Free XML Sitemap Checker

Check your XML sitemap health and errors.

Enter a domain and we'll find the sitemap, map your site sections and show how fresh your pages are.

About this xml sitemap validator

Our free sitemap checker validates every URL inside your XML sitemap and flags broken links, 404 errors, redirect chains and duplicates in one pass.

Drop a sitemap URL, the sitemap checker runs a real-time crawl using DataForSEO infrastructure and returns a clean health summary with total pages, indexable pages and issues you should fix before Google sees them.

Run it monthly to keep crawl budget tight and rankings stable.

How to use XML Sitemap Validator

  1. 1

    Submit Sitemap URL

    Provide the direct link to your XML sitemap (usually /sitemap.xml).

  2. 2

    On-Page Crawl

    Our DataForSEO integration initiates a real-time crawl of your indexed pages.

  3. 3

    Identify Issues

    We detect broken links, 404 errors, and server issues within your sitemap.

  4. 4

    Health Summary

    Get a comprehensive report on total pages, duplicates, and crawl progress.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does a crawl take?

Usually a few seconds. We read your sitemap directly, and for a sitemap index we read the first five child sitemaps. Very large sites can take up to about 15 seconds.

Why are some pages missing?

For a sitemap index we read the first five child sitemaps to keep the check fast, so very large sites may show only part of their URLs. Duplicate URLs are also counted once.

What are broken links?

Broken links are URLs in your sitemap that return a 404 error. These are bad for SEO because they waste crawl budget and provide a poor user experience.

Should I include images in my sitemap?

Yes, including images helps Google discover them more easily, potentially leading to more traffic from Google Image Search.

How often should I check my sitemap?

We recommend a monthly check or after any major site restructuring to ensure all your priority pages are being crawled and indexed correctly.

How do I find the sitemap of a website?

Open example.com/robots.txt and look for a Sitemap: line, or try common locations like /sitemap.xml and /sitemap_index.xml. This checker does both for you: enter a domain and it finds the sitemap automatically.

How many URLs can one sitemap have?

Up to 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed. Larger sites should split URLs across several sitemaps listed in a sitemap index.

What is a sitemap index?

A sitemap that lists other sitemaps instead of pages. Big sites use it to group URLs, for example by blog posts, products and categories.

Does lastmod matter?

Yes, if it is accurate. Google uses lastmod to decide what to recrawl, so only update it when the page content really changes.

Do I still need a sitemap if my site is small?

It is not required, but it helps Google find new pages faster and costs almost nothing to maintain. Most CMSs create one automatically.

What is an XML sitemap?

An XML sitemap is a file that lists the URLs you want search engines to crawl, often with the date each page last changed. It helps Google find new and deep pages faster, especially on large or new sites.

How do I submit a sitemap to Google?

Open Google Search Console, choose your property, go to Sitemaps, paste your sitemap URL and press Submit. Also add a Sitemap: line to robots.txt so every search engine can find it.