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Upload Sitemap

What is the Upload Sitemap page?​

The Upload Sitemap page is where you can import the pages of your website that you want to analyze. You can upload a CSV or XML file containing the list of URLs from your site, and Axessibly will automatically organize them in the sitemap for scans.

How to get started?​

When you access the Upload Sitemap page, you see an area where you can drag a file or click to select it. Before uploading, you can also download a template to see the correct format.

Supported Formats​

Axessibly supports two file formats for sitemaps:

CSV (Comma Separated Values)​

The CSV format is simple and easy to create. You can use Excel, Google Sheets, or any text editor.

Two CSV flavours are supported:

  1. Simple URL list — one column of URLs, one per line.
  2. Full CSV with metadata — URL, title, priority, change frequency, last modified.

Both are available to Starter and Pro users (signed-in, with the app project set up as required).

XML (standard sitemap)​

XML is the usual format for public sitemap.xml files.

Note: uploading XML also requires an active account (Starter or Pro). There is no longer a separate “demo-only simple CSV” restriction.

Available Templates​

Before creating your file, you can download a template to see the correct format. There are three templates available:

Simple URL List (CSV)​

This template shows how to create a CSV file with just a list of URLs. It's the simplest format and suitable if you only need to list pages to scan.

Format:

URL
https://example.com
https://example.com/about
https://example.com/contact

Complete Template (CSV)​

This template shows how to create a CSV file with all additional information: URL, title, priority, update frequency, and last modification date.

Format:

url,title,priority,changefreq,lastmod
https://example.com,Homepage,1.0,daily,2024-01-01
https://example.com/about,About Us,0.8,monthly,2024-01-01

Available columns:

  • url: The complete address of the page (required)
  • title: The page title (optional)
  • priority: Page priority from 0.0 to 1.0 (optional, default: 0.5)
  • changefreq: Update frequency (optional, e.g.: daily, weekly, monthly)
  • lastmod: Last modification date (optional)

Standard XML Sitemap​

This template shows the standard XML format for web sitemaps. It's the format that many websites already use.

Note: same access rules as the full CSV template (Starter and Pro).

How to Upload a File​

There are two ways to upload a file:

Drag & Drop​

  1. Open the folder on your computer where the file is located
  2. Drag the file to the upload area on the page
  3. Release the file when you see the highlighted area
  4. The file will be uploaded automatically

Click to Select​

  1. Click on the upload area or the "Select file" button
  2. A window will open to select the file
  3. Choose the CSV or XML file from your computer
  4. Click "Open" or "Select"
  5. The file will be uploaded automatically

Validation and Checks​

When you upload a file, Axessibly automatically performs several checks:

Format Check​

The system verifies that the file is a valid CSV or XML. If the format is not correct, you'll see an error message.

URL Validation​

Each URL in the file is checked to ensure it's valid. URLs must:

  • Start with http:// or https://
  • Be complete and valid URLs
  • Not contain spaces or invalid characters

If a URL is not valid, you'll see an error message indicating which row has the problem.

Content Check​

The system verifies that the file contains at least one valid URL. If the file is empty or doesn't contain valid URLs, you'll see an error message.

Data Preview​

After successfully uploading a file, you'll see a preview of the loaded data. The preview shows:

  • Total number of URLs: How many pages have been loaded
  • First pages: The first URLs loaded with their details (if available)
  • File type: Whether a CSV or XML was uploaded

If there are more URLs than those shown in the preview, you'll see a message indicating how many other URLs there are.

What Happens After Upload​

After successfully uploading a file:

  1. Automatic saving: All URLs are automatically saved to the sitemap
  2. Initial state: All URLs are set as "enabled" and "never scanned"
  3. Ready for scans: You can go to the Sitemap Management page to start scanning pages

Note: If you already have URLs in the sitemap, new URLs will be added to existing ones. They won't be overwritten.

Error Handling​

If something goes wrong during upload, you'll see an error message explaining what happened. Here are some common errors and how to fix them:

Invalid file​

Error: "Please select a valid CSV or XML file"

Solution: Make sure the file has the .csv or .xml extension and is a valid file.

Missing or invalid URL​

Error: "Missing URL at row X" or "Invalid URL at row X"

Solution: Check the file and make sure each row has a valid URL. URLs must start with http:// or https://.

Invalid XML file​

Error: "Invalid or malformed XML file"

Solution: Make sure the XML file is well-formed and follows the XML sitemap standard. You can use the XML template to see the correct format.

File too large​

Error: The file exceeds the maximum size

Solution: The maximum size is 10MB. If your file is larger, consider splitting it into multiple smaller files.

Insufficient permissions​

Error: message about account type or permission denied

Fix: Make sure you are logged in with an active Starter or Pro account and have completed the in-app project folder setup.

Useful Tips​

  1. Use templates: Before creating your file, download a template to see the correct format. This will help you avoid errors.

  2. For existing sitemaps: If your site already has an XML sitemap, you can upload it directly. You don't need to convert it to CSV.

  3. Simple list to start: If it's your first time, start with a simple URL list. You can always add metadata later.

  4. Verify URLs: Before uploading, make sure all URLs are valid and accessible. Invalid URLs will be reported as errors.

  5. Organize by priority: If you use the complete format, you can organize pages by priority. The most important pages should have higher priority (close to 1.0).

  6. Make backups: Before uploading a new file, consider backing up the existing sitemap from the Sitemap Management page.

Required permissions​

  • All supported uploads (simple CSV, full CSV, XML): Starter and Pro, subject to normal sign-in and project setup.

The live product uses two tiers — Starter (free) and Pro (paid). There is no separate time-limited “Demo” upload mode in this sense.

After Upload​

After successfully uploading the sitemap:

  1. Go to the Sitemap Management page to see all loaded URLs
  2. You can enable or disable specific URLs
  3. You can start scanning pages individually or in batch
  4. You can see the status of each scan

The uploaded sitemap is now ready to be used for accessibility scans!