Sitemap Validator
Check if your XML sitemap is valid and follows the sitemap protocol. Identify errors that might prevent search engines from reading it.
About This Tool
Validates your XML sitemap against the sitemap protocol specification: valid XML structure, correct namespace, required elements, and size limits (50MB, 50,000 URLs).
Sitemap Validator
When to use this tool
The validator fetches a sitemap, parses the XML, identifies the sitemap type, counts URLs, samples entries, and flags structural problems that can stop crawlers from reading the file properly.
Practical tips
- Validate after regenerating a sitemap or changing sitemap plugins.
- Check sample URLs for the wrong domain, staging URLs, or non-canonical paths.
- Keep sitemap files under protocol limits for size and URL count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can it validate sitemap indexes?
Yes. It detects both urlset files and sitemapindex files.
What is the most common sitemap issue?
Common issues include malformed XML, missing loc elements, wrong namespaces, and URLs that should not be indexed.
Should every URL in a sitemap be tested too?
For important sites, yes. Validation checks the file structure; status checks confirm the listed URLs are actually reachable.