Sitemap 404 Errors: Why They Happen and How to Fix Them Fast

Seeing 404 errors in your Google Search Console sitemap report? You're not alone.

The problem: Your sitemap lists URLs that don't exist (anymore).

Why it matters: Wastes crawl budget, confuses search engines, and looks unprofessional.

The fix: Usually straightforward once you know what to look for.

What Causes Sitemap 404 Errors

1. Deleted Pages Still in Sitemap

Common scenario:

• Delete a blog post
• Forget to regenerate sitemap
• Old URL still listed

Example:

<url>
  <loc>https://example.com/old-post</loc>  ← Page was deleted
</url>

2. Changed URLs

Common scenario:

• Rename a page slug
• Change URL structure
• Old URL in sitemap, new URL live

Example:

Old: /blog/2024/11/post-title
New: /blog/post-title
Sitemap still has old URL

3. Incorrect URL Format

Common mistakes:

• Wrong domain
• HTTP vs HTTPS mismatch
• Trailing slash inconsistency
• URL encoding issues

Examples:

<!-- Wrong domain -->
<loc>http://example.com/page</loc>  ← Should be https://

<!-- Trailing slash -->
<loc>https://example.com/page/</loc>  ← Page is at /page (no slash)

<!-- Encoding -->
<loc>https://example.com/page with spaces</loc>  ← Should be %20

4. Staging/Development URLs

Common mistake:

• Generate sitemap on staging
• Include staging URLs
• Deploy to production

Example:

<loc>https://staging.example.com/page</loc>  ← Wrong domain!

5. Dynamic Sitemap Bugs

Issues:

• Database query errors
• Stale cache
• Logic bugs in sitemap generator

How to Find 404 Errors

Method 1: Google Search Console

Steps:

1. Go to Sitemaps
2. Click on your sitemap
3. Look for "Errors" section
4. Click to see specific URLs

What you'll see:

• List of 404 URLs
• When they were discovered
• Which sitemap they're in

Method 2: Use Sitemap Explorer (Fastest)

Steps:

1. Go to Sitemap Explorer
2. Enter your sitemap URL
3. View the visual tree of all URLs
4. Identify any URLs that look suspicious or outdated

Why it's useful:

• Instantly see all your sitemap URLs organized by structure
• Spot patterns in broken URLs (e.g., all from a deleted directory)
• No technical skills required
• Free and fast

Method 3: Other Online Tools

Alternative validators:

• XML Sitemap Validator
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider (crawl sitemap and test each URL)

How to Fix 404 Errors

Fix #1: Remove Deleted Pages

If page is truly deleted:

Option A: Manual fix (small sitemaps):

1. Open your sitemap file in a text editor
2. Find and remove the <url> entry for the deleted page
3. Save and upload to your server

Option B: Regenerate sitemap (recommended):

Most platforms can automatically regenerate your sitemap:

• WordPress: Go to your SEO plugin (Yoast, Rank Math, etc.) → click "Regenerate sitemap"
• Shopify: Sitemap updates automatically when you delete products/pages
• Webflow: Sitemap regenerates automatically on publish
• Custom sites: Re-run your sitemap generation process

This ensures all deleted pages are removed and new pages are added.

Fix #2: Update Changed URLs

If URL changed, you have two options:

Option A: Update the sitemap

For manual sitemaps, find and replace the old URL with the new one in your sitemap file.

Option B: Add a redirect (recommended)

Keep the old URL working by redirecting it:

Apache (.htaccess):

# Redirect old URL to new URL
Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page

# Redirect entire directory
RedirectMatch 301 ^/old-dir/(.*)$ /new-dir/$1

Nginx:

# Redirect old URL
location /old-page {
    return 301 /new-page;
}

# Redirect pattern
location ~ ^/old-dir/(.*)$ {
    return 301 /new-dir/$1;
}

Then update your sitemap to use the new URLs.

Fix #3: Fix URL Format Issues

Common fixes:

HTTP → HTTPS:

Open your sitemap and do a find-and-replace: - Find: http://yourdomain.com - Replace: https://yourdomain.com

Most text editors support this. For dynamically generated sitemaps, update your sitemap generator to always use HTTPS.

URL encoding for special characters:

URLs with spaces or special characters need proper encoding: - Spaces: page with spaces → page%20with%20spaces - Use online tools like URL Encoder if needed

Fix #4: Regenerate Sitemap

If sitemap is completely out of date:

WordPress:

1. Go to your SEO plugin settings (Yoast SEO, Rank Math, All in One SEO)
2. Find the sitemap section
3. Click "Regenerate sitemap" or similar
4. Wait for completion

Other platforms:

• Shopify: Automatic - just wait 24 hours or republish your theme
• Wix: Automatic updates
• Squarespace: Automatic updates
• Custom sites: Re-run your sitemap generation process

Prevention Strategies

1. Automate Sitemap Updates

Most platforms do this automatically:

• WordPress: SEO plugins regenerate on publish/update
• Shopify: Updates within 24 hours of changes
• Webflow: Updates on publish
• Wix/Squarespace: Automatic updates

For custom sites: Set up your CMS to regenerate the sitemap whenever content is published, updated, or deleted.

2. Monitor Regularly

Weekly check:

1. Review Search Console sitemap report
2. Check for new errors
3. Fix immediately

Set up alerts:

• Enable email notifications in Google Search Console
• Check weekly for new 404 errors
• Fix issues as soon as they appear

3. Use Absolute URLs

Always use full URLs in your sitemap:

<!-- Good -->
<loc>https://example.com/page</loc>

<!-- Bad -->
<loc>/page</loc>  <!-- Relative URL -->

Most sitemap generators handle this automatically, but double-check if you're creating sitemaps manually.

Quick Fix Checklist

When you find 404 errors:

1. ✅ Check Google Search Console for affected URLs
2. ✅ Use Sitemap Explorer to visualize your sitemap structure
3. ✅ Determine if pages are deleted, moved, or have URL issues
4. ✅ Either remove URLs from sitemap or add 301 redirects
5. ✅ Regenerate your sitemap
6. ✅ Resubmit to Google Search Console
7. ✅ Monitor weekly to catch new issues early

Next Steps

1. Check Search Console for 404 errors
2. Use Sitemap Explorer to visualize your sitemap
3. Fix or remove problematic URLs
4. Regenerate sitemap if needed
5. Monitor weekly for new errors

Key Takeaways

• 404 errors waste crawl budget - Fix them promptly
• Common causes: Deleted pages, changed URLs, format issues
• Easy to fix: Remove, redirect, or update URLs
• Automate prevention: Use WordPress plugins or platform auto-updates
• Monitor regularly: Weekly Search Console checks

Bottom line: Sitemap 404 errors are common but easy to fix. Remove deleted pages, update changed URLs, and automate sitemap generation to prevent future issues.

Need help finding 404 errors? Analyze your sitemap to quickly identify problematic URLs.