Sitemap returns 404 error

Hello,

We apologize for the issue you are facing with the sitemap returning a 404 error. This can happen for a few reasons, and we can help you troubleshoot it.

Here are some steps you can take to resolve the 404 error:

1. Flush Permalinks: Sometimes, simply saving your permalink settings can resolve this issue. Go to your WordPress admin area and navigate to Settings → Permalinks, then click the Save Changes button without making any changes.
   

2. Check Sitemap URL: Ensure that you are using the correct sitemap URL, which should be in the format: https://yourdomainname.com/sitemap_index.xml. Make sure there is only one forward slash between your domain name and the sitemap path.

3. Validate Your Sitemap: You can validate your sitemap using an online tool to check for any configuration issues. Here’s a link to a validation tool: Validate XML Sitemap.
   

4. Check Server Settings: Ensure that your web server is configured correctly to return a 404 error for missing pages. If it’s not set up properly, it may return a 200 status code instead.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, please reply to this ticket with your site URL so that a human agent from our support team can assist you further. Thank you for raising this concern!

Sources:
Rank Math Sitemap Issues and Their Fixes » Rank Math
Troubleshooting the “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math