Sitemap “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in GSC (Pages Sitemap Not Working)

Hello,

We apologize for the issue you are facing with the sitemap in Google Search Console. It sounds like you’ve already taken several important troubleshooting steps, which is great. Since the posts sitemap is working fine, it suggests that the issue may be specific to the pages sitemap or its configuration.

Here are a few additional steps you can try:

1. Validate Your Sitemap

Make sure your pages sitemap is correctly configured. You can use the Validate XML Sitemap tool to check for any issues.

2. Ensure the Sitemap is Located in the Root Folder

Confirm that your sitemap is located in the root folder of your WordPress installation. The URL should look like this:
https://yourdomainname.com/sitemap_index.xml

3. Check Index Settings for Pages

Ensure that your pages are set to index. Go to Rank Math SEO → Titles & Meta and check the Robots Meta settings to ensure the Index checkbox is enabled for your pages.

4. Flush the Cache Again

Sometimes, caching plugins can still interfere even after flushing. Make sure to clear all caches, including server-side caches if applicable.

5. Rename the Sitemap File

As a last resort, you might want to try renaming your sitemap file as suggested by John Mueller. In Google Search Console, try submitting:
https://yourdomain.com/?sitemap=1

If you continue to experience issues after trying these steps, we recommend replying to your ticket with your website URL so that a human agent from our support team can take a closer look at your specific situation and assist you further.

Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to resolving this issue for you!

Sources:
Troubleshooting the “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us.

We checked the sitemap and it works correctly.

We also tested them and found no issues there.

You can try disabling the transient cache for the sitemap. This will make sure that your XML sitemap always reflects the latest changes on your site. Kindly add this code snippet to your site:

/** 
 * Filter if XML sitemap transient cache is enabled.
 *
 * @param boolean $unsigned Enable cache or not, defaults to true
 */
add_filter( 'rank_math/sitemap/enable_caching', '__return_false');

If you’re not sure how to add this code, you can follow this guide: https://rankmath.com/kb/wordpress-hooks-actions-filters/.

After you add the code, please clear any cache on your site or server and try removing and adding your main sitemap (sitemap_index.xml) to GSC.

Let us know how this goes.

Thank you.