This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it

Hello,

We apologize for the issue you are facing with your sitemap. The message you are seeing, "This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it," is a common warning that indicates the XML file is being displayed without any associated stylesheet. This does not necessarily mean there is an error with your sitemap itself, but rather how it is being rendered in the browser.

To troubleshoot this issue, please follow these steps:

1. Validate Your Sitemap: Use the Validate XML Sitemap tool to check if your sitemap is correctly configured. Enter your sitemap URL and click VALIDATE SITEMAP.
   

2. Check for Empty Sitemap: Ensure that your sitemap is not empty. If all your posts are set to noindex, your sitemap will not contain any URLs. You can check this by going to Rank Math SEO → Titles & Meta and ensuring that the Index checkbox is enabled for your posts.
   

3. Flush Permalinks: If you are getting a 404 error or if the sitemap is not accessible, try flushing permalinks by going to Settings → Permalinks in your WordPress admin area and clicking Save Changes without making any changes.
   

4. Check for Caching Issues: If you have caching plugins installed, ensure that your sitemap is excluded from caching. You can refer to our tutorial on excluding sitemaps from caching for more details.

If the issue persists after following these steps, please reply to this ticket, and a human agent from the Rank Math Support team will assist you further.

Sources:
Troubleshooting the “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math
Rank Math Sitemap Issues and Their Fixes » Rank Math