BYTETOOLS

XML Sitemap Splitter

Split a large pasted XML sitemap into chunks under the 50,000-URL limit and generate the matching sitemap index file. Each part is downloadable, all offline.

What is the XML Sitemap Splitter?

The XML Sitemap Splitter takes one oversized sitemap and turns it into several compliant files plus the <sitemapindex> that ties them together.

  • Splits any pasted sitemap into N-URL chunks
  • Generates the matching <sitemapindex> automatically
  • Preserves lastmod, changefreq and priority on every entry
  • Correct XML escaping and sitemaps.org namespace in every file
  • Individual downloads for each chunk and the index
  • Fully client-side — handles very large files privately

How to use the XML Sitemap Splitter

  1. 1

    Paste the XML source of your large sitemap.

  2. 2

    Set the maximum URLs per chunk (50,000 or less; 10,000 keeps files small).

  3. 3

    Enter the base URL where you will host the chunk files.

  4. 4

    Download each numbered sitemap chunk and the generated sitemap index.

  5. 5

    Upload the files to your site and submit the index URL to Search Console.

About the XML Sitemap Splitter

The XML Sitemap Splitter takes one oversized sitemap and turns it into several compliant files plus the <sitemapindex> that ties them together. Paste your sitemap, choose how many URLs each chunk may hold, and download each generated part and the index file individually.

Every <url> entry keeps its <loc>, <lastmod>, <changefreq> and <priority> values, output is properly XML-escaped, and the index references your chunks at whatever base URL you plan to host them on. The 50,000-URL / 50 MB protocol limits are the reason this tool exists — search engines refuse larger files.

The splitter works on pasted XML only and never fetches your live sitemap. Processing is 100% local in your browser, so even a six-figure URL list never leaves your machine.

Frequently asked questions

When do I need to split an XML sitemap?

When it exceeds 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed — the hard limits of the sitemap protocol. Many teams split earlier, around 10,000 URLs per file, because smaller sitemaps make it easier to see which sections of a site have indexing problems in Search Console.

What is a sitemap index file?

A sitemap index is an XML file that lists the locations of other sitemaps instead of pages, using <sitemapindex> and <sitemap> tags. You submit the single index URL to search engines and they discover all the child sitemaps from it — up to 50,000 per index.

Do I submit every chunk to Google or just the index?

Just the index. Submit the sitemap index URL once in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, and the engines will fetch each listed chunk on their own. You can still inspect per-chunk indexing stats inside Search Console after submission.

Does the splitter keep image and video extension tags?

No — it rebuilds each entry from the standard <loc>, <lastmod>, <changefreq> and <priority> tags, so extension namespaces like image: or video: are not carried over. If your sitemap relies on those extensions, split it in your generator instead and use this tool for plain URL sitemaps.

What base URL should the index use?

The public directory where you will upload the chunk files, such as https://example.com/ or https://example.com/sitemaps/. The index must reference the chunks by their final absolute URLs, and sitemaps should live on the same host they describe.

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