# XML Sitemap & Sitemap Index Extractor (`litezero/xml-sitemap-extractor`) Actor

Parse XML sitemaps and sitemap index files. Extract target URLs, last modified dates, priority scores, and change frequency for SEO audits.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/litezero/xml-sitemap-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [LiteZero](https://apify.com/litezero) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.56 / 1,000 item scrapeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## 🗺️ XML Sitemap & Nested Sitemap Index Extractor

Fast, recursive XML sitemap crawler capable of parsing massive sitemap indexes, extracting canonical URLs, lastmod dates, change frequency, priority, and image tags.

***

### 🥊 Why This Actor Beats the Competition

| Feature | Standard Sitemap Scrapers | Desktop Crawlers (Screaming Frog) | **This Actor** |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Recursive Indexes** | ❌ Crashes on `<sitemapindex>` | Requires machine memory | 🌲 **Automatic recursive child sitemap parsing** |
| **Speed** | 🐌 50 URLs/sec | Limited by local network | ⚡ **5,000+ URLs / second streaming parser** |
| **Large Sitemaps** | 💥 Out of memory on 50k+ URLs | High memory consumption | 🛡️ **Streaming parser with zero memory leaks** |
| **Cost** | 💸 Compute hour billing | 💸 $259 / year license | 💰 **$0.80 per 1,000 URLs** (PPR) |

***

### 🛠️ Step-by-Step: How to Use

#### Method 1: Apify Console

1. Input target sitemap URLs in **Sitemap URLs** (e.g. `https://wordpress.org/sitemap.xml`).
2. Set **Max URLs** limit (default: `1000`).
3. Click **Start** to extract all indexed URLs.

#### Method 2: Python SDK

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("litezero/xml-sitemap-extractor").call(run_input={
    "sitemapUrls": ["https://wordpress.org/sitemap.xml"],
    "maxUrls": 100
})

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(f"URL: {item['loc']} (LastMod: {item['lastmod']})")
```

***

### 📥 Input Parameters

| Field | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `sitemapUrls` | Array<String> | Yes | `["https://wordpress.org/sitemap.xml"]` | Target XML sitemap or sitemap index URLs |
| `maxUrls` | Integer | No | `1000` | Maximum URLs to parse and push |

***

### 📤 Output Data Dictionary

| Field | Type | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `loc` | String | Canonical URL from `<loc>` tag |
| `lastmod` | String | Last modified timestamp |
| `changefreq` | String | Expected change frequency |
| `priority` | Float | Search engine priority (0.0 – 1.0) |
| `sitemapSource` | String | Parent sitemap URL where URL was discovered |
| `scrapedAt` | String | ISO 8601 extraction timestamp |

***

### 💡 Top Use Cases

- **SEO Competitor Audits:** Discover newly published articles and product URLs instantly.
- **Full-Site Crawl Seeding:** Feed downstream scrapers with valid URL inventories.

# Actor input Schema

## `sitemapUrls` (type: `array`):

List of sitemap XML URLs to inspect and extract.

## `maxUrls` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of page URLs to extract.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "sitemapUrls": [
    "https://apify.com/sitemap.xml"
  ],
  "maxUrls": 100
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "sitemapUrls": [
        "https://apify.com/sitemap.xml"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("litezero/xml-sitemap-extractor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "sitemapUrls": ["https://apify.com/sitemap.xml"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("litezero/xml-sitemap-extractor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "sitemapUrls": [
    "https://apify.com/sitemap.xml"
  ]
}' |
apify call litezero/xml-sitemap-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,litezero/xml-sitemap-extractor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/cEeVutRkoo6MzvdFs/builds/oSP9myuRiiaSAEarR/openapi.json