What is a Sitemap Checker?
A sitemap checker determines if a site contains a sitemap (sitemap.xml), which is an XML file with a list of important pages. Sitemaps are a way of informing search engines about pages to be discovered and efficiently crawled.
Our Sitemap Checker tests the most common sitemap locations (/sitemap.xml and /sitemap_index.xml) and reports which ones exist.
What is a Sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a structured file that tells search engines about the pages, posts and other content on your website. It contains information such as last update, frequency of updates, and page priority. Sitemaps enable search engines to crawl your website more effectively, particularly when the pages have not been well-liked on your website.
Common Sitemap Locations
- /sitemap.xml — Most common sitemap location (as usually employed by many websites).
/sitemap_index.xml— Sitemap index file (generic with Yoast SEO on WordPress)./robots.txt— Many times includes a Sitemap directive to the sitemap file.
How to Use the Sitemap Checker
- Type in a domain name (such as
example.com). - Click Check Sitemap.
- See whether or not any sitemap files were found or not.
Why is having a Sitemap Important?
- Enhanced indexing — Allows search engines to find all of your pages, even deep, orphaned pages.
- Faster crawl — Search bots can prioritize important pages listed in the sitemap.
- Metadata — This contains last-modified dates and change frequency that allow crawlers to schedule their visits optimally.
- SEO best practice — All websites should use a sitemap so that search engines can understand them.
Privacy
A simple HTTP request is sent to validate sitemap files. No domain, results, or IP addresses are stored, logged or shared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you have a sitemap on every site?
Although it's not obligatory, every site has the advantage of having a sitemap. It allows search engines to crawl and index all of your pages, particularly new or deep linked pages that may not be found with standard crawling.
Yes, the Sitemap Checker is free of cost.
Yes. It doesn't require any sign-up, limits, or captchas.
What happens if a sitemap is not discovered?
May not have sitemap at default location. Look at the site's robots.txt file (you can read it with this method), it will sometimes specify a Sitemap directive which should lead you to the right Sitemap URL.
Do you need several site maps on a single site?
Yes. If you have a large website, you may want to generate several different sitemaps, such as a posts sitemap and a pages sitemap. A sitemap index file (sitemap_index.xml) contains a list of all the individual sitemap files.