Sitemap "Has errors" in Search Console: how to read and fix them
Has 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.
By Bruno Amorim · ·
Where you see it
The Status column in Indexing > Sitemaps says Has errors, or Sitemap had X errors. Click the sitemap: its details page says Sitemap can be read, but has errors, and lists each one.
What it means
Google fetched the file and read part of it. Any address it could read without errors is still queued for crawling.
Each error has a name, such as Invalid date or URL not allowed. Expand an error to see more, often with line numbers.
Search Console's API only gives counts of errors and warnings, not their names. To read the messages, open the sitemap in the Sitemaps report.
Common causes
- Addresses that don't match the sitemap's location: URL not allowed, or a Path mismatch about
www. - Broken XML: Parsing error, often from an unescaped
&in an address. - Bad values: Invalid date, Invalid URL, or Invalid tag value.
- A file over the limits: Too many URLs, or Sitemap file size error.
- A sitemap index that lists another index, or lists files by a partial address.
Find the cause
- Click the sitemap in Indexing > Sitemaps.
- Read each error name, then expand it for the details and line numbers.
- Find the error name in the list below. Each one links to the guide with its fix.
How to fix it
- Fix each error in the file, or in the setting or plugin that builds it.
- Open the sitemap in your browser and check that it still loads as XML.
- Resubmit: type the address in Add a new sitemap and click Submit.
Each message and its fix
"URL not allowed"
The sitemap lists addresses above its own folder or on another domain.
- List only addresses on the sitemap's own host and protocol, in its folder or below.
"Parsing error"
Google could not parse the XML. Often an address has an unescaped character, such as &.
- Write
&as&, and escape quotes,<, and>.
"Invalid date"
A <lastmod> date is in the wrong format.
- Use
YYYY-MM-DD, or a full time with a time zone.
"Too many URLs"
The file lists more than 50,000 addresses.
- Split it into files of up to 50,000 URLs and list them in a sitemap index.
"Incorrect sitemap index format: Nested sitemap indexes"
A sitemap index lists another sitemap index.
- Remove entries that point to sitemap index files.
"Temporary error"
A temporary problem at Google. You usually don't need to do anything.
- If it lasts for several hours, resubmit.
See which of your pages Google skipped, and why. Free for up to 500 pages.
Get my free reportWhen you can ignore it
Warnings are usually not critical. Google's API describes them as issues with URLs in the sitemap. Errors are worth fixing, because the addresses Google could not read are left out.
On your platform
WordPress
WordPress itself serves /wp-sitemap.xml. Yoast SEO and Rank Math serve /sitemap_index.xml instead, and Yoast turns off the WordPress one. Submit the address your site really uses. WordPress turns its sitemap off when Settings > Reading > Discourage search engines from indexing this site is checked. WordPress pages not indexed
Shopify
Shopify makes your sitemap at /sitemap.xml and links it to smaller sitemaps for products, collections, blogs, and pages. Submit only sitemap.xml, in the Search Console property for your primary domain. Google can't read the sitemap while the store is in private mode with a password page. Shopify pages not indexed
Catch sitemap problems before they cost you pages
On paid plans, CrawlCoach downloads your sitemaps every day and reads Search Console's sitemap data for each fix list. When a sitemap stops loading, Search Console reports errors in it, or Google stops reading it, the fix goes in your fix list with the steps and a link to the right guide. See plans and prices.
Questions
Does Has errors mean Google ignores my whole sitemap?
No. Google queues every address it could read without errors. Only the broken entries are left out.
What is the difference between errors and warnings?
Errors are problems with the sitemap that need a fix before Google can process it correctly. Warnings are generally non-critical issues with URLs in the sitemap. That is how Google's Search Console API describes the two counts.
How do I fix Missing XML tag in a sitemap?
An entry is missing a required tag. In a normal sitemap, every <url> needs a <loc> with the page address. Search Console shows the line number. See the guide to sitemap XML errors for each XML message.
Sources
Checked on October 8, 2026. Search Console's wording can change after that date.
See which of your pages Google skipped
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Related sitemap errors
- 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.