Common XML Sitemap Errors and How to Fix Them
Identify and fix the most common sitemap issues.
Even small sitemap errors can prevent pages from being indexed. Here are the most common issues and fixes.
Invalid URLs
URLs with spaces, special characters, or that return non-200 status codes. Fix: clean and verify all URLs.
Date Format Errors
Must use W3C format (YYYY-MM-DD). Common mistake: using timestamps or non-standard formats.
Size Limit Issues
Over 50,000 URLs or 50MB. Fix: split into multiple sitemaps with an index file.
Duplicate URLs
Same URL listed multiple times wastes crawl budget. Fix: deduplicate.
Pro Tip
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