XML Sitemap Checker
Check an XML sitemap URL, confirm whether it is accessible and inspect the URLs or child sitemaps it contains.
What is a XML Sitemap Checker?
An XML sitemap is a machine-readable list that helps search engines discover important URLs. Sitemap index files can also point to multiple individual sitemaps.
Why this check matters for SEO
A clean sitemap can make discovery easier, particularly for larger sites, new pages or sites with complex internal linking. It should focus on canonical URLs you actually want search engines to process.
SEO best practices
- Include canonical, indexable URLs you want discovered.
- Remove old redirected or error URLs.
- Keep generated sitemaps updated as content changes.
- Submit important sitemap locations through search-engine webmaster tools.
XML Sitemap Checker FAQs
Do I need a sitemap for SEO?
Search engines can discover pages through links, but sitemaps are a useful discovery and maintenance signal for many websites.
Can a sitemap contain redirected URLs?
It can technically, but a clean sitemap should normally point to the final canonical URLs you want processed.
What is a sitemap index?
It is an XML file that lists other sitemap files, allowing larger sites to organise URLs across multiple files.
Check whether your XML sitemap lists useful canonical pages
An XML sitemap is a discovery aid, not a command to index every URL. A sitemap can be valid while still including redirecting, excluded or unhelpful pages.
How to interpret a result
If a sitemap lists /old-guide/ which permanently redirects to /new-guide/, update the sitemap to the final canonical /new-guide/ URL while keeping the redirect for existing visitors.
Example only — this is not a result from a real customer scan.
What to do next
- Check that the exact sitemap or sitemap-index URL returns XML with a successful HTTP status.
- Inspect listed URLs for canonical, indexable public pages rather than login and account routes.
- Remove redirecting, missing and intentionally noindex URLs from the submitted list.
- Submit the main sitemap in Search Console and monitor discovered and indexed pages over time.
Common mistake to avoid
Do not keep re-submitting the same sitemap expecting Google to index thin or duplicate pages immediately.
Need to check more than one page? Start with a free SEO Scan Lab summary, then review a full crawl if you need site-wide coverage and the source URLs behind issues.