Sitemap not working

#1110685
  • Sean
    Rank Math free

    Google Search Console says couldn’t fetch sitemap. Below is copy and paste from Google Search Console.
    Sitemap Type Submitted Last read Status Discovered pages Discovered videos
    https://carechiros.com/sitemap_index.xml Sitemap index Sep 20, 2025 Sep 20, 2025 Couldn’t fetch 14 0

    I really appreciate any help in this matter. Thank you in advance for your help and cooperation in resolving this issue. I have had issues with the sitemap from the beginning. Have I done something wrong or missed something in setup. I have verified via Google Search Console and submitted Sitemap to them. Do I need to put a copy of Sitemap on my website? If so Where? Once again thank you for your time and cooperation. Below is copy and paste from RankMath Sitemap section.

    Your sitemap index can be found here: https://carechiros.com/sitemap_index.xml

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Hello,

    We apologize for the issue you are facing with your sitemap. The "Couldn’t fetch" error in Google Search Console can be caused by several factors. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve this issue:

    1. Validate Your Sitemap

    First, ensure that your sitemap is correctly configured. You can use the Validate XML Sitemap tool to check for any issues. If your sitemap is valid, it should return a success message.

    2. Check Sitemap Accessibility

    Make sure your sitemap is accessible. You can check this using the HTTP Status Tool. Enter your sitemap URL (`https://rankmath.com/kb/configure-sitemaps/) and check the status to identify any issues preventing access by Googlebot.

    3. Ensure Correct Submission

    In Google Search Console, navigate to Indexing → Sitemaps and ensure that you have submitted the correct sitemap URL. It should be sitemap_index.xml and not any other variation.

    4. Rename the Sitemap File

    If the sitemap is valid but still not functioning, try renaming the sitemap file. In Google Search Console, you can submit it as `https://rankmath.com/kb/configure-sitemaps/.

    5. Check for Caching Issues

    If your sitemap is being cached, you may need to exclude it from caching. You can refer to our tutorial on how to exclude Sitemaps from caching.

    6. Ensure Posts Are Set to Index

    Make sure that your posts are set to index. Go to Rank Math SEO → Titles & Meta and ensure that the Index checkbox is enabled in the Robots Meta settings.

    Index Titles and Meta settings

    7. Wait for Google to Fetch

    Sometimes, it may take a while for Google to fetch the sitemap, so if everything seems correct, you might just need to wait a bit longer.

    If you’ve gone through these steps and are still experiencing issues, please reply to this ticket with any additional details or errors you encounter, and a human agent from our support team will assist you further. Thank you for your patience!

    Sources:
    Troubleshooting the “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math
    Indexed, Not Submitted in Sitemap – Google Search Console » Rank Math

    This is an automated reply from Rank Math Support Bot. Your ticket has been assigned to a human agent and we will get back to you shortly.

    Hello,

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

    Your sitemap is currently showing a page not found error.

    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.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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