Website Sitemap Checker
Check that a sitemap follows the protocol search engines expect. The checker finds the sitemap through robots.txt or the default locations, parses it safely and checks the namespace and UTF-8 declaration, the 50,000-URL and 50 MB limits, relative URLs, URLs on other hosts or with a different protocol, duplicates, invalid or future lastmod dates, priorities outside 0–1, invalid changefreq values and whether robots.txt references it.
- Encrypted connection
- No sign-up
- Free to use
How to use Website Sitemap Checker
- Enter a website or sitemap address.
- Click “Check sitemap”.
- Read the errors and warnings.
- Fix the sitemap and check again.
Website Sitemap Checker features
Protocol rules
Namespace, encoding, limits.
URL checks
Absolute, same host, same protocol.
Date checks
W3C format, not in the future.
robots.txt
Reference checked.
Safe fetching
Public addresses only, with size and time limits.
Safe parsing
No DTDs or external entities.
When to use Website Sitemap Checker
- Checking a CMS-generated sitemap.
- Fixing “Couldn’t fetch” or parsing errors.
- Before submitting to Search Console.
- After a domain or https move.
Website Sitemap Checker FAQ
How is this different from the Sitemap URL Validator?
This checks the sitemap file itself; the validator fetches a sample of the listed pages.
Why must URLs be on the same host?
A sitemap may only list URLs of its own host unless cross-submission is proven in Search Console.
Does Google use priority?
No, Google ignores priority and changefreq; other engines may read them.
What lastmod format is valid?
W3C Datetime, e.g. 2026-10-05 or 2026-10-05T14:30:00+00:00.
Does every page need to be in the sitemap?
Every page you want indexed should be. Leave out duplicates, filtered views, noindex pages and URLs that redirect.
Should I include lastmod dates?
Yes, if they are accurate. Search engines use lastmod to decide what to recrawl; dates that change on every visit teach them to ignore it.
Where should my sitemap be?
Anywhere on the same host, usually /sitemap.xml. Reference it in robots.txt and submit it in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Sitemaps search engines trust
Search engines trust sitemaps that are accurate. Wrong hosts, http URLs on an https site or made-up lastmod dates reduce that trust.
After fixing, resubmit the sitemap in Google Search Console.
Search engines expect sitemaps to follow the sitemaps.org protocol. The checker finds your sitemap through robots.txt or the usual locations, parses it safely, and checks the namespace, UTF-8, the 50,000-URL and 50 MB limits, absolute URLs on the same host and protocol, duplicates and valid lastmod dates.
A sitemap should list only canonical, indexable URLs that return status 200. URLs that redirect, return errors or carry noindex send mixed signals; the checker samples URLs so you can spot those. Future or constantly changing lastmod dates teach search engines to ignore the field.
Large sites split URLs into several sitemaps listed in a sitemap index. Submit the index in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools and reference it in robots.txt.
Check your sitemap after every larger change to the site structure, after a migration and whenever Search Console reports sitemap errors. Plugins and frameworks generate sitemaps automatically, but settings such as noindex rules or new post types can add or remove URLs without anyone noticing. A quick check here confirms the file still follows the protocol.
Keep separate sitemaps for large sections such as products, articles and images; errors are then easier to trace, and Search Console reports indexing per sitemap.