1. Source
Live robots.txt and sitemap fetches. The result identifies where its evidence came from.
Free tool, no account required
Free Sitemap Checker: find and inspect your XML sitemap
The Novaverb sitemap checker discovers a site's XML sitemaps from robots.txt or /sitemap.xml, identifies each as a URL set or a sitemap index, and counts the URL entries in a bounded sample.
Also known as: sitemap.xml validator, XML sitemap checker
Evidence shown with sourceNo account requiredNo invented metrics
Run a real check above
Submit a public URL, domain, or keyword. Novaverb will show only the evidence this tool can actually retrieve or measure.
Definition
What is a sitemap checker?
A sitemap checker is a tool that finds a site's XML sitemap and reports whether it can be fetched and what it lists. The Novaverb Sitemap Checker discovers sitemaps the way a crawler does, classifies each document as a URL set or a sitemap index, and counts the entries in a bounded sample.
Scope
What does the sitemap checker check?
The sitemap checker checks the Sitemap declarations in robots.txt, the HTTP status of each sitemap document, whether the markup is a urlset or a sitemapindex, the number of loc entries captured, the last modified value where present, the size of the root document in bytes, and any sitemap declared in robots.txt that failed to load.
Who it is for
Who is the sitemap checker for?
The sitemap checker is for site owners who just installed a sitemap plugin and want to confirm the file is live, SEO specialists checking that a large site's index points at working child sitemaps, developers validating a release that changed sitemap paths, and anyone preparing to submit a sitemap to a search engine.
Why it matters
Why use a sitemap checker?
A sitemap checker catches discovery problems that produce no visible error on the site. A sitemap declared in robots.txt can return a 404, an index can point at child files that no longer exist, and a file can load yet list no URLs. Each case leaves crawlers without the list of pages you meant to give them.
Method
How does the sitemap checker work?
The sitemap checker works in a set order. Robots.txt is fetched first for Sitemap declarations, with /sitemap.xml as the fallback. Each root document is classified from its XML element names, a bounded sample of up to 20 sitemap documents is fetched, and loc entries are counted. Truncation is stated in the result, never presented as complete coverage.
- We preserve the submitted host and scheme, read robots.txt for Sitemap declarations, then fall back to /sitemap.xml.
- We identify urlset or sitemapindex markup and fetch a bounded sample of up to 20 sitemap documents.
- We count captured loc entries, show up to 100 rows for one URL set and state when the result is truncated.
Input
What do you enter into the sitemap checker?
Enter a public site address into the sitemap checker, such as a bare domain. The exact hostname and scheme are kept for the robots.txt and /sitemap.xml requests. A submitted path is not treated as a direct sitemap file, an HTML page listing links is not an XML sitemap, and private targets or unsafe redirect destinations are refused.
Use it like this
yourdomain.comGive a domain and we discover the sitemap from robots.txt and the conventional location. http or https, with or without www, a bare domain or a full path - we normalize it for you.https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xmlA sitemap index that points to child sitemaps is handled too.Avoid this
An HTML page that lists linksA human 'sitemap page' is not an XML sitemap; the validator expects the XML protocol format.Result
What does the sitemap checker report contain?
A sitemap checker report contains the sitemap URL and how it was discovered, its HTTP status, the document type, the count of discovered URLs, the number of sitemaps and the root file size. A sitemap index shows a table of child sitemaps with URL counts, last modified dates and fetch status. A single URL set lists its entries.
Reading it
How do you read a sitemap checker result?
Read a sitemap checker result starting with the status and the discovery route. Discovered via robots.txt means crawlers are pointed at the file, while /sitemap.xml means it was found only at the conventional path. A child sitemap with a fetch status other than 200 did not load. A footer note appears whenever the list was truncated.
XML sitemaps explained
Validate your sitemap the way a crawler discovers it
An XML sitemap provides URL discovery hints and optional freshness metadata. It helps search and AI crawlers find your intended URL set, but it does not force any URL to be crawled or indexed.
How this checker fetches
- Discovery - it reads robots.txt for Sitemap: directives first, then falls back to /sitemap.xml, exactly like a search engine.
- Child sitemaps - for a sitemap index, each listed child is fetched live and its discovered URL count is shown.
- URL entries - for a single URL set, each loc and its lastmod are listed so you can confirm the intended URLs and freshness dates.
- Validation boundary - it reads structure and reachability; it is not a per-URL crawl or a Search Console inspection.
Why it matters for SEO and AI discovery
A clean, reachable, well-declared sitemap makes a site's intended URL set easier to discover. Novaverb can compare the sitemap against real crawl and indexability evidence as part of a broader technical model.
Source
Where does the sitemap checker get its data?
The sitemap checker gets its data from live fetches made when you run it: the site's robots.txt, the sitemap documents declared there or the conventional /sitemap.xml, and the child sitemaps of an index. Every count comes from those fetched files. Nothing is taken from a search engine report, and the listed pages themselves are not requested.
Limits
What does the sitemap checker not tell you?
The sitemap checker does not tell you whether the listed URLs work, are crawled or are indexed. It inspects up to 20 sitemap documents and shows up to 100 URL entries from a single URL set, and does not crawl every listed URL. It is not a complete XML validator and performs no full size or schema validation.
Evidence
What does a sitemap checker result prove?
A sitemap checker result proves that a sitemap was discoverable at the time of the check, which type it is, and how many loc entries the fetched documents contained within the stated bounds. It supports the conclusion that the file is published and readable. It cannot show that any listed URL returns 200 or was indexed.
2. Boundary
The checker inspects up to 20 sitemap documents and shows up to 100 URL entries from a single URL set. It does not crawl every listed URL or prove crawling or indexing.
3. Next action
Use the finding to verify a problem, then connect a workspace when you need history, monitoring, or site-wide analysis.
Standards
Which standards does the sitemap checker apply?
The sitemap checker applies the sitemaps.org protocol, which defines the urlset, sitemapindex and loc elements it recognizes, and RFC 9309, which defines sitemap discovery through a Sitemap directive in robots.txt. The protocol limits of 50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed per file are context only, because this bounded check does not perform a full size validation.
sitemaps.orgSitemaps 0.9
Sitemap Protocol
Recognizes urlset, sitemapindex and loc elements in the bounded captured sample.
Read the specificationIETFRFC 9309
Robots Exclusion Protocol
Discovers sitemaps declared with a Sitemap: directive in robots.txt.
Read the specificationWe list a standard only where this tool genuinely reads or measures against it. Where a signal is outside a live check, the result says so instead of implying coverage.
Verification
How can you verify a sitemap checker result yourself?
Verify a sitemap checker result by opening the reported sitemap URL in a browser and confirming the root element is urlset or sitemapindex. Open /robots.txt on the same host and look for Sitemap lines. For a small file, count the loc elements with a text search and compare the figure with the count in the report.
Example
What does a typical sitemap checker finding look like?
A typical sitemap checker finding is a sitemap index that loads with status 200 and lists several child sitemaps, one of which returns a 404 because a content type was removed. The table shows that child with a failed fetch and no URLs, while the others report their counts. The index needs regenerating without the dead entry.
Cost
Is the sitemap checker free?
The sitemap checker is free and needs no account. The public check discovers and reads the sitemap structure for any public site. A free Novaverb account is needed to go past structure: crawling the listed URLs, inspecting captured status and indexability signals, and comparing the captured pages with what the sitemap declares.
In a workspace
What does a Novaverb workspace add to the sitemap checker?
A Novaverb workspace adds a crawl of the site's pages to the sitemap checker, so each URL's captured status and indexability signals can be compared with what the sitemap declares. Crawl Explorer is the product that continues the job: it inspects every URL captured in the project crawl and turns each supported technical finding into an action.
When to go further
When is a free sitemap checker not enough?
A free sitemap checker run is not enough when the sitemap is larger than the bounded sample, when you need to know whether the listed URLs return 200 and are indexable, or when you want to track URLs added and removed over time. Those questions need a crawl of the site and a repeated measurement.
Next step
What should you do after running the sitemap checker?
After running the sitemap checker, fix or remove any sitemap that robots.txt declares and that did not load. If the file was found only at /sitemap.xml, add a Sitemap line to robots.txt. If it lists no URLs, populate it with your indexable pages. Run the check again, then crawl the listed URLs in a workspace.
Related tools
Which free tools pair with the sitemap checker?
Companion free tools pair with the sitemap checker at each end of the job. The XML Sitemap Generator creates a valid XML sitemap or sitemap index from your URLs. The Robots.txt Checker shows the Sitemap lines and crawl rules where discovery starts. The HTTP Status & Redirect Checker traces the status and redirect chain of pasted URLs.
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Questions
What do people ask about the sitemap checker?
People ask what the sitemap checker checks, what an XML sitemap is, how a URL set differs from a sitemap index, how many URLs one sitemap can hold, where the file should be located, which HTTP status it should return, whether the tool opens every child sitemap and whether it confirms that listed URLs are indexed.
What does the Sitemap Checker check?
It fetches your /sitemap.xml plus any sitemaps declared in robots.txt, then reports the HTTP status, whether the document is a URL set or a sitemap index, how many URLs it declares, and the file size.
What is an XML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file following the sitemaps.org protocol that lists your site's URLs for crawlers. It helps search engines discover pages, especially deep or newly published ones, that internal links alone might surface slowly.
What's the difference between a URL set and a sitemap index?
A URL set lists individual page URLs directly. A sitemap index instead lists other sitemap files, letting large sites split millions of URLs across many documents. The checker detects which type your file is.
How many URLs can one sitemap hold?
The sitemaps.org protocol caps a single sitemap at 50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed. Beyond that, split URLs across multiple sitemaps and reference them from a sitemap index file.
Why does my sitemap matter for SEO?
A sitemap gives crawlers a clean list of URLs you consider important, improving discovery of new and deep pages. It does not guarantee ranking, but it reduces the chance valuable pages go uncrawled.
What HTTP status should my sitemap return?
A 200 OK confirms the sitemap is reachable and served. A 404 means crawlers and this tool cannot find it, so check the path and that it is declared in robots.txt.
Does this tool confirm my URLs are indexed by Google?
No. It reads the sitemap's structure, type, declared URL count, and size. It does not prove any listed URL was crawled or indexed; verify indexing separately in a search engine's coverage report.
Does the checker open every child sitemap in an index?
It fetches a bounded sample of up to 20 sitemap documents and reports when more were declared than inspected. It does not crawl every listed page or follow unlimited nested sitemap indexes.
Where should my sitemap be located?
Commonly at /sitemap.xml in the domain root, and referenced by a Sitemap: line in robots.txt. The checker fetches both the root path and any robots-declared sitemap URLs it finds.
Why is my sitemap file size important?
Large files strain crawlers and hit the 50MB uncompressed protocol limit. The tool reports size so you can see if a bloated sitemap should be split into smaller files under an index.