A sitemap
is crucial for SEO, helping search engines like Google index your site
efficiently. However, many website owners encounter the "Couldn't Fetch
Sitemap" error when submitting their sitemap in Google Search
Console. This issue can prevent your pages from being indexed, affecting
search rankings and organic traffic.
This guide
provides step-by-step solutions to resolve the "Couldn't Fetch
Sitemap" error for Blogger, WordPress, GoDaddy, Wix, and Shopify.
✅ Common Causes of the "Couldn't
Fetch Sitemap" Error
- Sitemap URL Issues – Incorrect or incomplete
URLs.
- Googlebot Crawl Restrictions – Robots.txt blocking access.
- Server Errors (5XX, 403, 404,
etc.) –
Hosting or CDN problems.
- Delayed Sitemap Generation – Dynamic sitemap delays.
- Improper Sitemap Format – Broken XML structure.
- DNS or SSL Issues – Incorrect HTTPS settings.
- Google Search Console Cache
Delay –
Takes time to update status.
Now, let’s
tackle this issue platform by platform. 🚀
🛠 Fixing "Couldn't Fetch
Sitemap" on Blogger
🔍 Step 1: Check the Correct Sitemap
URL
Use one of
the following:
- https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
- https://yourblog.blogspot.com/robots.txt (to verify sitemap inclusion)
If your blog
has many posts, try:
- https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml?page=1
- https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml?page=2
🔍 Step 2: Verify Robots.txt
Go to: https://yourblog.blogspot.com/robots.txt Ensure it includes:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /search
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
🔍 Step 3: Resubmit the Sitemap
- Go to Google Search Console.
- Click on Sitemaps.
- Enter sitemap.xml and click Submit.
- Wait and refresh after a few
hours.
✅ If the issue persists: Try fetching sitemap.xml?page=1 instead of sitemap.xml.
🛠 Fixing "Couldn't Fetch
Sitemap" on WordPress
🔍 Step 1: Use the Right Sitemap URL
- Default: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
- Yoast SEO Plugin: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
- Rank Math Plugin: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
🔍 Step 2: Check Sitemap in Robots.txt
Verify by
visiting https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt. It should include:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
🔍 Step 3: Flush WordPress Cache
- Clear cache using WP Rocket or
any caching plugin.
- Disable CDN temporarily.
- Resubmit the sitemap in Google
Search Console.
✅ If still not working: Disable security plugins (e.g., Wordfence) and reattempt
submission.
🛠 Fixing "Couldn't Fetch
Sitemap" on GoDaddy
🔍 Step 1: Check Your SSL & DNS
Settings
- Go to GoDaddy Dashboard
→ My Products → DNS Settings.
- Ensure A Record and CNAME
point to the correct IP.
- Verify that SSL is active
(HTTPS is enabled).
🔍 Step 2: Generate a Sitemap Manually
Use:
- https://www.xml-sitemaps.com/ to create a sitemap.
- Upload it to /public_html/sitemap.xml via GoDaddy File Manager.
- Submit https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml in Google Search Console.
✅ If still not working: Switch from GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress for
better sitemap management.
🛠 Fixing "Couldn't Fetch
Sitemap" on Wix
🔍 Step 1: Use the Wix Auto-Generated
Sitemap
- Default: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
- Robots.txt check: https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt
🔍 Step 2: Re-Enable SEO Features
- Go to Wix Dashboard → SEO
Tools.
- Ensure "Let search
engines index my site" is enabled.
🔍 Step 3: Resubmit in Google Search
Console
- Delete existing sitemap and
resubmit.
- Use URL Inspection Tool
to force Google to crawl pages.
✅ If issue persists: Try disabling third-party security plugins (e.g.,
Cloudflare bot protection).
🛠 Fixing "Couldn't Fetch
Sitemap" on Shopify
🔍 Step 1: Use Shopify’s Default
Sitemap
- https://yourstorename.myshopify.com/sitemap.xml
- For custom domains: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
🔍 Step 2: Allow Googlebot to Crawl
- Go to Online Store → Preferences.
- Ensure "Enable search
engine indexing" is turned ON.
🔍 Step 3: Resubmit & Check
Robots.txt
Verify via https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt. It should include:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
✅ If still not working: Contact Shopify Support to refresh indexing.
🎯 Conclusion: Best Practices to Avoid
Sitemap Errors
✔ Ensure correct sitemap format – Use XML-compliant syntax.
✔ Check robots.txt – Allow
search engine access. ✔ Use correct URLs – Ensure HTTPS & canonical
domain consistency. ✔ Clear cache & CDN issues – Especially for
WordPress & GoDaddy users. ✔ Resubmit after changes – Google takes time to update
status. ✔ Monitor Google Search Console
– Watch for crawl errors.
By following
these steps, you can fix the "Couldn't Fetch Sitemap" error and improve
your website’s indexing, rankings, and organic traffic. 🚀
Need more
help? Comment
below with your platform and sitemap issue! 🛠
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