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Sitemap could not be read (HTTP 524) error

by | Sep 4, 2025 | SEO | 0 comments

“Sitemap could not be read” (HTTP 524) error in a simple, friendly, and actionable way.

Think of your website’s sitemap (sitemap.xml) as a table of contents for your website that you give to Google. The error message is Googlebot (Google’s librarian) saying:

“I went to the library to check your table of contents, but the librarian took too long to find it and I gave up waiting.”

The HTTP 524 error is a specific timeout error from Cloudflare. It means Google’s request to view your sitemap was actively processed by your web server, but the server took so long to respond that Cloudflare stepped in and closed the connection.

Step-by-Step Solution: How to Fix the 524 Timeout

Here’s how to play detective and solve this mystery.

1. Test It Yourself (Confirm the Problem)

First, you need to see the error with your own eyes. Don’t just rely on Google Search Console.

  • Go to this URL in your browser: https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
    (Replace yourwebsite.com with your actual domain).
  • What happens?
    • If it loads instantly, the issue might be temporary. Proceed to step 2.
    • If it loads very slowly or you see a 524 error, the problem is confirmed on your site.
    • If you get a 404 “Not Found” error: Your sitemap isn’t even at that URL! You need to either generate one or tell Google the correct URL.

2. Find the Root Cause (Why is it so slow?)

A sitemap file is usually a simple XML text file. If it’s timing out, it’s almost always for one of these reasons:

  • The Sitemap is Massive: Do you have hundreds of thousands of URLs in a single sitemap file? Generating this huge file on the fly every time it’s requested can overwhelm your server.
  • A Buggy Plugin or Theme: If you’re using WordPress (or another CMS), a poorly coded plugin or theme might be causing a fatal error or an infinite loop when generating the sitemap.
  • Low Server Resources: Your web hosting might be underpowered. If your server’s CPU or memory is maxed out, even a simple task can hang and time out.
  • Misconfigured Cache: Your sitemap isn’t being cached. It’s being dynamically generated for every single request, including Google’s.

3. Apply the Fixes (The Solutions)

Choose the solution that fits your situation.

Solution A: For Large Sites – Split Your Sitemap

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t put all your URLs in one file.

  • Create a Sitemap Index: Break your URLs into smaller chunks (e.g., one sitemap for posts, one for pages, one for products).
  • Create a main sitemap-index.xml file that just lists these smaller sitemap files.
  • Submit the sitemap-index.xml URL to Google Search Console instead.
  • Example:
    • Your main sitemap file: sitemap-index.xml
    • It contains:
    • xml

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>

<sitemapindex>

   <sitemap>

      <loc>https://yourwebsite.com/page-sitemap.xml</loc>

   </sitemap>

   <sitemap>

      <loc>https://yourwebsite.com/post-sitemap.xml</loc>

   </sitemap>

  • </sitemapindex>

Solution B: For WordPress Users – Check Your SEO Plugin

The most common cause for WordPress sites.

  • If you use Yoast SEO, Rank Math, etc., these plugins generate your sitemap dynamically. A conflict can break it.
  • Debug:
    1. Temporarily deactivate all other plugins.
    2. Switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four).
    3. Check if your sitemap.xml now loads quickly.
    4. If it does, reactivate your plugins and theme one by one to find the culprit.

Solution C: Cache Your Sitemap (Highly Effective)

This is the best fix. You want to serve a static, cached version of your sitemap, not generate it from scratch every time.

  • How to do it:
    • Caching Plugins: If you use a caching plugin (like WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache), many have an option to “enable sitemap caching” or “cache XML files”. Enable it.
    • Cloudflare Page Rule: If you use Cloudflare, you can create a special rule just for your sitemap URL.
      • Create a Page Rule for: *yoursite.com/sitemap.xml*
      • Add a setting: Cache Level -> Cache Everything
      • Add another setting: Edge Cache TTL -> Set a long time (e.g., 6 hours)
      • This tells Cloudflare to store a copy of your sitemap on its super-fast global network, so it serves it instantly to Google.

Solution D: Check Your Server

  • Look at your server’s error logs (often found in your hosting cPanel under “Metrics” or “Logs”). They might show a PHP error or a memory exhaustion warning that happens when the sitemap is generated.
  • Contact your web host’s support. Ask them: “My sitemap.xml URL is timing out with a 524 error. Can you check the server error logs and see if there’s an issue with PHP or the server resources when this file is accessed?”

Summary & Final Checklist

  1. Confirm: Visit yoursite.com/sitemap.xml yourself.
  2. Simplify: If your sitemap is huge, split it into a sitemap index.
  3. Debug: If on WordPress, disable plugins/theme to find a conflict.
  4. Cache: Force your sitemap to be cached, either via a plugin or Cloudflare.
  5. Resubmit: Once you’ve fixed it and the sitemap loads quickly for you, go back to Google Search Console, resubmit your sitemap URL, and click “TEST LIVENESS”. It should now pass.

By following these steps, you are going to fix a temporary error and make your site more efficient and Google-friendly. Good luck

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