XML Sitemap Checker
Verify if a domain has properly implemented XML sitemaps.
What is the XML Sitemap Checker?
An XML sitemap tells Google which pages to crawl and how often they change. A broken or missing sitemap means Google may not discover your important pages. This tool checks sitemap accessibility, validates the XML format, counts URLs, and reports any errors.
How to Use
- Enter a domain — the tool checks common sitemap locations automatically
- Review whether the sitemap is accessible and properly formatted
- Check the URL count and last modification dates
- Fix any errors: broken URLs, invalid XML, or missing sitemaps
Why This Matters for SEO
Google uses sitemaps to discover and prioritize pages for crawling. Sites without sitemaps rely entirely on internal linking for discovery, which means orphaned or deep pages may never get indexed. A well-maintained sitemap ensures your entire site is visible to search engines.
Tips & Best Practices
- Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console for faster discovery
- Keep sitemap URLs under 50,000 — use sitemap index files for larger sites
- Update lastmod dates only when content actually changes
- Exclude noindex pages, redirects, and 404s from your sitemap
- Regenerate your sitemap automatically on content changes
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need an XML sitemap?
- Yes, especially for sites with more than a few pages. Sitemaps help Google discover pages faster, understand your site structure, and know when content was last updated.
- Where should my sitemap be located?
- The standard location is /sitemap.xml at your domain root. Reference it in your robots.txt file and submit it in Google Search Console.