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More information on the new "unsupported file format" error for Sitemaps
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March 20, 2006
As we told you a couple of days ago, we've recently
enhanced the infrastructure that
processes Sitemaps. We've begun processing Sitemaps against stricter guidelines because we are
committed to interoperability with other tools that are using this
protocol.
Because of this, some of you now see an "unsupported file format" error for Sitemaps that
previously had an "OK" status.
You'll see this error if the parser doesn't recognize a valid Sitemap file. Here are a few things
to check if you see this error:
Confirm that the file uses the correct header.
For a Sitemap file, the header can look like this:
Ensure the namespace in the header is
https://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap/0.84. Note that this must end in 0.84. If
it ends in .84, you'll see an error.
Make sure each XML attribute is enclosed in either single quotes (') or double
quotes (") and that those quotes are straight, not curly. If you use a word
processing program, such as Microsoft Word, you may find that it inserts curly quotes.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],[],[[["Google Search is now processing Sitemaps with stricter guidelines to ensure compatibility with other tools using the Sitemap protocol."],["Some Sitemaps previously marked as \"OK\" might now show an \"unsupported file format\" error due to these stricter guidelines."],["This error indicates the parser doesn't recognize a valid Sitemap file, often caused by an incorrect header, namespace, or XML attribute formatting."],["To fix the error, ensure the Sitemap file uses the correct header with the namespace ending in 0.84, and that all XML attributes are enclosed in straight single or double quotes."]]],["Sitemap processing now adheres to stricter guidelines for interoperability. An \"unsupported file format\" error indicates an issue with the Sitemap file. Key checks include verifying the correct header (either `\u003curlset\u003e` or `\u003csitemapindex\u003e`), ensuring the namespace is `https://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap/0.84`, and confirming all XML attributes are enclosed in straight single or double quotes. Incorrect namespaces or curly quotes can cause errors. The protocol has enhanced the infrastructure in the sitemaps.\n"]]
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