The Google search console now includes a sitemap for a large website with over 1 million products. The sitemap includes an index file in \\*.xml format, which contains multiple sitemap files in \\*.xml.gz format, each containing 50,000 URLs. Despite successful addition of the sitemap, Google has not discovered any pages. What could be the issue?
There are a few potential reasons why Google Search Console is not discovering pages from your XML sitemap despite its successful addition:
- Sitemap File Size: XML sitemaps should not exceed 50,000 URLs. While each individual *.xml.gz file adheres to this limit, the index file might be exceeding the size limit. Try splitting the index file into smaller parts, each containing fewer sitemap files.
- Sitemap Validation Errors: Ensure your sitemap files are properly formatted and validate them using the Google Search Console Sitemap Validator. Errors like invalid URLs or incorrect XML structure can prevent Google from crawling your sitemap.
- Sitemap Submission Frequency: Google doesn’t crawl sitemaps on a fixed schedule. Consider submitting your sitemap more frequently to encourage Googlebot to crawl and index your pages. You can do this manually or use the “Fetch as Google” tool in Search Console to force a crawl.
- Crawlability Issues: Even if your sitemap is properly submitted, Google may not be able to crawl your pages if there are issues with your website’s structure or code. Check for factors like slow loading times, broken links, or issues with robots.txt.
- Indexing Issues: Google may be encountering problems indexing your pages even if they are crawled. Look for potential issues like duplicate content, thin content, or lack of relevant keywords.
By addressing these potential issues, you can increase the chances of Google Search Console discovering and indexing your site’s content from your submitted sitemap.