SITEMAPS & CRAWLING
XML Sitemap Validator
Search engines read sitemaps strictly. One unescaped ampersand can make a strict XML parser stop reading the file, and dates in the wrong format are silently ignored. This validator checks a pasted sitemap against the sitemaps.org protocol and Google’s limits.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing you paste is uploaded
- Free, no sign-up
- CheckRoot element and sitemaps.org namespace
- CheckUTF-8 encoding and unescaped & characters
- CheckURL entries mixed into an index, or sitemaps into a URL set
- CheckMissing, relative and over-long URLs
Free
no sign-up, no usage limit
0 uploads
what you paste stays on your device
7 checks
what the tool looks at
Offline
works once the page has loaded
Loading the tool…
HOW IT WORKS
How to use the XML Sitemap Validator
Sitemap XML, pasted, up to 50 MB.
Open your sitemap in the browser, view the source and copy it.
Paste it here, with the sitemap’s URL if you want host checks.
Fix each problem, regenerate the file and check again.
WHAT IT CHECKS
What it looks at, and how to read it.
Checks with what was found and how to fix it, and the file’s type, entry count and newest date.
What it checks
- Root element and sitemaps.org namespace
- UTF-8 encoding and unescaped & characters
- URL entries mixed into an index, or sitemaps into a URL set
- Missing, relative and over-long URLs
- URLs on another host, and duplicates
- lastmod format and future dates, changefreq and priority values
- 50,000 entries and 50 MB limits
How to read the results
- Problems stop search engines reading the file or some of its entries; warnings make it less useful.
- Google ignores changefreq and priority, so errors there matter little.
The concepts behind it, in the SEO glossary: XML sitemap.
GOOD TO KNOW
Common mistakes, an example and the limits.
Common mistakes
- Writing filter URLs with a raw & instead of &.
- Using local date formats such as 28/10/2026 for lastmod.
A worked example
The example sitemap has an unescaped & in a filter URL, a lastmod written as 28/10/2026 and a relative URL, /tvs/.
Limitations
- Validates the file you paste, not what your server sends; use the Sitemap Finder to check the live file.
- Checks the protocol’s rules, not whether each URL works.
FAQ
Questions about the XML Sitemap Validator
Straight answers about what it does and where its limits are.
Does a valid sitemap get my pages indexed?
No. It helps search engines find URLs; each page still has to be indexable and worth indexing.
Need this for a whole website, over time?
The NdovuSEOLabs platform connects your own Search Console, analytics and server logs, and audits every page on a schedule.