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Bulk up to 100 • RSS/Atom • Full XML below

RSS Feed Validator

Paste feed URLs — we’ll fetch the feed, follow redirects, validate XML, and show the full source.

Paste up to 100 feed URLs (one per line)
Tip: A sitemap (urlset) is not a feed — feed readers expect <rss> or <feed>.

Results

Host Feed details HTTP Hops Time Issues
Run a check to see results here.
Full feed XML output is below.

Full Feed XML

XML (full, up to 2MB)
Run a check to see XML here.
If the feed is huge, display may be truncated by the 2MB cap.

Quick interpretation

Feeds must be valid XML and use a feed root element.

  • OK valid RSS/Atom with items
  • Warning missing fields, no items, odd content-type
  • Error XML errors, sitemap/unknown root, HTTP 4xx/5xx
Feed health

RSS Feed Validator: detect broken XML and wrong formats

RSS and Atom feeds are XML documents. If the XML is invalid or the root element is wrong, feed readers will reject it. This validator checks feeds in bulk, follows redirects, reports XML errors, and shows the full feed source for debugging.

Common problems

  • Sitemap instead of feed: a sitemap uses urlset, not rss or feed.
  • Invalid XML: unescaped &, broken tags, wrong encoding.
  • No items: feed loads but contains zero item/entry.

FAQ

Why does this tool say “not a feed” for sitemap.xml?

A sitemap is not an RSS/Atom feed. Feeds must use root <rss> (RSS) or <feed> (Atom). Sitemaps typically use <urlset> or <sitemapindex>, so this validator flags it as “looks like sitemap, not rss/atom”.

What feed formats are supported?

The validator detects RSS (root rss), Atom (root feed), and can label legacy RDF (root rdf). Everything else is treated as “not a feed”.

Does it show the full feed XML?

Yes. After validation you’ll see a second table called Full Feed XML. It’s always visible and shows the fetched XML source (up to the tool’s 2MB cap).

Why do I see “XML parse error” with line numbers?

The tool parses XML with DOMDocument and reads libxml errors. Typical causes: broken tags, invalid characters, wrong encoding, or unescaped symbols like &. The line number helps you pinpoint the exact place that breaks parsing.

Why is “application/xml” sometimes a warning?

Some validators and readers prefer a more specific MIME type like application/rss+xml or application/atom+xml. application/xml often works, but it’s considered “too generic” and can be flagged.

My feed loads but shows “no items / no entries”. Is it broken?

Not always, but it’s usually a real problem for feed readers. RSS feeds should have at least one <item>; Atom feeds should have at least one <entry>. If your site is new, publish at least one post/item so subscribers see content.

What does the 2MB limit mean?

For performance and shared-host safety, this bulk validator fetches up to 2MB per URL. If your feed is larger, the displayed XML may be truncated, and some checks can become less reliable.

Why does it show errors even when HTTP is 200?

HTTP 200 only means the server responded successfully. The content can still be a sitemap, HTML, invalid XML, or a feed with missing required fields. Validation is about the XML/feed structure, not only HTTP.

Will CSV export include the full XML?

No. CSV export includes summary fields (status, type, root, title, item count, issues, errors) but excludes the full XML source. This keeps exports lightweight and safe to open in spreadsheets.

What happens if the server has no cURL or DOM/XML?

The page won’t crash with a 500. The tool returns a clear UI error like “missing PHP cURL extension” or “DOMDocument not available” so you can enable ext-curl and php-xml.