Fix guide

Sitemap could not be read or has errors: how to fix it

About 3 min read Time to do it: 20 min Updated
Quick answerCheck that the sitemap URL loads with 200, is valid XML, lists only canonical URLs and stays within size limits, then resubmit it.
On this page
  1. Is this your problem?
  2. Why this matters for SEO
  3. Common causes
  4. Step-by-step fix
  5. How to confirm it worked
  6. Mistakes to avoid
  7. Tools to use
  8. FAQ
  9. Related guides

Why this matters for SEO

Check that the sitemap URL loads with 200, is valid XML, lists only canonical URLs and stays within size limits, then resubmit it.

Search visibility depends on several systems agreeing: the page must be reachable, discoverable, technically eligible to be indexed, useful for the query, and supported by a clear internal site structure. Fixing one symptom while another system is blocking the page can produce little or no improvement.

Use this guide as a focused workflow rather than a checklist to complete blindly. Confirm the actual page and response first, make the smallest defensible change, then re-test the same evidence after deployment.

Is this your problem?

  • Search Console says Couldn't fetch or Sitemap could not be read.
  • The sitemap shows few or zero discovered URLs.

Common causes

  • The URL returns an error or redirects, or is blocked by robots.txt.
  • XML is malformed, or the file lists redirecting, noindexed or duplicate URLs.
Diagnosis order

Check access and HTTP status first, then robots and indexability directives, canonicalization, content/template quality, internal links and performance. This order prevents a low-priority content edit from hiding a technical blocker.

Step-by-step fix

  1. Open the sitemap URL

    It should load directly with status 200. Check it with the HTTP Status Code Checker.

  2. Validate the XML

    Paste the URL into the XML Sitemap Validator and fix malformed tags and duplicate entries.

  3. Clean the URL list

    Remove redirected, noindexed, error and non-canonical URLs.

  4. Check size limits

    One sitemap file can hold up to 50,000 URLs and 50 MB uncompressed. Split larger sets with a sitemap index.

  5. Resubmit

    Submit the corrected sitemap again in Search Console.

How to confirm it worked

The validator passes and Search Console shows a successful read with a plausible URL count.

Verification should use the same URL and comparable conditions as the original test. Check the HTTP response, rendered/source markup and the relevant Google Search Console report where applicable. A successful technical change does not guarantee immediate indexing; crawling and indexing can take time and Google may still choose not to index a page it considers redundant or low quality.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Listing both http and https or www and non-www versions.
  • Blocking the sitemap path in robots.txt.

Tools to use

XML Sitemap Validator
XML Sitemap Generator
Sitemap vs Crawl Reconciliation
HTTP Status Code Checker

FAQ

Why are discovered URLs fewer than listed?

Google may skip duplicates and non-canonical URLs. Compare against the Sitemap vs Crawl Reconciliation tool.

Do I need a sitemap?

Small, well-linked sites can be found without one, but a sitemap helps with discovery and monitoring.

Check your own site now. The free SeOMeter tools run these checks on your own URLs, no sign-up needed.

Open the SEO tools

Was something unclear or out of date? Tell us and we will improve this guide. SEO checks are diagnostic guidance, not a promise of rankings, traffic or indexing.