Sitemap Validator
Validate XML sitemaps, check for syntax errors, and count indexed URLs.
Sitemap Best Practices
- Keep sitemaps under 50,000 URLs per file
- Keep uncompressed file size under 50MB
- Use UTF-8 encoding solely
- Only include canonical URLs (no redirects/404s)
- Use a Sitemap Index if you have multiple sitemap files
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an XML Sitemap?
An XML Sitemap is a file that lists essential pages of a website to help search engines like Google and Bing find and crawl them efficiently.
What is the difference between urlset and sitemapindex?
'urlset' is the standard format for a single sitemap containing URLs. 'sitemapindex' is a file that links to multiple other sitemap files, used for large websites.
Why should I validate my sitemap?
Syntax errors can prevent search engines from reading your sitemap entirely, meaning your new pages might not get indexed. Validation ensures Google can parse it correctly.
Can a sitemap contain images?
Yes, XML sitemaps can include image and video metadata extensions to help those assets get indexed specifically in Image/Video search.
Does this tool verify if URLs are live?
This tool validates the XML structure and format rules. To check if the URLs inside return 200 OK status, you would need to use a dedicated crawler or Broken Link Checker.
Results are generated in real-time. For best accuracy, verify critical issues manually.
What this tool checks
- ✓ XML Syntax & Formatting
- ✓ URL Count vs Limit (50,000)
- ✓ File Size vs Limit (50MB)
- ✓ Sitemap Index Structure
Common problems this tool finds
- ⚠️ Broken headers or closing tags
- ⚠️ Illegal characters in URLs (&)
- ⚠️ Exceeding Google's URL limit
- ⚠️ Empty sitemaps
- ⚠️ Wrong namespace declarations
How to fix results (Quick Checklist)
- 1.Ensure your XML file starts with the correct <?xml ...?> declaration.
- 2.Split sitemaps larger than 50,000 URLs into multiple files.
- 3.Escape special characters in URLs (use & instead of &).
- 4.Use a Sitemap Index file to group multiple sitemaps together.
- 5.Submit the verified URL to Google Search Console to speed up indexing.