Sitemap Checker & Validator

Q: What is the difference between a sitemap and a sitemap index?

A regular sitemap, called a urlset, lists your actual page URLs. A sitemap index lists other sitemap files instead of pages, which is how large sites stay within the per-file limits. This checker recognises both and can crawl every child sitemap in an index.

Q: Are changefreq and priority required?

No. Only the loc tag is required for each URL. The lastmod, changefreq and priority tags are optional, and Google largely ignores changefreq and priority. The validator still checks them for correctness if present.

Validate XML sitemaps & sitemap indexes against the sitemaps.org standard — find errors fast

Crawl child sitemaps (for index files)

Enter a sitemap URL or paste XML, then validate to see structure, errors, warnings and URL statistics.

How to Check Your Sitemap

Paste your sitemap address in the From URL box — a full link like example.com/sitemap.xml or just your domain.
Not sure of the path? Tap Find sitemaps in robots.txt to auto-discover every sitemap your site declares.
Leave Crawl child sitemaps ticked so sitemap-index files are followed and all their URLs are counted.
Hit Validate. To check unpublished XML, switch to the Paste XML tab instead.
Review the status banner, error and warning list, URL statistics and the full URL table — then export a CSV report.

What Is a Sitemap Validator?

An XML sitemap is a file that lists the important pages of your website so search engines like Google and Bing can discover and crawl them efficiently. A sitemap validator reads that file and checks it against the official sitemaps.org protocol, confirming the XML is well-formed and that every entry follows the rules search engines expect.

This checker handles both regular sitemaps (a urlset listing pages) and sitemap index files (a list of other sitemaps). When you check an index, it can follow each child sitemap, add up the total URLs and validate them too — giving you a complete picture of your site's crawl map in one place.

What it checks

It verifies the root element and namespace, confirms each entry has a valid <loc> URL, and validates optional tags: <lastmod> dates against the W3C format, <changefreq> against the allowed values, and <priority> within the 0.0–1.0 range. It also flags the protocol limits — no more than 50,000 URLs and 50 MB per file — plus duplicate URLs and mixed http/https links.

Common Use Cases

🔍SEO AuditsConfirm your sitemap is error-free before submitting it in Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools.

🛠After Site ChangesRe-check the sitemap after a migration, redesign or plugin update to catch broken or stale entries.

📊Crawl BudgetSee your true URL count and spot bloat so search engines spend crawl budget on pages that matter.

🔗Index FilesValidate a sitemap index and every child sitemap it points to in a single run.

📝Pre-Publish ChecksPaste hand-built or generated XML to validate it before it ever goes live.

🤖Agency ReportingExport a clean CSV of URLs and issues to share with clients or your dev team.

Why Choose This Sitemap Checker

Validates both urlset sitemaps and sitemap-index files
Crawls and aggregates child sitemaps automatically
Auto-discovers sitemaps from your robots.txt
Supports gzip-compressed (.xml.gz) sitemaps
Clear errors vs warnings with the exact offending URL
changefreq, priority and protocol statistics
Full URL table plus one-click CSV export
Free, fast, dark mode and mobile-friendly

Frequently Asked Questions

How many URLs can one sitemap contain?

The sitemaps.org protocol limits a single sitemap to 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed. If you have more pages, split them across multiple sitemaps and list those files in a sitemap index. This tool flags files that exceed either limit.

What is the difference between a sitemap and a sitemap index?

A regular sitemap (urlset) lists your actual page URLs. A sitemap index lists other sitemap files instead of pages, which is how large sites stay within the per-file limits. This checker recognises both and can crawl every child sitemap in an index.

Why does my sitemap fail to load?

Common causes are a wrong path, a server that blocks automated requests, or a sitemap that requires login. The file is fetched through a proxy to handle cross-origin requests, but private or firewalled sitemaps may still be unreachable — in that case, download the file and use the Paste XML tab.

Are changefreq and priority required?

No. Only the <loc> tag is required for each URL. The <lastmod>, <changefreq> and <priority> tags are optional, and Google largely ignores changefreq and priority. The validator still checks them for correctness if present.

Does a valid sitemap guarantee indexing?

No. A sitemap helps search engines discover pages, but indexing depends on content quality, crawl budget and many other signals. Use this tool to remove technical blockers, then submit the sitemap in your search console.

Is my sitemap data kept private?

The tool only fetches the public sitemap you point it at and processes it in your browser. Your recent checks are stored in your browser's local storage and can be cleared anytime; nothing is saved on our servers.

Sitemap Checker & Validator — Test XML Sitemaps & Sitemap Index Files Online (Free)