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Bulk up to 100 • Detect missing sitemap.xml

Sitemap.xml Checker

Paste domains or URLs — we’ll fetch /sitemap.xml, follow redirects, detect type (urlset / sitemapindex), and count URLs.

Paste up to 100 domains/URLs (one per line)
Tip: some sites use /sitemap_index.xml or /sitemap.xml.gz. This checker targets /sitemap.xml specifically.

Results

Host Sitemap HTTP Hops Time Issues
Run a check to see results here.
URL counts are estimated from the fetched chunk (large sitemaps may be truncated in this check).

Quick interpretation

Sitemaps help discovery and crawl planning.

  • OK sitemap is accessible and looks like XML
  • Warning missing, HTML returned, unknown type, large/truncated
  • Error fetch errors, loops, HTTP 4xx/5xx
Sitemap health

Sitemap.xml Checker: confirm the sitemap is reachable and valid

A sitemap should return a clean response and valid XML. Broken sitemaps waste crawl budget and slow indexing.

What this checker detects

  • Status codes, redirects, and final URL
  • Type: urlset vs sitemapindex
  • Basic tag presence (loc, lastmod)

FAQ

What exactly does this tool check?

It checks /sitemap.xml for each domain: HTTP status, redirects (final URL), basic XML presence, sitemap type (urlset vs sitemapindex), and a quick tag scan for <loc> and <lastmod>.

Why can the URL count be inaccurate?

For speed, the checker fetches only the first chunk (up to ~600 KB). If the sitemap is larger, it may be truncated and counts become “best-effort”. For exact totals, download the full sitemap or use a full sitemap URL counter.

My site uses sitemap_index.xml or sitemap.xml.gz — will this tool find it?

This page targets /sitemap.xml specifically. If your sitemap lives elsewhere, paste the full sitemap URL into other tools (like your Sitemap URL Counter) or check that exact file directly.

Why do I get “HTML returned”?

It usually means the server returned a normal HTML page instead of XML — common causes: a soft-404 page, a login page, a “blocked by WAF” page, or a CDN interstitial.

What does “odd content-type” mean?

Most sitemaps are served as application/xml or text/xml. If the server returns something like text/html, it can indicate a soft error page. It’s not always fatal, but it’s a strong warning signal.

What does “unknown sitemap type” mean?

The tool didn’t see <urlset> or <sitemapindex> in the fetched chunk. That can happen with truncated files, gzipped content, non-standard formats, or HTML/error pages.

Why do I see 403 / 429 / status 0?

403 often means access blocked by WAF/security rules. 429 is rate limiting. 0 is usually a connection/DNS/TLS failure or the server closed the request.

Is sitemap.xml required for SEO?

Not strictly required, but recommended — especially for large sites, new sites, or sites with frequent updates. A sitemap helps discovery and prioritization, but it doesn’t guarantee indexing.

What does <lastmod> tell search engines?

<lastmod> signals when a URL was last changed. If it’s accurate, it can help crawlers schedule recrawls more efficiently. If it’s spammy or always “today”, it becomes useless.

What should I do if sitemap.xml is missing?

Generate one (CMS plugin, framework generator, or custom export), place it at a stable URL, and optionally declare it in robots.txt using Sitemap:. If you use multiple sitemaps, create a sitemap index.