📌 Introduction
If you are running a blog or a website, you might have faced the error “Sitemap couldn’t fetch” in Google Search Console. This error can be frustrating because it directly affects your website indexing and search engine visibility. Without a valid sitemap, Google bots may not properly crawl your website, which means your articles will not appear in search results.
In this guide, I will explain in detail:
What does the error mean?
Why does it happen?
How to solve “Sitemap couldn’t fetch” error step by step.
Pro tips to avoid this issue in the future.
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| Check Proof My Website Sitemap |
🔎 What Does “Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Mean?
A sitemap is basically a file (XML file) that contains the structure of your website, including all the important URLs. It tells Google which pages to crawl and index.
When Google Search Console shows “Sitemap couldn’t fetch”, it means:
Google tried to read your sitemap but couldn’t access it.
Either the sitemap is missing, blocked, or misconfigured.
Your site might have DNS, hosting, or robots.txt issues.
⚠️ Common Reasons for “Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Error
Before solving, let’s check the possible causes:
1. Wrong Sitemap URL – Entering sitemap in the wrong format (e.g., /sitemap instead of /sitemap.xml).
2. Website not accessible – If your domain is not working properly, sitemap will not load.
3. Robots.txt blocking – If sitemap is blocked by robots.txt file.
4. SSL/HTTPS Issue – Website with SSL misconfiguration (HTTP vs HTTPS).
5. Server Error / Hosting Issue – Sitemap file not loading due to slow hosting.
6. New Domain – Google takes some time to verify and read the sitemap.
✅ How to Solve “Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Error (Step by Step)
1. Wrong Sitemap URL – Entering sitemap in the wrong format (e.g., /sitemap instead of /sitemap.xml).
2. Website not accessible – If your domain is not working properly, sitemap will not load.
3. Robots.txt blocking – If sitemap is blocked by robots.txt file.
4. SSL/HTTPS Issue – Website with SSL misconfiguration (HTTP vs HTTPS).
5. Server Error / Hosting Issue – Sitemap file not loading due to slow hosting.
6. New Domain – Google takes some time to verify and read the sitemap.
✅ How to Solve “Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Error (Step by Step)
1. Check Sitemap URL
First, open your sitemap in the browser.
Example:
https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml (for WordPress with Yoast plugin)
https://yourdomain.com/atom.xml or https://yourdomain.com/rss.xml (for Blogger)
👉 If the sitemap opens in the browser without error, it means your sitemap exists and is working finfin
2. Resubmit Sitemap in Google Search Console
Go to Google Search Console → Select your property.
Click on Sitemaps (under Indexing).
Enter the correct sitemap URL (e.g., sitemap.xml or sitemap_index.xml).
Press Submit.
Wait for Google to fetch it agaagai
3. Check Robots.txt File
Visit: https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt
Make sure it does not block sitemap or important URLs.
✅ Correct Example:
User-agent: *
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
❌ Wrong Example:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /
If Disallow: / is written, it blocks Google from crawling your site. Remove it.
4. Fix HTTP and HTTPS Issues
Always use HTTPS version of your domain.
If your domain is https://www.yourdomain.com, then sitemap should also be with HTTPS.
In Search Console, add both domain property and URL prefix property for safety.
5. Check DNS and Hosting
If your hosting is slow, Googlebot may fail to fetch the sitemap.
Use tools like Pingdom or GTMetrix to check site speed.
If errors appear, contact your hosting provider.
6. Wait if Domain is New
If you just connected a new domain (like dailylifefaizan.com), it may take 24–48 hours for DNS to fully propagate. During this period, sitemap fetching issues are normal.
🔧 Advanced Solutions (If Problem Persists)
🔧 Advanced Solutions (If Problem Persists)
1. Manually Ping Sitemap
Submit your sitemap to Google using this URL:
https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
2. Check Sitemap Format
Open your sitemap file → Make sure it is in XML format.
It should not be empty or broken.
3. Use Alternative Sitemap
atom.xml?redirect=false&start-index=1&max-results=500
rss.xml
WordPress users can use plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math for auto-generated sitesitemap
💡 Pro Tips to Avoid Sitemap Errors in Future
Always use www or non-www consistently.
Make sure your sitemap URL is correctly written in robots.txt.
Keep your hosting reliable and avoid frequent downtime.
Use only HTTPS and redirect HTTP to HTTPS.
Check Google Search Console weekly for indexing issues.
📌 Conclusion
The “Sitemap couldn’t fetch” error is common for new bloggers and website owners. Most of the time, the issue is related to wrong sitemap URL, robots.txt blocking, or DNS not fully propagating. By following the above steps📌 Introduction
If you are running a blog or a website, you might have faced the error “Sitemap couldn’t fetch” in Google Search Console. This error can be frustrating because it directly affects your website indexing and search engine visibility. Without a valid sitemap, Google bots may not properly crawl your website, which means your articles will not appear in search results.
In this guide, I will explain in detail:
What does the error mean?
Why does it happen?
How to solve “Sitemap couldn’t fetch” error step by step.
Pro tips to avoid this issue in the future.
Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Error in Google Search Console (Step-by-Step Guide)
🔎 What Does “Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Mean?
A sitemap is basically a file (XML file) that contains the structure of your website, including all the important URLs. It tells Google which pages to crawl and index.
When Google Search Console shows “Sitemap couldn’t fetch”, it means:
Google tried to read your sitemap but couldn’t access it.
Either the sitemap is missing, blocked, or misconfigured.
Your site might have DNS, hosting, or robots.txt issues.
⚠️ Common Reasons for “Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Error
Before solving, let’s check the possible causes:
1. Wrong Sitemap URL – Entering sitemap in the wrong format (e.g., /sitemap instead of /sitemap.xml).
2. Website not accessible – If your domain is not working properly, sitemap will not load.
3. Robots.txt blocking – If sitemap is blocked by robots.txt file.
4. SSL/HTTPS Issue – Website with SSL misconfiguration (HTTP vs HTTPS).
5. Server Error / Hosting Issue – Sitemap file not loading due to slow hosting.
6. New Domain – Google takes some time to verify and read the sitemap.
✅ How to Solve “Sitemap Couldn’t Fetch” Error (Step by Step)
1. Check Sitemap URL
First, open your sitemap in the browser.
Example:
https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml (for WordPress with Yoast plugin)
https://yourdomain.com/atom.xml or https://yourdomain.com/rss.xml (for Blogger)
👉 If the sitemap opens in the browser without error, it means your sitemap exists and is working finfin
2. Resubmit Sitemap in Google Search Console
Go to Google Search Console → Select your property.
Click on Sitemaps (under Indexing).
Enter the correct sitemap URL (e.g., sitemap.xml or sitemap_index.xml).
Press Submit.
Wait for Google to fetch it agaagai
3. Check Robots.txt File
Visit: https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt
Make sure it does not block sitemap or important URLs.
✅ Correct Example:
User-agent: *
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
❌ Wrong Example:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /
If Disallow: / is written, it blocks Google from crawling your site. Remove it.
4. Fix HTTP and HTTPS Issues
Always use HTTPS version of your domain.
If your domain is https://www.yourdomain.com, then sitemap should also be with HTTPS.
In Search Console, add both domain property and URL prefix property for safety.
5. Check DNS and Hosting
If your hosting is slow, Googlebot may fail to fetch the sitemap.
Use tools like Pingdom or GTMetrix to check site speed.
If errors appear, contact your hosting provider.
6. Wait if Domain is New
If you just connected a new domain (like dailylifefaizan.com), it may take 24–48 hours for DNS to fully propagate. During this period, sitemap fetching issues are normal.
🔧 Advanced Solutions (If Problem Persists)
1. Manually Ping Sitemap
Submit your sitemap to Google using this URL:
https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
2. Check Sitemap Format
Open your sitemap file → Make sure it is in XML format.
It should not be empty or broken.
3. Use Alternative Sitemap
Blogger users can also use:
atom.xml?redirect=false&start-index=1&max-results=500
rss.xml
WordPress users can use plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math for auto-generated sitesitemap
💡 Pro Tips to Avoid Sitemap Errors in Future
Always use www or non-www consistently.
Make sure your sitemap URL is correctly written in robots.txt.
Keep your hosting reliable and avoid frequent downtime.
Use only HTTPS and redirect HTTP to HTTPS.
Check Google Search Console weekly for indexing issues.
📌 Conclusion
The “Sitemap couldn’t fetch” error is common for new bloggers and website owners. Most of the time, the issue is related to wrong sitemap URL, robots.txt blocking, or DNS not fully propagating. By following the above steps
Important Note
If this does not resolve the issue, you will have to buy a custom domain, which will resolve the issue immediately. Let me know in the comments and I will write an article on this as well. How to buy a custom domain?