Over the previous few days or so there was a spike in complaints round Google Search Console reporting an invalid sitemap error for sitemaps URLs that ought to be legitimate. Some are saying including an enable earlier than the sitemap URL within the robots.txt file fixes the problem however many are curious as to why.
There’s this thread on the Google Webmaster Assist Boards gaining traction with complaints from quite a few site owners and SEOs. The primary one that posted wrote, “I’ve legitimate sitemap and robots.txt regardless that instrument exhibiting bellow error on Search Console. Can some one please assistance on this, we tried all however nothing is working, that is actually pressing repair for us.”
Here’s a screenshot of that error:
The answer people discovered was so as to add enable earlier than the sitemap URL line in your robots.txt, so to exchange your sitemap with this line
Enable: sitemap: https://”your-domain-name”/sitemap_index.xml
Listed here are some posts on X with complaints about this as nicely:
@googlesearchc @rustybrick
Did not up to date something since lengthy in Robots.txt file however just lately seen syntax error in Search Console report.Additionally validated robots file utilizing third celebration instrument for errors however did not discover any.
Comparable thread: https://t.co/heS5US2ylR pic.twitter.com/TrZt6hvTVV
— Milan Dhrangadharia 🇮🇳 (@milan_0015) November 30, 2023
Identical situation right here.
— Mobilanyheter (@mobilanyheter) December 3, 2023
Google has not but chimed in on this subject within the discussion board thread.
However a Google high contributor, Dave, wrote yesterday, “There was a reporting bug in search console on this new report, it is apparently now been fastened so over the following couple of days it is best to see this error go away. Tell us in the event you’re nonetheless seeing points after that.”
Many nonetheless see the problem this morning.
Discussion board dialogue at Google Webmaster Assist Boards.