Sitemap Checker
Confirm that a site exposes a real sitemap before launch. This checker looks for `robots.txt`, discovers any declared sitemap URLs, and inspects the sitemap for actual page entries.
This is the site-level follow-up to the meta tags checker. Once page metadata is clean, you want discovery and crawl signals to be clean too.
Sitemap discovery
Checks both robots.txt references and the default /sitemap.xml path.
URL count
Counts discovered URLs so you can spot obviously incomplete sitemaps.
Launch advice
Returns practical next steps if the sitemap setup is weak.
Detected sitemap data
We’ll show the discovered sitemap URL, robots.txt references, and sample sitemap entries here.
What is an XML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file — typically at /sitemap.xml — that lists all the important URLs on your site. It tells search engine crawlers exactly which pages exist, when they were last updated, and how frequently they change. Without one, crawlers rely entirely on following links from page to page to discover your content.
Why it matters at launch
For a brand new site with no backlinks, a sitemap is often the fastest path to getting indexed. If your pages are not well linked internally or if you have just launched, crawlers may not discover them for weeks without a sitemap. Referencing the sitemap in robots.txt ensures every crawler finds it automatically — not just Googlebot.
Do I need a sitemap for a small site?
Yes, even for small sites. Sitemaps speed up discovery for new pages and help ensure that all URLs — not just well-linked ones — get crawled.
Should my sitemap reference only canonical URLs?
Yes. Only include canonical, indexable URLs in your sitemap. Avoid adding noindex pages, redirect chains, or duplicate URLs.
How do I submit a sitemap to Google?
Go to Google Search Console, navigate to Sitemaps under the Index section, and submit your sitemap URL. Google will then crawl and process it.
What is the Sitemap directive in robots.txt?
Adding 'Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml' in robots.txt lets all crawlers — not just Googlebot — discover your sitemap automatically without manual submission.
Return to the full checklist
Once the sitemap is in place, go back to the startup launch SEO checklist and continue the rest of the pre-launch review.
Read the checklist