How to check an XML sitemap
The inspector checks the supplied records. It does not request every listed page, prove canonical selection, validate every XML schema rule or confirm that Google indexed the URLs. The hreflang count is not a reciprocity audit.
- Load a public sitemap URL, paste XML or select a local file.
- Review the detected URL-set or sitemap-index type and the number of entries.
- Inspect duplicate locations, invalid HTTP(S) URLs and invalid or future lastmod values.
- Check the reported hosts and hreflang annotation count against the inventory you intended to publish.
- For a sitemap index, inspect each relevant child file separately; this tool does not recursively crawl them.
What to do with a clean sitemap result
Choose representative URLs from the file and check their live status, canonical and indexing directives. A syntactically usable URL can still redirect or return a missing page. Publish canonical destinations and use lastmod only for meaningful content changes.
If Search Console already lists the same sitemap successfully, a changed page does not require a new sitemap URL. Confirm the current file contains the intended records and inspect important updated pages separately.
| Finding | Next action |
|---|---|
| Duplicate location | Remove the redundant record in the generator. |
| Unexpected host | Confirm the intended site scope before submission. |
| Future modification date | Correct the source date; do not manufacture freshness. |
| No format issues | Continue with live URL and Search Console checks. |
Method
Parse sitemap files safely and surface protocol, URL, date and hreflang issues.
Privacy
Local files remain in the browser; remote XML is transient.
Limitations
A sitemap entry does not prove discovery, crawling, indexing or canonical selection.
Primary sources
- Build and submit a sitemap — Google Search Central; Documentation reviewed 2026-09-26; 2026-09-26.
- Tell Google about localized versions of your page — Google Search Central; current 2026-08-14; 2026-08-14.