Search Console sitemap errors, and how to fix each one.
Search Console's Sitemaps report tells you when Google can't read your sitemap. Each guide explains one message: what it means, how to find the cause, and how to fix it.
To see your sitemaps, open Search Console and click Indexing > Sitemaps. Click a sitemap to see its errors.
Google can't get the file
Search Console shows Couldn't fetch, or the details page says Sitemap could not be read.
- Couldn't fetchCouldn't fetch means Google could not download your sitemap file at all. Open the address yourself, run a live test in URL Inspection, fix what blocks it, and resubmit.
- Sitemap could not be readSitemap could not be read means Google's download failed. The details below it, such as General HTTP error or an HTTP error with a code, tell you why.
- Sitemap is HTMLSitemap is HTML means the address you submitted returns a web page, not a sitemap file. Submit the XML file instead, or find what replaces it with a page.
- Temporary processing errorTemporary processing error is a problem on Google's side, not in your sitemap. Run the inspection again later. In the Sitemaps report, resubmit only if Temporary error lasts for hours.
Google got the file, but found errors
The status is Has errors, or the details page says Sitemap can be read, but has errors.
- Has errorsHas errors means Google downloaded your sitemap but found problems in it. Google still uses the addresses it could read. Click the sitemap to see each error, then fix them in the file.
- URL errorsThese errors mean some addresses in your sitemap don't match where the sitemap lives, can't be read, or can't be crawled. Make every address a full URL on the same host and protocol as the sitemap.
- XML and format errorsThese errors mean the sitemap file is not valid XML, or not in the sitemap format Google expects. Most come from a plugin or theme printing extra text, or from an unescaped &.
- Invalid dateInvalid date means a <lastmod> date in your sitemap is in the wrong format, or is not a real date. Use 2026-10-08, or a full time with a time zone.
- Too large or emptyOne sitemap can hold up to 50,000 URLs and 50MB uncompressed. Split a larger one into several files and list them in a sitemap index.
- Sitemap index errorsA sitemap index can list sitemaps, but not other sitemap indexes. Every listed sitemap needs its full address.
The status looks fine, but something is off
Zero discovered pages, an old Last read date, or pages that still are not on Google.
- 0 discovered pagesSuccess with 0 Discovered pages means Google read the file but found no page addresses in it. Check what the file lists, and where it lives.
- Old Last read or pendingGoogle re-reads a sitemap on its own schedule. A Last read date that does not move after you change pages, or a sitemap with no Last read date, needs a check.
- Success, but pages not indexedSuccess means Google read your sitemap. It does not mean Google indexed the pages in it. Filter the Page indexing report by your sitemap to see why each page is left out.
Find your message
Every message these guides cover, as Search Console writes it.
| Search Console message | Guide |
|---|---|
| Couldn't fetch | Couldn't fetch |
| Sitemap could not be read | Sitemap could not be read |
| General HTTP error | Sitemap could not be read |
| HTTP error [specific code] | Sitemap could not be read |
| Sitemap is HTML | Sitemap is HTML |
| Temporary processing error | Temporary processing error |
| Temporary error | Temporary processing error |
| Has errors | Has errors |
| Sitemap can be read, but has errors | Has errors |
| Sitemap had X errors | Has errors |
| URL not allowed | URL errors |
| Path mismatch: Missing www | URL errors |
| Path mismatch: Includes www | URL errors |
| Invalid URL | URL errors |
| URLs not accessible | URL errors |
| URLs not followed | URL errors |
| Sitemap contains urls which are blocked by robots.txt | URL errors |
| Parsing error | XML and format errors |
| Invalid XML: too many tags | XML and format errors |
| Missing XML tag | XML and format errors |
| Missing XML attribute | XML and format errors |
| Invalid tag value | XML and format errors |
| Invalid attribute value | XML and format errors |
| Unsupported format | XML and format errors |
| Incorrect namespace | XML and format errors |
| Leading whitespace | XML and format errors |
| Invalid date | Invalid date |
| Too many URLs | Too large or empty |
| Sitemap file size error: Your sitemap exceeds the maximum file size limit. | Too large or empty |
| Too many sitemaps | Too large or empty |
| Compression error | Too large or empty |
| Empty sitemap | Too large or empty |
| Incorrect sitemap index format: Nested sitemap indexes | Sitemap index errors |
| Invalid URL in sitemap index file: incomplete URL | Sitemap index errors |
| No referring sitemap | Temporary processing error |
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