XML Sitemap Validator
Check that your sitemap follows the sitemaps.org protocol before you submit it to Google. Fetch it from your site (gzip and sitemap indexes included) or paste the XML.
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How to use the XML Sitemap Validator
- Enter the sitemap URL (for example https://example.com/sitemap.xml), or switch to Paste XML.
- Click Validate to download and check the file.
- Review the summary, then fix each error and warning listed with its line number.
- For a sitemap index, click Validate next to each child sitemap to check it too.
Frequently asked questions
How many URLs can one sitemap contain?
Up to 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed. For bigger sites, split the URLs across several sitemaps and list them in a sitemap index file, which you submit instead.
What date format does <lastmod> need?
W3C Datetime: either a date like 2025-03-01 or a full timestamp with time zone like 2025-03-01T14:30:00+00:00. Formats like 03/01/2025 are invalid and Google ignores them.
Does Google use <priority> and <changefreq>?
No. Google ignores both and relies on <lastmod> when it is accurate. They are still valid, and other search engines may read them, so it's fine to keep them.
Why does my sitemap show an "EntityRef" error?
A raw & character in a URL breaks the XML. Escape it as & (and < as <, > as >, quotes as " and ').
Can a sitemap list URLs from another domain?
Normally a sitemap should only list URLs on the same host and protocol, inside its own folder. Cross-domain sitemaps work only if you've verified both sites in Search Console or reference the sitemap from the other site's robots.txt.
Are compressed .xml.gz sitemaps supported?
Yes. Search engines accept gzip-compressed sitemaps, and this validator decompresses them automatically. The 50 MB limit applies to the uncompressed size.