Free XML Sitemap Checker
Your sitemap is the list of pages you're asking Google to find. If it's missing, broken or full of redirects and dead pages, Google wastes its visits and may miss the pages that matter. Enter your domain to find your sitemap, validate it and spot-check the pages it lists.
Free · No sign-up · Nothing stored
What belongs in your sitemap, and what doesn't
A sitemap should list only the pages you want in search results. Every redirect, error or noindex page in it tells Google the list can't be fully trusted.
| Include | Leave out |
|---|---|
| Pages that load (HTTP 200) | Redirected addresses (301, 302) |
| The canonical version of each page | Duplicates and URL variations |
| Pages you want people to find in search | Pages with a noindex tag |
| Full https:// addresses on your main domain | Error pages (404, 500) and login pages |
| Real last-changed dates (lastmod) | Filtered, sorted or internal search results |
Where to find your sitemap
Most website builders create a sitemap automatically. Enter just your domain and the checker looks in robots.txt first, then at the standard addresses below:
| Platform | Usual address |
|---|---|
| WordPress (no SEO plugin) | /wp-sitemap.xml |
| Yoast SEO or Rank Math | /sitemap_index.xml |
| Shopify | /sitemap.xml |
| Wix | /sitemap.xml |
| Squarespace | /sitemap.xml |
| Webflow | /sitemap.xml (once switched on in settings) |
Common sitemap errors and how to fix them
| Problem | Why it matters | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Sitemap not found | Search engines rely on links alone to find pages | Generate one in your CMS and add a Sitemap: line to robots.txt |
| Not listed in robots.txt | Some search engines won't find it | Add Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml |
| Listed pages redirect | Google is sent the long way round | List the final addresses instead |
| Listed pages return errors | The list stops looking trustworthy | Remove them or fix the pages; the Broken Link Checker finds links to them |
| Listed pages say noindex | You ask Google to crawl pages you told it not to index | Remove them, or remove the noindex |
| Addresses on another host | www vs non-www, or another domain, is ignored | Use your main domain everywhere |
| Every lastmod is the same date | Google learns to ignore your dates | Use each page's real change date |
| Over 50,000 URLs or 50 MB | The file is over the limit | Split it and use a sitemap index |
How to read the spot check
After validating the file, the checker visits up to 20 pages spread across your sitemap and labels each one:
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| OK | The page loads with HTTP 200 and nothing contradicts the sitemap |
| Redirects | The listed address sends visitors somewhere else |
| Error | The page returns 404, 500 or another error |
| Noindex | The page tells search engines not to index it |
| Other canonical | The page names a different address as the main version |
| Not checked | The site refused our visit or the time limit ran out |
A sample can't prove every page is fine, but if several sampled pages redirect or error, the rest of the list probably has the same problem.
Submit and monitor your sitemap in Search Console
- Fix anything the checker flags, starting with errors and noindex pages.
- Declare it in robots.txt. The Robots.txt Generator adds the Sitemap: line for you.
- Open Google Search Console, go to Indexing, then Sitemaps, paste the sitemap address and submit.
- Check back in a few days. The report shows whether Google could read it and how many pages it discovered.
- Look at the Pages report for listed pages that aren't indexed, and check any of them with the Indexability Checker.
lastmod, changefreq and priority
Of the three optional tags, only lastmod matters to Google, and only when it's accurate. A lastmod that changes only when the page really changes helps Google decide what to recrawl. Google ignores changefreq and priority, so they do no harm, but they don't help either. The checker flags invalid date formats, dates in the future and sitemaps where every page carries the same date.
Real example: our own sitemap
We ran the checker on cmoowls.com. It found the sitemap through robots.txt, read 65 page addresses, confirmed every one has a lastmod date, and visited 20 of them: all loaded cleanly with no redirects, noindex tags or off-page canonicals. It also noted our changefreq and priority tags as harmless.
What the sitemap checker doesn't do
- It samples. Up to 20 listed pages are visited, and up to five files of a sitemap index are read.
- It can't see what Google indexed. Only Search Console shows that. For a full crawl-and-index audit, use Owl-gorithm Hacker.
- Image and video sitemaps list the same page once per image or video, so they're not counted as duplicates.
A healthy sitemap on one map
Old addresses that should redirect can be checked in bulk with the Redirect Checker. For how robots.txt and sitemaps work together, read What Is Robots.txt?.
Keep every page crawlable and indexed
Owl-gorithm Hacker audits crawling and indexing across your whole site, and Watch Owl catches broken pages after every change.
Frequently asked questions
Is the sitemap checker free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up and nothing stored. Enter your domain and we find the sitemap, or paste its address directly.
Where is my sitemap?
Usually at /sitemap.xml, at /sitemap_index.xml if you use Yoast or Rank Math, or at /wp-sitemap.xml on WordPress without an SEO plugin. The most reliable place to declare it is a Sitemap: line in your robots.txt file.
How many URLs can a sitemap have?
Up to 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed per file. Larger sites split their URLs across several sitemaps and list those files in a sitemap index.
Does Google use changefreq and priority?
No. Google has said it ignores both. It does use lastmod, but only when the dates are consistently accurate, so don't set every page to today's date.
Which pages should be in my sitemap?
Only the pages you want in search results: pages that load with HTTP 200, aren't redirected, don't say noindex and are their own canonical. Leave out redirects, error pages, duplicates, and filtered or internal search pages.
Does a sitemap guarantee my pages get indexed?
No. It helps Google discover your pages and understand which ones you consider important, but Google still decides what to index. Submit the sitemap in Google Search Console to see how many listed pages are indexed.
Do small websites need a sitemap?
It's not required for a small, well-linked site, because Google can find every page by following links. It's still worth having: it costs nothing, most CMSs create it automatically, and it helps new pages get found sooner.
What is a sitemap index?
A sitemap that lists other sitemap files instead of pages. Large sites and most SEO plugins use one, often splitting pages, posts, products and images into separate files. The checker reads up to five of the files in an index.
How often should I resubmit my sitemap?
You don't need to. Once Google Search Console has your sitemap, Google re-reads it on its own. Resubmit only if you move it to a new address.
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