XML Sitemap Issues in WordPress: 10 Common Fixes

Question

An XML sitemap helps search engines discover important URLs on your WordPress website. But when a sitemap returns a 404 error, “Couldn’t fetch” message, outdated URLs, or invalid XML, the problem can come from several places.
Here are 10 practical fixes you can check before repeatedly resubmitting your sitemap in Google Search Console.
1. Check the Correct Sitemap URL
WordPress can use its native sitemap:
https://example.com/wp-sitemap.xml
SEO plugins may use another URL, such as:
https://example.com/sitemap_index.xml
First identify which system is generating your sitemap.

1. Check WordPress Search Visibility
   Go to:
   WordPress → Settings → Reading
   Make sure you haven't accidentally enabled the option that discourages search engines from indexing your site.
   After changing the setting, save it and test the sitemap again.
2. Flush Permalinks
   If your sitemap suddenly returns a 404, try:
   WordPress → Settings → Permalinks → Save Changes
   You don't need to change the permalink structure.
   This can refresh WordPress rewrite rules.
3. Clear Your Cache
   Caching can cause WordPress to serve an outdated sitemap.
   Clear cache from:
   WordPress caching plugin
   Hosting/server cache
   CDN
   Cloudflare
   Browser cache
   Then open the sitemap again in a private browser window.
   If old URLs are still appearing, caching should be one of the first things you investigate.
4. Check What the Sitemap Actually Returns
   Open the sitemap directly.
   It should return XML content.
   If you instead see:
   404
   403
   500 error
   Homepage
   Login page
   Security challenge
   HTML error page
   then Google may not be able to process the sitemap correctly.
   Don't assume the XML itself is the problem. Check the actual response first.
5. Look for Invalid XML
   If the sitemap opens but reports an XML parsing error, inspect the beginning of the document.
   Unexpected characters or output before the XML declaration can cause problems.
   Potential causes include:
   Plugin conflicts
   Theme code
   PHP output
   Custom sitemap modifications
   Server configuration
   Fix the source of the unexpected output rather than repeatedly resubmitting the sitemap.
6. Check Robots.txt
   Open:
   https://example.com/robots.txt
   Make sure you aren't accidentally blocking important content.
   Your robots.txt may also contain a sitemap declaration such as:
   Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap_index.xml
   Don't copy another site's robots.txt without understanding the rules.
7. Check HTTPS and Redirects
   After moving from HTTP to HTTPS, check whether your sitemap redirects correctly.
   Verify:
   WordPress → Settings → General
   Check both:
   WordPress Address
   Site Address
   Make sure they use the correct HTTPS version.
   Also check whether your CDN or Cloudflare configuration is creating unexpected redirect loops or responses.
8. Check SEO Plugin Conflicts
   Avoid having multiple plugins trying to control the same sitemap.
   For example, you might have:
   WordPress native sitemap
   Rank Math
   Yoast
   Another sitemap plugin
   Custom sitemap code
   Find out which system is actually generating your sitemap.
   If you recently changed SEO plugins, test the sitemap carefully.
9. Check Google Search Console
   Once the sitemap works correctly in your browser, go to:
   Google Search Console → Indexing → Sitemaps
   Submit the sitemap URL.
   Then check:
   Status
   Last read
   Discovered URLs
   Errors
   Remember the difference between:
   Google can't fetch my sitemap
   and
   Google fetched my sitemap but some URLs aren't indexed.
   These are different problems.
   A working sitemap helps Google discover URLs, but it doesn't guarantee that every URL will be indexed or rank.
   My Practical Experience
   While working on my own website, I found that sitemap problems can be confusing because Search Console isn't always the root cause. I had to check the actual sitemap URL, caching, redirects, WordPress settings, and the SEO plugin generating the sitemap.
   My preferred troubleshooting order is:
   Open sitemap → identify generator → check response → clear cache → check robots.txt → check HTTPS → check plugins → test again in Search Console.
   This is much more useful than repeatedly clicking Submit in Search Console.
   Final Checklist
   Before resubmitting a problematic sitemap, check:
   Correct sitemap URL
   Correct sitemap generator
   WordPress visibility settings
   Permalinks
   XML response
   HTTP status
   Cache
   robots.txt
   HTTPS
   Redirects
   Plugin conflicts
   Google Search Console status
   Fix the sitemap first, then investigate indexing.
   A sitemap is a discovery tool—not a guarantee of indexing or rankings.