Converter · SOTA sitemaps.org 0.9 + hreflang
Sitemap Validator & Analyzer
Validate XML sitemaps against sitemaps.org 0.9 spec, check hreflang consistency (RFC 8288), size limits (50MB / 50,000 URLs), duplicate loc detection, and last-mod freshness.
How to Use Sitemap Validator in 3 Steps
- Configure. Paste sitemap XML directly, drop a .xml or .xml.gz file, or enter a sitemap URL. The validator auto-decompresses gzip.
- Process. Review the summary: URL count, total size, compressed size, hreflang groups, and lastmod distribution.
- Export. Fix issues from the list: XSD violations, missing hreflang back-references, duplicate loc tags, bad dates, over-50k URLs, or over-50MB files.
Why Sitemap Validator on Pixlane
A valid sitemap is how search engines efficiently crawl a site. Errors like missing hreflang back-references, oversized files (>50MB uncompressed), or duplicate URLs silently harm indexing. Pixlane parses your sitemap client-side with the browser's native DOMParser, validates against sitemaps.org 0.9 + hreflang policy, and surfaces issues with exact line numbers.
- sitemaps.org 0.9 + Index — Validates both urlset (classic sitemap) and sitemapindex (sitemap of sitemaps) against the XSD. Catches structural and field-level issues.
- Hreflang Consistency — Detects missing back-references — if en-us links to tr-tr, tr-tr must also link back to en-us (RFC 8288 + Google policy). Most validators miss this.
- 50k / 50MB Limits — Flags sitemaps exceeding the 50,000 URL or 50 MB uncompressed limit — Google silently drops oversized sitemaps without warning.
- Duplicate Detection — Finds duplicate <loc> entries and duplicate hreflang+url pairs — common on multilingual sites with template bugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a valid sitemap?
One that follows sitemaps.org 0.9: urlset root element with xmlns, each <url> containing a <loc>, optional <lastmod>, <changefreq>, <priority>, and optional xhtml:link hreflang alternates. File size ≤50MB uncompressed, ≤50,000 URLs.
What is hreflang consistency?
Google requires bi-directional hreflang: if URL A declares hreflang to URL B, URL B must declare hreflang back to A. Broken back-references cause hreflang to be ignored, hurting international SEO.
Is my sitemap sent to a server?
No. The validator parses everything in your browser using DOMParser. URL fetching uses your browser's cache and CORS — sitemaps on your own domain usually work without extra setup.
Is this tool free?
Yes. Sitemap Validator on Pixlane is completely free with no signup required.