Free Sitemap Validator
Check a sitemap.xml against the protocol.
What is the Sitemap Validator?
A broken sitemap fails quietly. Search engines skip the entries they can't parse, and you never see an error — you just wonder why pages aren't getting indexed. A single malformed URL, a missing root element, or a file that's grown past the limits can hold back a whole section of your site.
This sitemap validator fetches your XML sitemap and checks it against the sitemaps.org protocol, so you know it's correct before you rely on it.
Last updated: Aug 13, 2026
What does this tool do?
You enter your sitemap's URL — or just your domain, and it looks for /sitemap.xml — and the tool fetches and parses the file.
It runs a series of protocol checks (structure, namespace, entry count, file size, valid URLs, lastmod format) and can optionally confirm that a sample of the listed URLs actually return 200.
Key features
Protocol checks
Root element, namespace, counts and size limits.
Index & urlset
Handles both sitemaps and sitemap index files.
URL validation
Flags missing or malformed <loc> values.
lastmod format
Checks dates follow the W3C format.
Live URL sampling
Optionally checks a sample return 200.
Example
Common use cases
- SEO specialists — Confirm a sitemap is valid before submitting it.
- Developers — Catch malformed XML after generating a sitemap.
- Site owners — Rule out the sitemap as a reason pages aren't indexed.
- Migrators — Verify the new site's sitemap after launch.
- Agencies — Audit a client's sitemap health.
- Large-site owners — Check entry counts stay under the 50,000 limit.
- Anyone using a plugin — Confirm the generated file is actually valid.
- Students — Learn what a valid sitemap looks like.
Benefits
- It catches errors search engines would silently skip.
- It checks the limits most people forget — 50,000 URLs and 50MB.
- It works for both single sitemaps and index files.
- Live sampling shows whether listed URLs actually resolve.
Tips
- Keep each sitemap under 50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed.
- Use a sitemap index to group multiple sitemaps on large sites.
- List only canonical, indexable URLs — no redirects or noindex pages.
- Use absolute URLs with the correct protocol and host.
- Format lastmod as a W3C date (YYYY-MM-DD or full datetime).
- Re-validate after regenerating or editing the file.
- Reference the sitemap in robots.txt and submit it in Search Console.
- If URLs point to another host, host the sitemap on that domain instead.
Common mistakes to avoid
Relative or malformed URLs in <loc>
Fix: Use full absolute URLs, e.g. https://yoursite.com/page.
Exceeding 50,000 URLs in one file
Fix: Split into multiple sitemaps and list them in an index.
Invalid lastmod dates
Fix: Use the W3C date format so crawlers can read them.
Including noindex or redirected pages
Fix: List only canonical, indexable URLs.
How it works
- 1
Enter the URL
Your sitemap.xml, or just your domain.
- 2
Validate
It parses the XML and runs protocol checks.
- 3
Fix issues
See exactly what passes, warns or fails.
Frequently asked questions
Root element, namespace, entry count against the 50,000 limit, file size, valid <loc> URLs, lastmod format, and optionally whether a sample of URLs return 200.
Yes. It detects both <urlset> and <sitemapindex> and validates each accordingly.
Root element, namespace, entry count against the 50,000 limit, file size, valid <loc> URLs, lastmod format, and optionally whether sampled URLs return 200.
Yes. It detects both <urlset> and <sitemapindex> and validates each accordingly.
Yes. If you don't give a full path, it checks /sitemap.xml on that domain.
Not yet — provide the uncompressed .xml URL.
A single sitemap may hold up to 50,000 URLs and must stay under 50MB uncompressed; use an index for more.
No. The sitemap is fetched only to validate it.
Conclusion
A sitemap validator confirms search engines can actually read your sitemap before you count on it. Pair it with the sitemap generator and the whole-site SEO audit to keep discovery working end to end.