Sitemap Validator
Fetch and validate the XML sitemap for any domain — count URLs, check for lastmod dates, and detect sitemap indexes.
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How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter the domain name (the tool will check https://domain.com/sitemap.xml).
- 2
Click "Check Now" to fetch and parse the sitemap.
- 3
Results show the sitemap type, number of URLs, lastmod data, and a sample of the first 8 entries.
- 4
If no sitemap is found at /sitemap.xml, check robots.txt for the actual sitemap URL.
Frequently asked questions
What is an XML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website you want search engines to index. It helps crawlers discover content efficiently, especially for large sites or pages not easily reached through internal links. While not required for indexing, a sitemap speeds up discovery of new and updated content.
What is a sitemap index?
A sitemap index file contains links to multiple individual sitemap files. It's used when a single sitemap would exceed the 50,000 URL or 50MB limit. E-commerce sites and large publications often have separate sitemaps for blog posts, products, categories, and images.
What does lastmod mean in a sitemap?
lastmod (last modified date) tells search engines when a URL was last significantly changed. Search engines use this to prioritize recrawling recently updated content. However, if you set lastmod inaccurately (e.g. always today's date), crawlers learn to ignore it.
How do I submit my sitemap to Google?
Method 1: Add Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml to your robots.txt file. Method 2: Submit via Google Search Console (Indexing → Sitemaps). Once submitted, Google checks and rechecks your sitemap regularly. You don't need to resubmit after updates — Google will re-fetch periodically.
Sitemap Validator — Check your XML sitemap structure
Sitemap best practices
Only include canonical URLs (avoid paginated versions, filtered pages, or duplicate content). Include all important pages, including those not in the main navigation. Update lastmod accurately when content changes. Submit to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Keep sitemaps under 50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed — use a sitemap index for larger sites.
Sitemap types
URL sitemap: the standard list of page URLs. Image sitemap: includes image metadata for Google Images. Video sitemap: includes video metadata for Video Search. News sitemap: for Google News inclusion (requires publisher approval). These can be combined as extensions within a standard sitemap or as separate files in a sitemap index.
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Results are estimates for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional financial, medical, legal, or technical advice. Read full disclaimer →