XML Sitemap Validator - Check Sitemap Format
Validate your XML sitemap format, check URL count limits, verify namespace declarations, and list all sitemap URLs.
How to Use
- Download your sitemap.xml file or copy its content from your web server.
- Paste the complete XML content into the text area above.
- Click 'Validate' to check the sitemap format, namespace, and URL structure.
- Review any errors (must fix) or warnings (recommended to fix) in the results.
- The URL list shows all discovered URLs — verify that all important pages are included.
About Sitemap Validation
Required Sitemap Elements
A valid XML sitemap must have: the XML declaration (<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>), the <urlset> root element with the correct xmlns namespace (http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9), and at least one <url> element containing a <loc> tag with a valid absolute URL. All other elements (<lastmod>, <changefreq>, <priority>) are optional but should be properly formatted if present.
Common Sitemap Errors
The most common sitemap errors include: missing or incorrect XML namespace declaration, relative URLs in <loc> tags (must be absolute with https://), invalid date format in <lastmod> (must be W3C Datetime like YYYY-MM-DD), priority values outside the 0.0-1.0 range, invalid changefreq values (must be one of: always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, never), and exceeding the 50,000 URL limit per sitemap file.
Sitemap Testing Tools
After validating your sitemap locally, submit it to Google Search Console for indexing insights. Google Search Console's Coverage report shows how many URLs from your sitemap are indexed vs. excluded. You can also view sitemap processing status and errors. For Bing, use Bing Webmaster Tools. Always re-submit your sitemap after major website updates to ensure search engines index your new content promptly.
Image and Video Sitemaps
Standard sitemaps can be extended with specialized namespaces for images and videos. Image sitemaps use the namespace xmlns:image='http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-image/1.1' and <image:image> elements. Video sitemaps use xmlns:video='http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-video/1.1'. These extensions help Google better understand rich media content and can improve image and video search visibility.
Key Features
- Validates XML format, namespace declarations, and required elements
- Checks URL format validity and ensures all URLs are absolute
- Verifies 50,000 URL limit and other sitemap constraints
- Lists all discovered URLs for easy verification
Common Applications
- Verifying a newly created sitemap before submitting to Google Search Console
- Troubleshooting why Google Search Console shows sitemap errors
- Auditing a sitemap from an automated generator for quality assurance
- Checking that all important pages are included in the sitemap