Sitemap Validator
Validate your XML sitemap structure and check for common issues. Ensure search engines can properly discover and index all your important pages.
Why Sitemaps Matter
XML sitemaps help search engines discover and understand your website structure. A well-configured sitemap can improve how quickly new content gets indexed and ensure important pages aren't missed.
Sitemap Structure
A valid sitemap must use proper XML format with the correct namespace. Each URL should be wrapped in a <url> tag with a <loc> element containing the full URL.
Lastmod Dates
Including lastmod dates tells search engines when content was last updated. This helps prioritize crawling of recently changed pages and can speed up indexing of updates.
URL Limits
Each sitemap file can contain up to 50,000 URLs and must be under 50MB. For larger sites, use a sitemap index file to reference multiple sitemap files.
Sitemap Index
A sitemap index file allows you to organize multiple sitemaps. This is useful for large sites or when separating different content types (pages, posts, products).
Robots.txt Integration
Add your sitemap location to robots.txt so search engines can automatically discover it. Use the directive: Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
Grade Breakdown:
- A (85-100) - Excellent sitemap
- B (70-84) - Good, minor improvements
- C (50-69) - Fair, missing elements
- D (30-49) - Poor, significant issues
- F (0-29) - No sitemap or critical errors
Need Help With Your Sitemap?
Our team can help you create and optimize your XML sitemap, configure automatic generation, and ensure proper search engine indexing. Book a free discovery call.