Free XML Sitemap Validator
Enter your site or your sitemap’s address. We find the sitemap, check the file against the sitemaps.org protocol and Google’s limits, then open a sample of up to 50 of the pages it lists to see whether each one belongs there. Graded on the same A–F scale as the full audit.
- Medium · Listed pages that redirect · 3 — list each page’s final address instead.
- Medium · Listed pages marked noindex · 1 — remove it from the sitemap, or drop the noindex.
- Low · Every URL has the same date — use each page’s real last-changed date.
What this validator checks
The file. Valid XML, the right format (a <urlset> or a <sitemapindex> with the sitemaps.org namespace), and Google’s limits of 50,000 URLs and 50 MB per file.
The addresses. Full URLs, on the sitemap’s own site, on https when the site is, under 2,048 characters, and each listed once per file.
The dates. Every lastmod in the W3C date format, none in the future, and not the same date on every URL.
The pages. A live sample of the pages the sitemap lists: does each one load, stay at its own address, allow indexing, name itself as the canonical page, and let search engines in through robots.txt?
Why a sitemap should list only indexable pages
A sitemap is your list of the pages you want in search. Every URL in it that errors, redirects, is marked noindex or points its canonical somewhere else sends search engines a mixed signal and spends their visits on pages that will never rank. Google also treats being in a sitemap as a small hint about which version of a page is the main one, so a sitemap full of redirecting or duplicate addresses works against you.
How to read the results
Fix High findings first: a file that can’t be read, relative URLs, or listed pages that don’t load mean search engines can’t use the sitemap as intended. Medium findings are pages that don’t belong in it, or addresses in the wrong form. Low findings are housekeeping. For a check of your whole site, including the pages missing from your sitemap, run the free SEO audit.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you look for my sitemap?
If you enter a site, we read the Sitemap: lines in its robots.txt first, then try /sitemap.xml and /sitemap_index.xml. If your sitemap lives at another address, enter that address and we read it directly. Gzipped sitemaps (.xml.gz) work too.
How many pages do you check?
The format checks cover every URL in the files we read: a whole sitemap, or up to 10 sitemaps from a sitemap index, up to 12 MB each. The live checks open a sample of up to 50 pages on your site, spread evenly through the sitemap, 8 at a time within 15 seconds. When a limit applies, the result says so.
Why is a page listed as “Could not check”?
Because it refused our request (a 401, 403 or 429, usually a firewall or bot filter) or did not answer in time. That page most likely works for visitors and search engines, so we never count it as a sitemap problem. Open it yourself to be sure.
Does Google use priority and changefreq?
No. Google documents that it ignores both. We mention them as a note for your information, and they don’t affect the grade. The field that helps is an accurate lastmod.
Why does it flag every URL having the same date?
Google uses lastmod only when it is consistently accurate. A sitemap that stamps every page with the same date, often the moment the file was generated, teaches Google to ignore the field for your site.
Can I check a sitemap on a site I don’t own?
Yes. The validator only reads public files, the same way a search engine does, and changes nothing on the site.
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