Common XML sitemap errors

A useful XML sitemap should primarily contain the URLs you want search engines to discover as preferred, indexable pages. A sitemap can be valid XML and still contain poor URL choices.

Redirecting URLs

If a sitemap URL immediately redirects, the final destination is usually the more useful sitemap entry. Keeping old redirecting URLs creates unnecessary crawl steps.

404 and 410 URLs

Deleted URLs normally should not remain in an active sitemap unless the page is about to be restored. Remove stale entries at the sitemap source rather than repeatedly editing generated XML by hand.

Noindex URLs

A noindex page in a sitemap sends mixed intent: the sitemap presents the URL for discovery while the page asks not to be indexed. Confirm which behavior is intended.

Canonical conflicts

If URL A appears in the sitemap but declares URL B as canonical, review which page is actually preferred. Ambiguous canonical cases should not be automatically deleted.