Checks / Links, canonical and speed
Sitemap has invalid entries
Sitemap entries that are not full addresses on your own site are ignored by crawlers, so those pages are not announced.
sitemap_entries_invalid · Links, canonical and speed · Warning
What triggers it
A <loc> in your sitemap is not a full http(s) address, is on another site, carries a #fragment, or is longer than 2,048 characters.
What to change
Remove the entry or write it as a full https:// address on your own domain.
Example
Entry in sitemap.xml:
<url><loc>https://example.com/shoes/blue-trail</loc></url>How to confirm the fix
- Open https://example.com/sitemap.xml: every <loc> is a full https:// address on your own domain
- Run a new crawl: the sitemap line reads 'Sitemap entries are valid'
How common it is
We have not measured how common this is on a sample of sites. Counts appear here when a study covers it.
About this check
| Check ID | sitemap_entries_invalid |
|---|---|
| Report section | Links, canonical and speed |
| Severity | Warning |
| How it is decided | Measured: read directly from the page or the server's response. |
| Added | Before 19 Oct 2026 (versions 1 and 2), or a site-wide check with no version date yet |
| Status | Measured in every report |
| Report gives the code | No, the fix is described in words |
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