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Sitemap Checker

Available

Validate an XML sitemap or sitemap index: structure, URL count, lastmod dates and common errors, with a formatted XML preview and a table of entries.

Check a sitemap

Usually /sitemap.xml or listed in robots.txt. .xml.gz files are decompressed on the server.

Sitemap report

Fetch or paste a sitemap to see its validation summary, entries and XML.

How it works

A sitemap lists URLs you want search engines to crawl, in the sitemaps.org XML format: a <urlset> of <url> entries or a <sitemapindex> pointing to other sitemaps. Each file may hold at most 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed. Paste mode validates XML entirely in your browser; fetching a live sitemap needs the NetTools server.

Sitemap limits and rules

  • At most 50,000 URLs and 50 MB (uncompressed) per file; larger sites use a sitemap index.
  • Every <loc> is an absolute URL on the sitemap’s own host, properly escaped (& as &amp;).
  • <lastmod> uses W3C Datetime, e.g. 2026-10-13 or 2026-10-13T09:30:00+00:00.
  • Submit sitemaps in search engine webmaster tools or list them in robots.txt with a Sitemap: line.

Safeguards & responsible use

  • Fetches only public http(s) URLs with size limits (50 MB uncompressed, the sitemaps.org maximum) and timeouts; gzip is decompressed with a ratio limit.
  • Sitemap indexes are listed, not crawled recursively. Per-client rate limits; content is not stored.

Frequently asked questions

Do priority and changefreq matter?

Google ignores both. lastmod is used when it is accurate, so only update it when the page content really changes.

What is a sitemap index?

A file listing other sitemap files, used when a site has more than 50,000 URLs or wants to split sitemaps by section.

Should sitemap URLs be on the same host?

Yes. A sitemap normally lists URLs from its own host; cross-host entries need proof of ownership, for example via robots.txt or Search Console.