F05 · Base checks
Sitemap discovery & validity
XML sitemap found (robots declaration or /sitemap.xml) and parseable
Why it is checked
Checks that a valid XML sitemap exists — it helps crawlers discover your pages more completely.
How it counts
Scored. It carries 10 of the 100 points of the base score. A check that does not apply to your site leaves the pool, so it never counts against you. A scored check that could not be verified is different: the whole check is then reported as incomplete and no base score is shown, because a score missing part of its evidence would mislead.
How results read
The wording below is exactly what a report shows for each result.
- Passed
In this check, your site looks good on this point — no action needed.
- Needs attention
In this check, we found something that weakens this signal. It is not fatal, but fixing it makes your site easier for AI answer engines to use — see the suggested steps below.
- Failed
In this check, no usable XML sitemap was found. Crawlers can still discover pages by following links, but discovery may be slower or less complete.
- Not applicable
This check does not apply to the type of site we detected, so it is not part of your assessment.
- Couldn't verify
We could not determine this item in this check — the available evidence is not enough to tell why. No conclusion is drawn either way.
How to fix it
Fix steps depend on what the check actually finds on your site, so they appear in your report next to this item, together with the evidence. Rule templates only — no AI model writes them.