When you submit your index XML sitemap to Google Search Console to make it easier for Google crawlers to crawl your site, you may encounter the following error: Couldn’t fetch sitemaps.
Here is the procedure to solve this problem.
#1 – make sure your have enabled XML sitemaps
Check this guide to activate and configure your XML sitemaps with SEOPress.
Then open it with your browser.
Make sure it doesn’t return a 404 error or a blank page.
You can also use this online tool to validate your XML sitemap source code.
#2 – submit the index sitemaps only
You don’t have to submit every listed sub-sitemaps. Just submit the index XML sitemap URL to Google Search Console.
Google will automatically find the sub-sitemaps.
If for some reasons you get the “Couldn’t fetch sitemaps” error, try to submit the index XML sitemap without the URL rewriting:
https://example.com/index.php?seopress_sitemap=1
After submitting this new URL to Search Console, refresh your page with F5 or CMD+R. Sometimes it helps updating the informations listed.
#3 – this still doesn’t work!
It can take several weeks before Google crawl / read / update the details about your XML sitemaps, be patient!
You can also open a support ticket from your customer area if necessary so we can investigate too.
