Valid XML structure
Confirms a proper <urlset> or <sitemapindex> root and flags pages that returned HTML (a redirect or 404) instead of XML.
Free XML Sitemap Checker & Validator
Enter a sitemap URL or just your domain. The checker confirms it is valid XML, counts URLs or child sitemaps, reports lastmod coverage, and flags the problems that make Google Search Console say a sitemap could not be read.
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Validate an XML sitemap
Enter a sitemap URL (or a domain — we will try /sitemap.xml). NorthDuty fetches it and checks the structure.
Free check. No signup. Results are not published or indexed.
How NorthDuty sitemap and SEO monitoring works
Enter a sitemap URL (or a domain — we will try /sitemap.xml). NorthDuty fetches it and checks the structure. Recurring checks are configured inside the NorthDuty app.
What this sitemap validator reports
A single check confirms the sitemap is well-formed and gives search engines the structure they expect.
URL and entry counts
Counts the <url> entries (or child sitemaps in an index) so you can confirm the sitemap covers what you expect.
lastmod coverage
Reports how many entries include a <lastmod> date, which helps search engines prioritize recrawling changed pages.
Common problems
Surfaces missing <loc> elements, empty sitemaps, and sitemaps over the 50,000-URL limit that should be split.
Why validate your sitemap
A broken sitemap quietly hurts crawling and indexing — search engines just skip what they can't parse.
- Confirm search engines can actually read your sitemap
- Catch sitemaps that return an HTML error page instead of XML
- Verify the URL count matches the pages you expect indexed
- Spot missing lastmod dates that slow recrawling of updated pages
- Check a sitemap index and the sitemaps it points to
How the sitemap validator works
No signup — paste a URL and get the structure back immediately.
1
Enter a sitemap URL
Provide the full sitemap URL, or just a domain and we will try the standard /sitemap.xml path.
2
We fetch and parse it
NorthDuty retrieves the sitemap and checks the root element, entries, <loc> elements, and lastmod coverage.
3
You get a structure report
See whether it's valid, how many URLs it contains, and a list of any problems — no report snapshot is stored.
4
Keep it healthy automatically
NorthDuty's website health checks include sitemap and SEO fundamentals, so regressions get caught on a schedule.
Where to find your sitemap
Not sure of the URL? These are the default locations for the most common platforms. Enter the domain above and the checker tries /sitemap.xml automatically.
| Platform | Default sitemap URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress (core) | /wp-sitemap.xml | Built in since WordPress 5.5. Disabled automatically when an SEO plugin provides its own. |
| WordPress + Yoast SEO | /sitemap_index.xml | A sitemap index that links to post, page, product, and category sitemaps. |
| WordPress + Rank Math | /sitemap_index.xml | Also an index. Check that WooCommerce products are included in the settings. |
| Shopify | /sitemap.xml | Generated automatically as an index of product, collection, page, and blog sitemaps. |
| Wix and Squarespace | /sitemap.xml | Generated automatically; you cannot edit the file directly. |
| Any site | Sitemap: line in /robots.txt | Many sites list their sitemap there. Use the robots.txt tester to see it. |
Sitemap rules and limits
The sitemaps protocol is short, but these are the rules that most often cause a sitemap to be rejected or ignored.
| Rule | Limit or requirement | What happens if you break it |
|---|---|---|
| URLs per sitemap | 50,000 maximum | Split into several sitemaps and list them in a sitemap index. |
| File size | 50 MB uncompressed maximum | The file is rejected. Gzip reduces transfer size but the uncompressed limit still applies. |
| URL format | Full absolute URLs on the same host, e.g. https://example.com/page/ | Relative or cross-domain URLs are reported as invalid or not allowed. |
| Encoding | UTF-8, with & written as & | An unescaped ampersand in a URL breaks the XML and the whole file fails to parse. |
| lastmod | W3C date format, e.g. 2026-09-17 | Invalid dates are reported as errors. Google only trusts lastmod when it is consistently accurate. |
| priority and changefreq | Optional | Google ignores both, so there is no benefit to tuning them. |
| Response | HTTP 200 with XML content | A redirect to the homepage, a login page, or a 404 page shows up as HTML and the sitemap cannot be read. |
Fixing common Search Console sitemap errors
Run the checker first. It usually shows which of these you are dealing with.
Couldn't fetch / Sitemap could not be read
Google could not download the file. Check it returns 200 without a redirect, is not behind a login or a bot challenge from Cloudflare or a security plugin, and is not blocked in robots.txt.
Your sitemap appears to be an HTML page
The URL returns a web page instead of XML, usually a 404 template or a redirect to the homepage. Confirm the real sitemap URL from your SEO plugin or robots.txt.
Invalid URL or URL not allowed
Entries are relative, use a different host (www vs non-www, http vs https), or point to another domain. Every loc must match the property you submitted the sitemap for.
Sitemap is empty or has 0 discovered URLs
The file parses but lists nothing, often because a plugin setting excludes the post type. For WooCommerce, check products are enabled in the SEO plugin's sitemap settings.
Go Beyond One-Off Checks
Use the tool preview for a quick answer, then move into recurring monitoring for your most important pages and journeys.
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Pricing
NorthDuty plans are sized by how many checkout, signup and login journeys you monitor: Free, $29 Starter, $79 Pro, $199 Business. 7-day trial, no card.
Compare pricing plansFrequently Asked Questions
Answers about this diagnostic preview and when to move into recurring monitoring.
Is this sitemap validator free?
Yes. The sitemap validator is free and requires no signup. Enter a sitemap URL and you get the structure report immediately.
What does it check?
It confirms the sitemap is valid XML with a <urlset> or <sitemapindex> root, counts entries and <loc> elements, reports lastmod coverage, and flags common problems like HTML error pages, missing <loc>, and oversized sitemaps.
Can I enter just my domain?
Yes. If you enter a domain without a path, the validator tries the standard /sitemap.xml location for that site.
Does this guarantee my pages are indexed?
No tool can guarantee indexing. A valid sitemap helps search engines discover and prioritize your pages, but indexing depends on many other factors.
How do I find my sitemap URL?
Try /sitemap.xml, /sitemap_index.xml (Yoast and Rank Math), or /wp-sitemap.xml (WordPress core). Many sites also list it on a Sitemap: line in robots.txt. If you enter just your domain, this checker tries /sitemap.xml for you.
How many URLs can one sitemap contain?
Up to 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed. Larger sites split their URLs across several sitemaps and list them in a sitemap index, which this checker also validates.
Why does Search Console say it couldn't fetch my sitemap?
The usual causes are a redirect or 404 at the sitemap URL, a bot challenge from a firewall or security plugin, a robots.txt block, or a temporary server error. Check the URL here: if it returns HTML or an error instead of XML, that is the problem.
Start monitoring your website with NorthDuty today.
A valid sitemap today can break on the next deploy. NorthDuty checks sitemap and SEO fundamentals continuously, so problems surface before they cost you crawling.
7 days with Pro features and limits, no credit card — then keep one daily journey on the free plan.