XML Sitemap Formatter
Assemble, format and inspect standards-based XML sitemaps before publishing them to your site or submitting them through search-engine webmaster tools.
Build or Format Sitemap
Start with a list of URLs, existing XML or sitemap-index URLs.
Enter one fully-qualified HTTP or HTTPS URL per line.
Include the URL version you actually want search engines to discover. The formatter does not guess or rewrite canonical URLs for you.
Generated XML Sitemap
Review the formatted XML before publishing it at your preferred sitemap URL.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<!-- Your formatted sitemap will appear here -->
</urlset>Formatting validates the sitemap structure supplied to this tool. It does not test whether every listed URL is live, canonical, crawlable or indexable.
Sitemap Blueprint
A compact summary of the sitemap currently being prepared.
Sitemap Validation Checks
Deterministic checks for XML structure, URL quality and protocol limits.
Format or validate the source to inspect XML structure.
Checks the sitemap root and required location values.
Reviews whether URL entries belong to a consistent host.
Checks entry count and estimated uncompressed file size.
Build clean discovery signals.
List preferred URLs
Use fully-qualified URLs and include the page versions you actually want search engines to discover rather than every duplicate URL that can render the same content.
Keep lastmod truthful
Add a last-modified value only when it reflects a meaningful update to the page. Avoid changing dates simply because the sitemap itself was regenerated.
Split oversized files
Large sites should divide oversized URL collections into multiple sitemap files and connect them through a sitemap index.
Keep useful metadata separate from legacy hints.
The sitemap protocol supports optional metadata such as
<lastmod>, <changefreq> and
<priority>. For Google Search, accurate
<lastmod> can be useful, while Google does not use
<changefreq> or <priority>.
XML Sitemap Formatter FAQ
What does XML Sitemap Formatter do?
It converts URL lists into standard XML sitemap markup, formats existing sitemap XML and performs deterministic checks for common structural, URL, host and size problems before publication.
Does submitting a sitemap guarantee indexing?
No. A sitemap helps search engines discover URLs and understand which URLs you consider important, but crawling and indexing decisions still depend on the search engine and the individual pages.
How large can one XML sitemap be?
A standard sitemap should stay within 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed. Larger collections should be split into multiple sitemap files and can be grouped with a sitemap index.
Should I include lastmod dates?
Include last-modified dates when they accurately represent meaningful updates to the corresponding pages. Do not automatically change every lastmod value simply because the sitemap file was regenerated.
Do priority and changefreq improve Google rankings or crawling?
Google states that it ignores priority and changefreq values. They remain optional elements in the general sitemap protocol, but they should not be treated as ranking controls.
What is the difference between a sitemap and a sitemap index?
A sitemap contains individual page URLs. A sitemap index contains the locations of multiple sitemap files and is useful when a site needs to divide a large URL inventory across several sitemaps.