Sitemap Validator & Generator

Sitemap Validator checks a sitemap.xml or index against sitemaps.org and Google's rules, in your browser or by URL on our server, and builds sitemaps from URL lists.

At a glance

Accepts: A sitemap URL, an uploaded .xml or .xml.gz file, pasted XML, or a list of URLs to turn into a sitemap
Outputs: A report of errors, warnings and notes with example URLs, child sitemaps of an index, or a generated sitemap.xml (zip with an index past 50,000 URLs)
Where it runs: On our server
What leaves your device: Uploads, pasted XML and the generator stay in your browser; in URL mode the URL is sent to our server, which downloads the sitemap (not stored)
Limits: By URL up to 10 MB; uploads up to the 50 MB sitemap limit; checks the file, not whether each listed page works
Account: Not required - there is no sign-up
Price: Free, with no watermark and no usage cap
Made by: Visrut
Last updated: 14 October 2026

An XML sitemap lists the URLs you want search engines to find. It is a hint, not a command, but a broken one - a missing namespace, an unescaped ampersand, relative URLs - can be ignored entirely. This validator checks a sitemap or sitemap index against the sitemaps.org protocol and Google's own rules, and the generator turns a list of URLs into a valid sitemap.xml.

What it checks

Well-formed XML, a <urlset> or <sitemapindex> root and the exact namespace http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9.
At most 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed per file, and UTF-8 encoding.
Absolute URLs under 2,048 characters, all on one host, with & escaped; http URLs and duplicates.
lastmod dates in W3C Datetime format, and dates in the future.
priority and changefreq: valid, but Google ignores them, so they're noted rather than flagged.

Sources, checked 13 October 2026: Google Search Central, Build and submit a sitemap (last updated 8 July 2026), and the sitemaps.org protocol.

How to use it

Enter your sitemap's URL, upload the file, or paste the XML.
Fix errors first - they can make search engines reject the file. Warnings are worth fixing; notes are for information.
For a sitemap index, check each child sitemap from the list.
No sitemap yet? Use Generate, paste your URLs and download sitemap.xml. Then submit it in Google Search Console or reference it in robots.txt.

Honest limits

It checks the sitemap file, not the pages: it doesn't request each URL to see whether it returns 200 or is blocked by robots.txt.
Image, video and news sitemap extensions are accepted, but their own tags aren't validated.
By URL, our server reads up to 10 MB; uploads are checked in your browser up to the full 50 MB.

Related SEO checks

Link Preview Checker - see how a link looks when shared
Redirect Checker - follow every hop of a redirect chain
Schema Markup Checker - test structured data for rich results
Domain Info - look up a domain's age and registrar

Frequently asked questions

Does this send my sitemap to your server?

Only in Check a URL mode: the URL is sent to our server, which downloads the sitemap (up to 10 MB), checks it and sends back the report. We don't store the URL or the file. Uploaded files, pasted XML and the generator all run in your browser and are never sent to us.

What are the size limits for a sitemap?

50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed per file, according to both sitemaps.org and Google. A bigger site splits its URLs over several sitemaps and lists them in a sitemap index, which has the same limits.

Should I set priority and changefreq?

You can, and they are valid, but Google says it ignores both. What Google does use is an accurate lastmod: the date the page's main content, structured data or links last changed significantly - not the date the sitemap was generated.

What lastmod format is valid?

W3C Datetime: a date such as 2026-10-13, or a date and time with a time zone such as 2026-10-13T09:30:00+00:00 or 2026-10-13T09:30:00Z.

Can I check a sitemap index?

Yes. The checker recognises a sitemap index, checks it, and lists its child sitemaps. Press Check next to a child to have our server fetch and check that one - one at a time.

Can it check a .xml.gz file?

Yes. Uploaded .gz files are decompressed in your browser, and compressed sitemaps fetched by URL are decompressed on our server. The 50 MB limit applies to the uncompressed size.