About this tool
Create bounded static evidence for a sitemap file before deployment or submission without turning XML structure into a live URL, indexing, or ownership claim.
XML Sitemap Validator processes a bounded URL set or sitemap index locally and checks UTF-8 XML, the exact sitemap protocol namespace, required loc values, real W3C calendar dates, normalized duplicates, optional fields, and core entry and byte limits.
- Parses pasted XML or an opened UTF-8 file in a disposable browser worker and rejects DTD or entity declarations, invalid XML declarations, malformed roots, and an incorrect default protocol namespace.
- Validates required absolute HTTP(S) loc values, normalized duplicates, strict W3C lastmod dates, case-sensitive changefreq values, decimal priorities, host and protocol review signals, and optional deployment context.
- Enforces the 50 MiB uncompressed and 50,000-entry protocol limits, caps returned evidence, and exports a versioned JSON report without repeating the full parsed document.
How to use Sitemap Validator
Paste up to 5,000,000 characters or open an XML file up to 50 MiB, optionally enter the deployed sitemap URL for host and directory context, then run validation. Review blocking protocol errors separately from deployment warnings and download the bounded JSON evidence if needed.
When this tool is useful
- Validate a generated sitemap.xml before submitting it in Google Search Console.
- QA CMS or build-step sitemap output after a routing or localization change.
- Check duplicate loc entries, malformed lastmod values, or protocol mistakes in client sitemaps.
- Review sitemap indexes before large content launches or localization rollouts.
Practical tips
- Validate the file structure first, then separately crawl important URLs and inspect response, canonical, and robots evidence.
- Keep each sitemap within 50,000 entries and 50 MiB (52,428,800 bytes) uncompressed.
- Use sitemap indexes when your site grows beyond a single clean sitemap file.
- Google ignores changefreq and priority; include them only when another consumer needs those optional protocol hints.
Examples you can test
Load an example, compare the result with the expected output, then replace it with your own input.
Validate a small sitemap
Example input
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"><url><loc>https://example.com/</loc><lastmod>2026-03-11</lastmod></url></urlset>
Expected output
URL set protocol structure passes
The exact default namespace and one absolute loc are required; no live URL request is made.
Reject an impossible date
Example input
<lastmod>2026-02-30</lastmod>
Expected output
Blocking invalid-lastmod finding
Validation checks real Gregorian calendar dates instead of relying on permissive Date.parse behavior.
Review a mixed-protocol file
Example input
One HTTPS loc and one HTTP loc
Expected output
HTTP and mixed-protocol review warnings
HTTP is permitted by the protocol, so this is a canonical deployment review rather than a syntax error.
Validation checklist
- Use the exact sitemap protocol default namespace and one absolute HTTP(S) loc per entry.
- Encode the file as UTF-8 and XML-escape ampersands and other reserved characters.
- Review live status, redirects, canonical URLs, robots directives, ownership, and indexability outside this static file check.