What Sitemap Checker checks
- Sitemap discovery — by the
Sitemap:line in robots.txt or at the typical addresses/sitemap.xmland/sitemap_index.xml; .xml.gz files and sitemap indexes are supported. - XML validity — whether the file parses and has the right root element (
urlsetorsitemapindex). - Specification limits — no more than 50,000 URLs and 50 MB per file.
- Address quality — duplicates, relative and invalid URLs, addresses of other sites, mixed http/https, overly long URLs.
- lastmod — whether a modification date is given and whether it is in W3C format.
- robots.txt — whether pages you ask to be indexed are blocked from crawling.
- Page responses — a sample of 25 addresses: 200 codes, redirects, 404s and server errors, noindex.
Sitemap requirements worth knowing
Common sitemap errors
Most often a sitemap contains pages that should not be there: deleted (404), redirected, blocked from indexing. The second classic case is a sitemap that returns an HTML error page or a CMS placeholder instead of XML. There are also duplicates, http addresses instead of https after an SSL migration, and an empty lastmod. Sitemap Checker shows all of this in one list.
Why Google does not read my sitemap
Check in turn: whether the file returns a 200 code (not a redirect or a 403 for bots), whether it is valid XML, whether it is blocked in robots.txt, whether its addresses belong to the same site, and whether the file has been added to Search Console. If the file is fine but pages do not get into the index, check page indexing: a sitemap only suggests addresses, and the decision to index is made by Google.
How the check works and its limits
We download files from public addresses from our server, up to 10 files and the first 10 MB of each, and for a sitemap index we parse the nested files. We check page statuses on a sample (25 addresses, evenly across the file), so this is not a full audit of the whole site. Sites that block third-party bots (Cloudflare, etc.) may respond with an error — this is also worth knowing.
What else StayIndexed can do
This page is a free tool from the StayIndexed service. In your account you can save a list of your sites, refresh the check in one click and see the history of sitemap changes (also free), while the main job of the service is to track how your pages are doing in Google.
How much it costs
The check is free, both on this page and in your account. Tokens are used to pay for the other services: indexing, speed and backlinks cost 3 tokens per check. 30 tokens are credited at sign-up, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check sitemap.xml?
Enter a site address or a direct sitemap URL in the form above: we will find the file, parse it and show errors, warnings and the results of the sample page check.
What limits does a sitemap have?
One file can contain up to 50,000 URLs and be up to 50 MB uncompressed. For large sites, the sitemap is split into several files and combined into a sitemap index.
Why shouldn't a sitemap contain pages with a redirect or a 404?
A sitemap should contain only canonical pages with a 200 code that you want to see in search. Addresses with 404s, redirects or noindex waste crawl budget and damage trust in the file.
What is lastmod and is it required?
It is the date of the page's last change in W3C format, for example 2026-10-05. It is optional but useful: search engines may prioritize updated pages. Specify only the real date of change.
Do I need to specify the sitemap in robots.txt?
It is advisable: a Sitemap: line with an absolute address helps bots find the file without Search Console. It is also worth adding the address to Google Search Console.
How much does a sitemap check cost?
Nothing: the check is free both on this page and in your StayIndexed account. In your account you can save a list of sites, refresh the check in one click and see the history of sitemap changes.