ensures your sitemap is well-formed and actually helping your SEO rather than hurting it.
Sitemap Index Files
Large websites often use sitemap index files that reference multiple individual sitemaps. This tool detects whether you have a sitemap index or a standard sitemap and parses both formats. For index files, it lists all child sitemaps with their last modification dates so you can verify your sitemap structure is complete.
Best Practices
Keep your sitemap under 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed per file. Include lastmod dates so search engines know when content was updated. Reference your sitemap in your robots.txt file. Use a sitemap index if your site has more URLs than one file can hold. Remove URLs that return 404 or redirect to avoid wasting crawl budget.