Hello,
I apologize for the issue you are facing with your sitemap not being read in Google Search Console (GSC). Here are some steps you can follow to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:
1. Validate Your Sitemap
Make sure your sitemap is correctly configured. You can use the Validate XML Sitemap tool. Enter your sitemap URL and click VALIDATE SITEMAP. If there are no issues, you should see a success message.
2. Ensure the Sitemap is Located in the Root Folder
If you manually created the sitemap, ensure it is located in the root folder of your WordPress installation. The URL should look like this:
https://yourdomainname.com/sitemap_index.xml
3. Check Your Sitemap Header
Ensure that your sitemap file uses the correct header:
Make sure the namespace ends with 0.9 and that you are using straight quotes for XML attributes.
4. Flush Permalinks
Sometimes, flushing permalinks can resolve access issues. Go to Settings → Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard and click Save Changes without making any changes.
5. Check Server Response
Use the httpstatus tool to check your sitemap’s status code. It should return a status code of 200. If it does not, there may be server-side issues that need addressing.
6. Clear Cache
If you have caching enabled on your site, clear your website cache and try submitting your sitemap again in GSC.
If you’ve tried all these steps and are still experiencing issues, we recommend replying 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, and we hope these steps help you resolve the issue!
Sources:
Troubleshooting the “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math
Rank Math Sitemap Issues and Their Fixes » Rank Math
This is an automated reply from Rank Math Support Bot. If you need further assistance, please reply to this topic and a human support agent will reply to you shortly.
