Google Search Console fails to read Yoast Sitemap while AIOWP Security is active

  • Resolved catalysts

    (@catalysts)


    7 years ago

    We discovered an issue with a website’s SERP listings falling in position. When we checked Google Search Console, we learned that it reports:

    “Errors….Empty Sitemap…Your Sitemap does not contain any URLs. Please validate and resubmit your sitemap”

    Of course, going directly to the sitemap_index.xml URL in a browser works correctly, and we confirmed that there are no white space errors or tag problems.

    After confirming that settings in Search Console, Analytics, and Yoast SEO were correct, we disabled all WP plugins. We immediately got a successful sitemap test in Search Console. We kept testing until it failed with the activation of AIOWP Security.

    Has anyone experienced this issue? Any tips for fixing? We can’t afford to lose SE index status and need a resolution or alternative security solution ASAP.

    Thanks in advance.

    • This topic was modified 7 years ago by catalysts.
    • This topic was modified 7 years ago by catalysts.
Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Plugin Contributor mbrsolution

    (@mbrsolution)

    Hi, I also use Yoast plugin in many of my sites with this security plugin. I have never had this issue before. Could it be that your theme has some sort of SEO function?

    Do you have a cache plugin? Did you try to reinstall Yoast SEO plugin?

    Can you carry out the following test. Enable AIOWPS plugin and check the log files. Can you also check your server log files, see if they can reveal something.

    Thank you

    Thread Starter catalysts

    (@catalysts)

    Thanks for your response.

    No, theme doesn’t include SEO, and it’s been working great for a couple of years until recently. Caches were cleared. We deactivated all plugins and the only thing that triggered failure was activating AIOWP.

    Because of the error in Search Console and the critical drop in rankings, we’ve decided to remove the plugin completely.

    Plugin Contributor mbrsolution

    (@mbrsolution)

    Thank you for reporting back. I wish you good luck in finding an alternative security plugin.

    I will mark this support thread as resolved.

    Kind regards

    I have reported the issue to AIOWPS https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/aiowps-blocking-sitemap_index-xms-generated-by-yoast/

    @catalysts

    Because of the error in Search Console and the critical drop in rankings, we’ve decided to remove the plugin completely.

    Did the critical drop in rankings rectify itself once search console could read the sitemap file? How long did it take?

    Thread Starter catalysts

    (@catalysts)

    It took about 4 days to get many listings to return to SERPs, at lower positions. Those lower positions cost us some traffic, but within 2 weeks, those positions started improving significantly. By the 2 month mark, we were at about the same approximate rankings and traffic volume.

    Thanks catalysts – very much appreciate you taking the time to share that info.

    AIOWPS is the responsible. I had suffered from that, therefor have removed it and installed Wordfence. Working like a charm.

    MAGIC MAGIC MAGIC . . . last couple of months I trusted AIOWPS
    Did not realised that they took hundreds of my manhour to fix the error ! ! ! !
    once removed . . . BINGO it heal the sitemap error, hentry error. etc.
    Thank you all

    Yep, I also have this issue. Makes the plugin unusable unfortunately ??

    I spoke too soon, I changed my IP retrieval setting to HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR in the advanced settings and all is working as expected. Phew

    Note, I have ngninx set as a reverse proxy which is pretty common. Worth trying if you are having similar issues.

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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