On this little article, we will learn how to solve a sitemap error issue on the Google search console which tells you that “Your Sitemap appears to be an HTML page. Please use a supported sitemap format instead.”
Sometimes, you get this error issue when trying to add a sitemap on your Google search console.
Some other times your sitemap would have been successfully added. Checking it back in days, weeks, or months you may still get this error notice.
Google also sends a “no-reply” mail in respect of this message. But most of us hardly go through the mail sent by Google, thinking it is one of those their regular mail.
You need not be scared when this occurs; it is a minor issue that has to do with your site permalinks.
How to solve the problem
To solve this problem in the Google Search Console for WordPress users, open your WordPress admin dashboard, Click on Settings and select Permalinks scroll down and click Save Changes.
You are expected to do nothing on the permalinks that will alter the way your URL displays, as it is not the cause of the problem. Just save the permalinks settings exactly the way it is.
To make the permalinks update reflect fast, go back to your Google Search Console, delete the old sitemap, and add it again. The error will be gone.
You can as well give it some time, before a day or two the permalinks update in Google Webmaster and the error will disappear.
If you use other frameworks which is not WordPress, look for a way to update the permalinks. Hopefully, the problem will be solved.
“Your Sitemap appears to be an HTML page. Please use a supported sitemap format instead” which is common mostly with WordPress sites. This problem mainly occurs after restoring a WordPress backup using one of the WordPress backup/restore plugins.
To avoid the problem completely, you are expected to always update your WordPress Permalinks immediately after restoring a backup.
Aside from restoring a backup, whenever you come across such a problem also update your WordPress permalinks, it has always solved this Google Search Console problem.
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