Why Google Might Skip Your Sitemap

Google’s John Mueller recently addressed a common question about why a sitemap submitted in Search Console might trigger a fetch error, even when server logs indicate that GoogleBot has successfully accessed it.

The query, raised on Reddit, came from a webmaster who had performed thorough checks on their sitemap. They confirmed it returned a 200 response code, had a valid XML structure, and allowed indexing. Despite all this, Google Search Console still displayed a “Couldn’t fetch” error.

The Reddit user explained:

“I’m facing a persistent issue where sitemap submissions immediately result in a Couldn’t fetch status and a Sitemap could not be read error. I’ve ensured the sitemap is accessible, and server logs show GoogleBot successfully retrieved it. The sitemap was first submitted in December 2025, but months later, the crawl status remains unchanged. Manually submitted pages were crawled, but the rest listed in sitemap.xml were ignored.”

In response, Mueller suggested that the issue may not be technical but related to the site’s content itself. He noted that one key factor is whether Google is “keen on indexing more content from the site.” If Google doesn’t consider the site’s content sufficiently new or important, it may simply ignore the sitemap.

While Mueller didn’t explicitly mention “site quality,” the implication is clear: the site needs to offer content that is both valuable and fresh. This doesn’t necessarily mean the content is low quality; it could simply lack elements that help users engage with or understand the topic.

For example, valuable content might include step-by-step guides, images, videos, or other features that make it more comprehensive and useful for visitors. Conversely, content that is thin, repetitive, or not unique may be considered trivial and less worthy of indexing.

Ultimately, the best approach is to think like a visitor. Ask yourself what would be genuinely helpful or engaging to someone visiting your site, and focus on improving those areas. Providing rich, meaningful content is the key to ensuring Google sees your pages as worth indexing and utilising in its sitemap crawl.