Sitemap Giving Error On A Website

Hello,

We apologize for the issue you are facing with your sitemap showing a 404 error. Here are some steps you can follow to troubleshoot and fix this problem:

1. Check Permalink Structure

If you have recently changed your permalink structure, ensure that your sitemap is updated accordingly. You can do this by going to Settings → Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard and simply clicking Save Changes. This action will refresh your permalink settings.

2. Flush Permalinks

Even if you haven’t made any changes, flushing permalinks can help resolve the 404 error. Just go to the Permalinks page in your WordPress dashboard and click Save Changes.

3. Verify Sitemap Location

Make sure that your sitemap is located in the correct directory. The URL should be:

https://rankmath.com/kb/configure-sitemaps/

Ensure there is only one forward slash between your domain name and the sitemap path.

4. Check for Caching Issues

If you are using a caching plugin, ensure that the sitemap_index.xml file is excluded from caching. Sometimes, cached versions of your site can cause issues with accessing the sitemap.

5. Review Server Configuration

If you are using an NGINX or Apache server, ensure that the correct rewrite rules are in place. Missing rewrite rules can lead to a 404 error for your sitemap.

6. Validate Your Sitemap

You can validate your sitemap using the Validate XML Sitemap tool to check for any configuration issues.

7. Check Robots.txt File

Ensure that your robots.txt file is not blocking access to your sitemap. You can check this by visiting `https://rankmath.com/kb/configure-sitemaps/.

If you have followed these steps and are still experiencing issues, we recommend considering our professional setup service to ensure your plugin setup is fully correct and adheres to the latest SEO standards. This service requires a PRO subscription.

Thank you for raising this concern, and we hope these steps help you resolve the issue! If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to reply to this ticket.

Sources:
Why the Sitemap_Index.xml is Throwing a 404 Error » Rank Math
Rank Math Sitemap Issues and Their Fixes » Rank Math

Hello,

Thank you for your query and we are so sorry about the trouble this must have caused.

We checked your sitemap and it seems to be working fine.

Please follow the steps below:

1. Flush the Sitemap cache by following this video screencast:
https://i.rankmath.com/pipRDp

2. Exclude the Sitemap files of the Rank Math plugin in your caching plugin. The cache could be via a plugin or from the server. For plugins or Cloudflare, please follow this article:
https://rankmath.com/kb/exclude-sitemaps-from-caching/

3. Apply the following filter code to your site.

add_filter( 'rank_math/sitemap/enable_caching', '__return_false');

Here’s how you can add filter to your WordPress site:https://rankmath.com/kb/wordpress-hooks-actions-filters/

4. Remove all your sitemaps from your Google Search Console and re-submit only the index sitemap (https://website.com/sitemap_index.xml).

Let us know how that goes. Looking forward to helping you.