Free SEO Tool
Sitemap Checker Tool
Validate your XML sitemap in seconds. Find broken URLs, formatting errors, and indexing blockers before they cost you traffic. Runs locally, no API keys, no sign-up.
# Install (one time)
pip install git+https://github.com/respectevery01/zens-ink-seo-package.git
# Run the sitemap checker
python3 -m zens_ink.site_audit --url https://yoursite.com
What This Tool Checks
XML structure validity
Verifies your sitemap uses proper XML encoding and required tags (<urlset>, <url>, <loc>).
Broken URL detection
Checks every URL in your sitemap and flags any that return 404, 500, or redirect chains.
Size and URL count limits
Warns if your sitemap exceeds Google's 50MB or 50,000 URL limit per file.
Orphan page detection
Finds pages on your site that exist but aren't listed in the sitemap — Google may never find them.
robots.txt cross-check
Ensures your sitemap URL is referenced in robots.txt so crawlers can discover it.
Why Sitemap Errors Kill Your SEO
Google discovers pages by following links and reading sitemaps. When your sitemap contains broken URLs or formatting errors, two things happen:
1. Crawl budget wasted. Googlebot spends its limited crawl time hitting 404 pages listed in your sitemap instead of indexing real content.
2. Trust signal drops. A sitemap full of errors signals poor site maintenance. Google deprioritizes sites that submit broken sitemaps.
The fix is simple: run a sitemap check after every deployment. Catch errors before Google does.
Want a full technical SEO audit?
The sitemap checker is part of ZensInk's free site audit tool, which also checks broken links, missing canonical tags, missing H1s, meta description gaps, and more.
FAQ
What is a sitemap checker? ⌄
A sitemap checker validates that your XML sitemap is correctly formatted, accessible to search engines, and free of errors like broken URLs, missing tags, or incorrect formatting that could prevent Google from indexing your pages.
How do I check my sitemap for free? ⌄
Install the ZensInk open source package and run `python3 -m zens_ink.site_audit` with your site URL. The tool checks sitemap structure, validates URLs, and reports issues — all locally, no API keys required.
What makes a sitemap valid? ⌄
A valid XML sitemap uses proper encoding (UTF-8), includes required tags (<urlset>, <url>, <loc>), has URLs that return HTTP 200, stays under 50MB or 50,000 URLs per file, and references URLs from the same domain.
How often should I check my sitemap? ⌄
Check your sitemap after any site update, URL structure change, or new page launch. For active sites, a weekly automated check catches broken links before they affect indexing.