Why should I validate my XML sitemap?

Validating your XML sitemap helps identify errors that could prevent search engines from properly indexing your site. It ensures your sitemap follows the correct format and contains valid URLs, which improves your site's visibility in search results.

What common errors are found in XML sitemaps?

Common XML sitemap errors include invalid XML syntax, missing required elements, incorrect URL formats, invalid last modified dates, improper change frequency values, and priority values outside the acceptable range (0.0 to 1.0).

XML Sitemap Validator

Validate your XML sitemaps for errors and compliance with search engine guidelines

Sitemap URL:

Use proxy to bypass CORS restrictions

Check URL accessibility

Ignore URL accessibility warnings in validation status

Validate last modified dates

Validate change frequency values

Validate priority values

Strict validation mode (more warnings)

Debug mode (show detailed validation info)

Validating Sitemap

Total URLs

Valid URLs

Warnings

Errors

Last Checked URL

Validation Results

Sitemap Information

Sitemap URL:	-
Validated on:	-
Total URLs:	0
Validation Status:	-

Summary

No validation results yet.

Next Steps:

Review the validation results below
Fix any errors or warnings identified
Revalidate your sitemap after making changes

Validation Details

URL List

URL	Status	Issues

About XML Sitemap Validation

What is XML Sitemap Validation?

XML sitemap validation is the process of checking your sitemap file for errors and ensuring it follows the correct format according to search engine guidelines. A valid sitemap helps search engines discover and index your content more effectively.

What We Check

Our validator performs comprehensive checks on your sitemap:

XML syntax and structure
Required sitemap elements
URL format and accessibility
Last modified dates
Change frequency values
Priority values
Search engine guidelines compliance

Common Sitemap Errors

Here are some common errors found in XML sitemaps:

Error Type	Description	Impact
Invalid XML	Malformed XML syntax	Search engines cannot parse the sitemap
Missing URLs	No URLs found in the sitemap	No pages will be indexed
Invalid URLs	URLs that don't follow proper format	Search engines cannot access these pages
Missing Last Modified	No lastmod attribute for URLs	Search engines don't know when content was updated
Invalid Priority	Priority values outside 0.0-1.0 range	Search engines may ignore priority settings

Best Practices for XML Sitemaps

Follow these best practices to ensure your sitemap is valid and effective:

Keep your sitemap under 50MB and 50,000 URLs
Use the correct XML namespace: xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
Include only canonical URLs (avoid duplicate content)
Use absolute URLs instead of relative paths
Update lastmod dates when content changes
Use appropriate changefreq values based on content update frequency
Set priority values between 0.0 and 1.0
Submit your sitemap to search engines through their webmaster tools

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