Free XML Sitemap Checker
Validate your XML sitemap and ensure your pages can be discovered by search engines. Check for errors, warnings, and get recommendations to improve your sitemap.
What We Check
Sitemap Discovery
We check your robots.txt and common sitemap locations to find your sitemap automatically.
XML Validation
We verify your sitemap follows the correct XML format and includes required elements.
Issue Detection
We identify problems like missing lastmod tags, invalid URLs, and sitemaps exceeding size limits.
Recommendations
Get actionable tips to improve your sitemap and help search engines crawl your site better.
Why Sitemap Validation Matters
An XML sitemap is essential for SEO - it tells search engines which pages exist on your website and when they were last updated. However, a malformed or invalid sitemap can actually hurt your search rankings by confusing search engine crawlers.
Common Sitemap Issues
- Missing XML declaration - Some search engines require the proper XML header
- No lastmod dates - Search engines use this to prioritize crawling updated content
- Exceeding 50,000 URL limit - Large sites need to split their sitemap
- Invalid URL formats - URLs must be properly escaped and absolute
- Missing namespace declaration - Required for proper XML parsing
Beyond Validation: Getting Actually Indexed
Having a valid sitemap is crucial, but it doesn't guarantee your pages will be indexed. Google can take weeks or even months to discover and index new pages. That's where IndexMachine comes in - we proactively submit your pages to Google, Bing, and AI search engines to get them indexed faster.