Sitemap could not be read / Couldn't Fetch

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A Shopify store owner is experiencing persistent sitemap fetch errors in Google Search Console for over a month, causing significant page de-indexing. Manual page submissions also fail, with Google reporting “No referring sitemaps detected.”

Troubleshooting steps already attempted:

  • Verified sitemap URL accessibility and HTTP 200 status
  • Checked for syntax errors and XML validation
  • Resubmitted sitemap multiple times in Search Console
  • Waited extended periods (since November 17th mentioned)
  • Followed guidance from previous Shopify community threads

Additional suggestions offered:

  • Check server logs for access blocking issues
  • Use third-party sitemap validation tools (XML-Sitemaps.com, Screaming Frog)
  • Review crawl budget if site is large
  • Contact Google Search Console support directly for specific insights

Current status: The issue remains unresolved despite exhaustive troubleshooting. The store has been online for years without previous sitemap problems, making this a critical indexing emergency affecting business visibility.

Summarized with AI on November 3. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello, I’m looking for some help with my sitemap please.

Over the past month or so, it has been showing as “couldn’t fetch” / “Sitemap could not be read” in Google search console which has resulted in many pages becoming de-indexed.

The site has been online for years and this has not been an issue in the past.

Even if I manually submit pages via the Search Console, they still do not become indexed, which is obviously a huge issue. They all still say “No referring sitemaps detected”.

I have seen a few other threads on the topic and have followed all the trouble shooting advice and still nothing.

https://support.google.com/webmasters/thread/184533703/are-you-seeing-couldn-t-fetch-reported-for-your-sitemap?hl=en&sjid=13612406922576092010-EU
https://community.shopify.com/c/shopify-discussions/sitemap-could-not-be-read/m-p/2688283

XML and Rich results have been verified - trying to add screenshots but I am getting ‘The file type (.jpg) is not supported.’

Suggestions from Shopify via a previous post which I have followed:

Check Sitemap URL:
Ensure the URL you submitted is correct. It should be in the format: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.

https://wholesale.bioworldinternational.eu/sitemap.xml

Verify Sitemap Accessibility:
Open the sitemap URL in your browser to see if it loads correctly. If it doesn’t, there might be a server or configuration issue.
Done

Ensure Proper HTTP Status:
The sitemap should return a 200 HTTP status code. Use tools like httpstatus.io to check this.
Done

Fix Any Errors:
If there are errors in the sitemap, correct them. Common issues include incorrect URLs, syntax errors, or unsupported formats.
I can’t see any.

Resubmit Sitemap:
After addressing the above points, resubmit the sitemap in Google Search Console.
Done (several times over the past month)

Wait and Monitor:
Sometimes, it may take a bit of time for Google to process the sitemap. Check back after a few hours.
It’s now been since the 17th of November since the last time I submitted (I have tried again today, but has been doing this periodically over the past few weeks.)

I would really appreciate some help on this, as it’s been over a month, and I have tried everything I can at this point.

Many thanks

2

It sounds like you’ve already covered the basic troubleshooting steps. Since you’ve verified the sitemap URL, checked accessibility, and ensured there are no errors, here are a few additional things to try:

  1. Check for Server Issues: Sometimes, server or hosting problems can block Google from accessing your sitemap. Double-check server logs for any potential issues.

  2. Test with a Different Sitemap Tool: Try using a third-party tool to verify the sitemap, like Screaming Frog or XML-Sitemaps.com, to see if they report any issues Google may have missed.

  3. Review Crawl Budget: If your site is large, Google might be having trouble indexing everything. You can try optimizing your crawl budget by setting priority pages or reducing duplicate content.

  4. Contact Google Support: If nothing works, reaching out to Google’s Search Console support might provide more specific insights into the issue.

Let us know how you go!