How to use it
- Paste the XML of your sitemap or sitemap index into the box, or keep the sample to see a file that passes.
- Read Type, Entries and Size above the list of problems.
- Fix each problem in the file, then paste it again. The check runs as you type.
What the protocol requires
A sitemap is an XML file in the namespace http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9. It begins with urlset, and each url entry needs one loc element with the address of the page. The loc value must begin with the protocol, such as https://, and be shorter than 2,048 characters.
The other tags of an entry are optional. When they are present they must have these values: lastmod is a date in the W3C Datetime format, changefreq is always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or never, and priority is a number from 0.0 to 1.0, where the default is 0.5.
Limits and encoding
- A sitemap file may list at most 50,000 URLs.
- A sitemap file may be at most 50 MB (52,428,800 bytes) uncompressed. The page measures the text you paste as UTF-8.
- A sitemap index may list at most 50,000 sitemaps, and each sitemap entry needs its loc.
- Data values must be entity-escaped: an ampersand is written as &, and the less-than and greater-than signs as < and >.
What this page does not check
- Whether the addresses answer or the pages exist. The page reads the XML only and does not visit any address in it.
- Whether the sitemap is listed in your robots.txt file or was sent to a search engine.
- A compressed file. Paste the uncompressed XML text.
Worked example: the sample sitemap
The sample has two url entries. The first has a loc, a lastmod of 2026-11-01, a changefreq of weekly and a priority of 1.0, all valid. The second has a loc with an ampersand written as &, and a priority of 0.6. The page reports the sample as a sitemap with two entries and no problems:
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| Type | Sitemap |
| Entries | 2 |
| Problems | None |
Frequently asked questions
What is a sitemap?
A sitemap is an XML file that lists the addresses of a site's pages, so that search engines can find them. A sitemap index lists several sitemap files, for a site that needs more than one.
Does the page check that the addresses work?
No. The page reads the XML and applies the rules of the protocol. It does not visit the addresses, so a page that answers with an error is not reported here.
Why does a lastmod value need a time zone?
The protocol uses the W3C Datetime format, and every form that has a time ends with a time zone: Z for UTC, or an offset such as +03:00. A date alone, such as 2026-11-11, needs no time zone.
What happens if a URL contains an ampersand?
The XML must write the ampersand as &. A plain ampersand makes the file not well-formed XML, and the page reports that. The other reserved characters are written as entity codes too.
Is the sitemap I paste sent to a server?
No. The text is read in your browser, and nothing you paste is stored or sent anywhere.
Sources
- sitemaps.org, the sitemap protocol: namespace, loc, lastmod, changefreq, priority, limits and escaping
- W3C, Date and Time Formats: the Datetime forms used by lastmod
Figures and text last checked on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.