Hello,
I apologize for the issue you are facing with the sitemap not being fetched. This can be a frustrating problem, but there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the 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. Enter your sitemap URL and click VALIDATE SITEMAP. If it’s properly configured, you should see a success message.

2. Ensure the Sitemap is Located in the Root Folder
Make sure 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 Robots.txt File
Ensure that your robots.txt
file is not blocking access to your sitemap. You can check this by visiting https://rankmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/An-example-displaying-how-to-validate-a-sitemap-2.png and
https://rankmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/An-example-displaying-how-to-validate-a-sitemap-2.png. Make sure there are no rules that prevent Google from accessing your sitemap.
4. Rename the Sitemap File
Sometimes, renaming the sitemap file can help. In Google Search Console, go to Indexing → Sitemaps, and try submitting a new sitemap URL like:
`https://rankmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/An-example-displaying-how-to-validate-a-sitemap-2.png
5. Check for Plugin Conflicts
If you have other plugins installed, they might be conflicting with Rank Math. You can use the Health Check plugin to identify any conflicts.
6. Custom Canonicals
If you have set custom canonical URLs for your posts, they may not appear in the sitemap. Consider removing these custom canonicals to allow Rank Math to generate them automatically.
If you continue to experience issues after trying these steps, please reply to this ticket with any error messages you see in Google Search Console or any additional details about your setup, and a human agent from our support team will assist you further.
Thank you for raising this concern, and we hope to resolve it quickly for you!
Sources:
Troubleshooting the “Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math
Rank Math Sitemap Issues and Their Fixes » Rank Math