Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I check my sitemap URLs?
Sitemaps should only contain URLs that return 200 OK. Having 404 errors or redirects in your sitemap wastes crawl budget and can negatively impact SEO. Google recommends keeping your sitemap clean and up to date.
What should I do with 404 errors?
Remove URLs that return 404 from your sitemap. If the content was moved, update the sitemap with the new URL. If the content was deleted, simply remove it from the sitemap.
Are redirects bad in sitemaps?
Yes, you should update your sitemap to use the final destination URLs instead of redirecting URLs. While search engines will follow redirects, it's more efficient to list the canonical URLs directly.
Why is there a 500 URL limit?
Checking URL status requires making HTTP requests to each URL, which takes time. We limit to 500 URLs to prevent timeouts. For larger sitemaps, consider checking in batches or using professional site audit tools.
What does timeout mean?
A timeout means the server didn't respond within the specified time limit. This could indicate server performance issues, network problems, or that the URL is unreachable.