How do I check if my EPG URL is working?

Paste the URL into the EPG checker. If it loads, you'll see the number of channels and programmes, the date range the guide covers, and how many channels have something airing now. If not, you'll see the exact reason, like an HTTP error, a web page instead of XML, or a stale guide.

Why does my IPTV guide show no information?

Usually the tvg-id values in your playlist don't match the channel ids in the guide, or the guide has stopped updating. Paste both into the checker and it lists every channel with no match and whether the guide's newest programme is already in the past.

Does the checker support .xml.gz files?

Yes, by URL or upload. Compressed guides are unpacked automatically, up to about 80 MB compressed when loaded by URL. Uploaded files are read in your browser with no size limit beyond your device's memory.

It's the attribute in an M3U playlist that tells the app which EPG channel belongs to each stream. It has to match the id of a channel in the XMLTV guide exactly, including upper and lower case.

Where do I get an EPG URL?

From whoever supplies your playlist, or from the app or service you use. If you build your own playlist from free, legal channels, the source of the channel list often publishes a matching guide too.

Free tool · No signup

EPG Checker and XMLTV Viewer

Paste an EPG (XMLTV) link or upload the file and the checker tells you whether the guide loads, how many days it covers and what's on each channel right now. Add your playlist and it also shows which channels will get guide data and which won't.

We fetch the URL once from our server so your browser can read it. Nothing is stored.

How to use it

1
Load the guide. Paste the XMLTV URL (.xml or .xml.gz) or upload the file.
2
Read the health report. See the channel count, the date range, how many channels have something on now, and any problems.
3
Match your playlist. Optionally paste your M3U to see which tvg-id values match a guide channel.
4
Browse the schedule. Search the channel list to see what's on now and next.

Why the guide is empty in your app

When an IPTV app shows "No information" under a channel, it's almost always one of four things, in this order of likelihood:

The ids don't match. An app links a playlist channel to the guide using the tvg-id in the playlist and the id of a <channel> in the XMLTV file. They have to match exactly, including capital letters. Paste your playlist into the match box above and you'll see every channel that has no partner.
The guide is stale. If the newest programme in the file has already ended, the provider stopped updating it. The checker flags this in red.
The link is dead or needs a login. Many EPG URLs carry a username and password and stop working when a subscription ends.
The app hasn't refreshed. The file is fine, but the app cached an old copy. See how to update the EPG on a Firestick.

Our full guide to EPG not loading walks through each fix by app.

What's in an XMLTV file

XMLTV is the standard format nearly every IPTV app reads. It's a list of <channel> entries (an id, a display name, a logo) followed by thousands of <programme> entries, each with a channel id, a start and stop time, and a title. Times include a time zone offset like +0100; if the offset is wrong, the whole guide is shifted by hours. Guides are often compressed as .xml.gz, and the checker unpacks those automatically. New to EPGs? Start with what an EPG is.

Fixing a mismatch

If the match report shows "case only" matches, the ids are the same apart from capital letters. Most apps treat those as different, so edit the tvg-id values in the playlist to match the guide exactly; our M3U editor can do that. For channels with no match at all, search the channel list below for the channel name and copy its id. Then set the EPG URL in your app: here's how for TiviMate and IPTV Smarters.

Questions people ask

How do I check if my EPG URL is working?: Paste the URL into the EPG checker. If it loads, you'll see the number of channels and programmes, the date range the guide covers, and how many channels have something airing now. If not, you'll see the exact reason, like an HTTP error, a web page instead of XML, or a stale guide.
Why does my IPTV guide show no information?: Usually the tvg-id values in your playlist don't match the channel ids in the guide, or the guide has stopped updating. Paste both into the checker and it lists every channel with no match and whether the guide's newest programme is already in the past.
Does the checker support .xml.gz files?: Yes, by URL or upload. Compressed guides are unpacked automatically, up to about 80 MB compressed when loaded by URL. Uploaded files are read in your browser with no size limit beyond your device's memory.
What is a tvg-id?: It's the attribute in an M3U playlist that tells the app which EPG channel belongs to each stream. It has to match the id of a channel in the XMLTV guide exactly, including upper and lower case.
Where do I get an EPG URL?: From whoever supplies your playlist, or from the app or service you use. If you build your own playlist from free, legal channels, the source of the channel list often publishes a matching guide too.

Last updated October 16, 2026 by the IPTVTips team. Free to use, no account needed. Found a bug? Tell us.

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