[size=4][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]ever since we changed the store from http to full https our sitemap.xml has been giving us nightmares when we try to upload it to Webmaster tools![/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]When we cleared the cache and generated a new sitemap we thought it would be good to submit it to Google webmaster tools. At first the errors were :[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif][quote]Sitemap appears to be an HTML page. Please use a supported sitemap format instead[/quote][/font][/size]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Ok, we looked it up and it seemed to be some problems with webmaster tools. We didn't think much of it.
Then we realised that all of the links throughout the sitemap were http and not https, so we made the changes suggested here:[/font]
I had this issue to in Webmasters. The way I fixed it was to complete the change to HTTPS and then delete the current sitemap in Webmasters and then resubmit the sitemap to Webmaster this clears the error and make Google happy.
I tried this just now, but it still comes up with the same error!?
Interestingly, I just created a sitemap using [color=#236E25][font=monospace][size=3]XmlSitemapGenerator.org [/size][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=monospace][size=3][size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]and the sitemap was accepted by webmaster tools with no [/font][/size][/size][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]issues at all.[/font][/color]
But I try to resubmit the cart-generated one and it fails with the error again
This sitemap is one I made with A1 sitemap generator and placed into the root directory because the cart generated one doesn't work (it looks identical to the one you posted the other link to)
is the one generated by the cart that doesn't work!
If i remove the a1 generated one, and let the cart create its own one at motiondynamics.com.au/sitemap.xml, and i try to submit, then Google throws up the unknown file format!
As far as we see, all links in the sitemap are https, so this is not the issue from the forum. I also checked your sitemap in several sitemap validators and they all returned no errors. Please try re-submitting the sitemap in Google Webmaster Tools. Also, try disabling the Access restrictions add-on. If the corresponding Google IP is blocked, then Google may get HTML page "You are not allowed to access this area" when trying to access the sitemap.
I am not so sure who is right here.
Google itself is as usually not very helpful unless you are some major client of theirs that offers SEM and SEO exprtise to customers like myself.
How about anyone here at the forum ? are Catalin64 and I the only ones for whom Google Sitemap.xml is not accepted ?