XML sitemap validator

Check sitemap structure and entries

The validator checks the XML root and namespace, required location values, duplicate entries, last modified dates, change frequency, priority, and the limits that apply to one sitemap file. XML extensions for images, video, news, and alternate languages can remain in the file.

A valid result describes the file that was submitted. It does not fetch the listed pages, confirm their indexability, or show whether a search engine has indexed them.

Protocol limits and the 10,000 entry advisory

The sitemap protocol allows up to 50,000 entries and 50 MB uncompressed in one file. Files above either limit need to be split and referenced from a sitemap index.

The result also includes neutral advice when a file has more than 10,000 entries. Some technical SEO teams use that working size because smaller files make failures and coverage groups easier to isolate. It is not a Google requirement or a ranking factor.

Read Google's current sitemap format and size documentation for the accepted protocol rules.

Partial validation stays visible

If validation stops early, the result is marked as partial and shows how much of the file was checked. Fix the reported problems, then run the sitemap again for a complete result.

Check a local file before publishing it

Paste sitemap XML or open a local XML or gzip file to find problems before it goes live. Pasted content and selected files stay in this browser tab.

What Google uses from a sitemap

Google reads the location of each URL and, when it is accurate, the last modified date. It ignores change frequency and priority, so there is no need to tune them. A sitemap helps Google find URLs and notice changes. It does not make Google index a page or rank it higher.

The last modified date only helps if it is honest. A sitemap that stamps every URL with today’s date teaches Google to ignore the field. Change it when the main content of the page changes.

Fix common sitemap errors

• Relative or wrong-host URLs. Every location must be a full URL on the same host and protocol as the sitemap.
• URLs that redirect, return errors or are noindexed. List only the final, indexable URL of each page.
• Unescaped characters. An & in a URL must be written as & or the XML breaks.
• Dates in the wrong form. Use W3C dates such as 2026-10-21 or a full timestamp with a time zone.
• A file over the limit. Split it and list the parts in a sitemap index.

After it validates

Add the sitemap to Search Console under Sitemaps and add a Sitemap: line to your robots.txt. Search Console then shows when Google last read it and how many URLs it found. The robots.txt validator shows whether the line is there.

Check the URLs in your sitemap with your agent

A valid file can still list broken pages. The seo crawl command can read your sitemap and check every URL in it for status codes and redirects, without reading every page, so your agent can tell you which entries should come out. Ask:

Check every URL in https://example.com/sitemap.xml and list the ones that redirect or return an error

The crawl runs from the CLI on your machine. Install it and run setup:

npm i -g seo && seo start

Or add the hosted MCP server to your agent and sign in with Google:

Sitemap validator questions