Free XML Sitemap Checker

What is an XML sitemap?

An XML sitemap is a file that lists the URLs you want search engines to crawl, optionally with the date each page last changed. It helps Google and Bing find new and updated pages faster, especially on large or new sites with few links. It does not guarantee that a URL will be crawled or indexed.

How to use the XML Sitemap Checker

Enter your homepage or any URL on the site.
The tool looks for a Sitemap: line in robots.txt, then falls back to /sitemap.xml.
It checks the sitemap parses as XML, contains URLs, and is referenced from robots.txt.

How to read the results

Passed: A sitemap was found, parses correctly, lists URLs, and robots.txt points to it.
Needs attention: No sitemap was found, the file is not valid XML or lists no URLs, or robots.txt does not reference it. This is a warning rather than a failure because sitemaps are optional: Google can still find pages through links.

What should a sitemap contain?

Only canonical, indexable URLs that return 200: no redirects, no noindexed pages, no URLs blocked by robots.txt. Use absolute URLs. One file can hold up to 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed; above that, split it and list the files in a sitemap index. Google ignores the priority and changefreq fields, and uses lastmod only when it is consistently accurate.

sitemap.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://www.example.com/guides/seo-audit</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-10-01</lastmod>
  </url>
</urlset>

robots.txt

Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

How do I generate one on my platform?

WordPress has built a sitemap in at /wp-sitemap.xml since version 5.5, and SEO plugins such as Yoast or Rank Math replace it with their own. Shopify creates /sitemap.xml automatically. In Next.js, add app/sitemap.ts. For anything else, use our XML Sitemap Generator for a small site, then submit the URL in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a sitemap?

Google says small sites that are well linked internally may not need one. It helps most on large sites, new sites with few backlinks, and sites with pages that are hard to reach through links.

Does a sitemap get my pages indexed?

No. It helps discovery. Google still decides whether each URL is worth crawling and indexing.

Should lastmod change every day?

Only when the page content really changes. Setting every lastmod to today teaches Google to ignore the field.

Sources

What this tool checks

XML sitemap is present and valid
Checks for an XML sitemap (declared in robots.txt or at /sitemap.xml), that it parses, and that it contains URLs.
Why it matters: A sitemap helps search engines discover your canonical URLs, especially on large sites or sites with weak internal linking.
If it fails: Publish an XML sitemap of your canonical URLs with absolute links, and reference it from robots.txt.
Source: developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/overview
Sitemap referenced from robots.txt
Checks robots.txt contains a Sitemap: directive.
Why it matters: Declaring the sitemap in robots.txt is the standard way for any crawler to find it without guessing the filename.
If it fails: Add a "Sitemap: https://…/sitemap.xml" line to robots.txt.
Source: developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap