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Validate Your XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap is how a site tells Google which URLs matter and where to find them. A malformed sitemap, a wrong namespace, or URLs that do not resolve wastes crawl budget and undercuts discovery of the pages that should rank.
Our XML Sitemap Validator fetches a sitemap, validates its structure and namespace, counts its URLs against the format limits, and spot-checks an honestly-labeled sample of the listed URLs to confirm they resolve.
No sign-up, nothing stored, results in seconds.
No need to type http:// — just the domain works. We fetch the sitemap server-side and spot-check up to 10 of its URLs. We keep nothing.
What this tool checks
Structure and namespace
The sitemap is validated as well-formed XML with the correct sitemap namespace, since a malformed file can be rejected wholesale.
urlset vs sitemapindex
The sitemap is identified as a URL set or a sitemap index, so a sitemap of sitemaps is interpreted correctly.
URL and size limits
The URL count is checked against the 50,000-URL and 50MB format limits, because an oversized sitemap may be only partially processed.
Resolve spot-check
An evenly-spread, capped sample of URLs is fetched to confirm they resolve, with the result honestly labeled as a spot-check, not a full crawl.
Entry validity
Individual entries are checked for valid location values so broken or non-absolute URLs are surfaced.
Why it matters for SEO
A sitemap does not force indexing, but it is the most direct way to tell Google which URLs exist and deserve attention, which matters most on large or poorly-linked sites. A broken sitemap quietly defeats its own purpose: a namespace error can make Google ignore the file, dead URLs waste crawl budget on pages that no longer exist, and missing URLs simply never get the discovery boost the sitemap was supposed to provide.
How to fix common issues
Malformed XML
Malformed sitemap XML is fixed by correcting the structural error, since a sitemap that does not parse is ignored entirely.
Wrong namespace
A wrong or missing namespace is fixed by declaring the correct sitemap protocol namespace on the root element so Google recognizes the file.
Over the URL limit
A sitemap exceeding 50,000 URLs is fixed by splitting it into multiple sitemaps referenced from a sitemap index.
Dead URLs listed
Dead URLs in a sitemap are fixed by removing entries that no longer resolve, so crawl budget is not spent on missing pages.
Non-canonical URLs listed
Non-canonical URLs are fixed by listing only the canonical version of each page, so the sitemap reinforces rather than contradicts canonicalization.
Frequently asked questions
What is an XML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a structured file listing the URLs a site wants search engines to know about, along with optional metadata about each one.
How many URLs can a sitemap contain?
A single sitemap is limited to 50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed. Larger sites split URLs across multiple sitemaps under a sitemap index.
Does a sitemap guarantee indexing?
A sitemap does not guarantee indexing. It aids discovery, but Google still decides which URLs to crawl and index based on other signals.
What is a sitemap index?
A sitemap index is a sitemap that lists other sitemaps, used when a site has more URLs than a single sitemap file can hold.
Should a sitemap include non-canonical URLs?
A sitemap should list only canonical URLs, since including duplicates sends Google a signal that conflicts with the canonical tags.
Is this sitemap validator free?
Our XML Sitemap Validator is free, with no sign-up, no limits, and nothing stored. The sitemap is fetched server-side, analyzed, and then discarded.
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