Sitemaps not updating in google search console

Hello,

I’m sorry to hear that you are facing issues with your sitemaps not updating in Google Search Console and not showing the child sitemap. To troubleshoot this issue, please follow these steps:

1. Validate Your Sitemap: Ensure your sitemap is correctly configured by using the Validate XML Sitemap tool as shown in the Rank Math KB article.

2. Ensure the Sitemap is Located in the Root Folder: Make sure your sitemap is installed in the root folder of your WordPress installation with the correct URL structure.

3. Ensure Your Posts Are Set to Index: Check if your posts are set to index in Rank Math SEO → Titles & Meta settings as described in the KB article.

4. Flush the Cache: If your sitemap appears outdated, flush the sitemap cache by increasing the value of Links Per Sitemap in Rank Math SEO → Sitemap Settings and save changes.

5. Exclude the Sitemap From Caching: Ensure your sitemap is not being cached by following the steps mentioned in the KB article.

If after following these steps, the issue persists, please reach out to our support team directly from here, and they will assist you further.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we appreciate your patience while we resolve this matter for you.

Sources:
Troubleshooting the “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math
How to Configure Sitemaps in Rank Math – Best Settings and Tips
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.

When the count of the Discovered URLs is zero or shows empty in your Google Search Console, it means Google didn’t use the sitemap to find the URLs.

It mostly happens when you have good internal linking or use the Instant Indexing plugin.

In this case, you either have to wait for the search engines to completely crawl the sitemaps or let it be since sitemaps are just a backup crawling mechanism for search engines. Usually, the URLs are discovered via other means such as internal links or backlinks.

Here’s a link for more information:
https://rankmath.com/kb/zero-discovered-urls-through-sitemap/

Hope that helps and please do not hesitate to let us know if you need our assistance with anything else.

Hello,

Google is showing the discovered URLs for the main sitemap. Since they are able to discover the URLs, it means they have discovered the child sitemap. This could be a visual bug in the GSC report. You can also remove your main sitemap and submit your child sitemaps directly to confirm if Google can read them or not.

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

Hello,

The sitemap doesn’t affect the rankings of the site. It can affect the indexing process only if Google is not able to discover the URLs. Since Google is able to discover the URLs, there shouldn’t be any issues. The drop in rankings must be related to something else.

You should work on publishing quality content and improving the overall SEO of your site. Here are a few resources we think you will find useful while devising an SEO strategy.

1. Keyword Research: https:/rankmath.com/blog/keyword-research/
2. Identify Keyword Intent: https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-identify-intent-in-search/
3. Writing Awesome Content: https://neilpatel.com/blog/ingredients-of-great-content/
4. On-Page SEO: https://rankmath.com/blog/on-page-seo/
5. Off Page SEO: https://rankmath.com/blog/off-page-seo/
6. Building Backlinks: https://rankmath.com/blog/link-building/

Hope that helps and please do not hesitate to let us know if you need our assistance with anything else.

Hello @narenderchahal1,

Thank you so much for reaching out.

We understand your concerns. Google’s sitemap reporting can sometimes be inconsistent, but rest assured, sitemaps themselves do not directly impact rankings. Focus on quality content and SEO best practices outlined earlier. If you notice persistent issues, continue monitoring and Google will likely resolve this over time.

Thank you so much for your input with regard to this matter.