How can I troubleshoot the issue of 4 incorrect pages found in the sitemap.xml of my Webflow project, which is being reported by SEMRush?
TL;DR
- Identify problematic URLs flagged by SEMrush and check their status (e.g., 404, noindex, redirect).
- Remove or fix them in Webflow by disabling indexing in Page or CMS settings, republish the site to update the sitemap, and resubmit it in Google Search Console if needed.
Incorrect pages in your Webflow sitemap.xml can impact SEO and crawl behavior. SEMrush is flagging 4 problematic pages, so let's identify and resolve the issue step-by-step.
1. Identify the Incorrect URLs
- Log into SEMrush and review the exact URLs it lists as incorrect or problematic.
- Note whether the issue is: 404 Not Found, Redirected, Blocked by robots.txt, Noindex, or another error.
2. Compare Against Live Sitemap
- Visit your project's sitemap at:
yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. - Cross-reference the 4 flagged URLs with what's in the sitemap.
- Determine whether these URLs are:
- Old pages you've deleted
- Draft or unpublished CMS items
- Password-protected or noindexed pages
- Redirected pages
3. Remove Unwanted Pages From Sitemap
Page inclusion in the sitemap is controlled from the Page Settings:
- Go to Webflow Designer → Page panel (left sidebar).
- Click the gear icon next to each problematic page.
- Under SEO Settings, disable "Index this page" to exclude from the sitemap, if appropriate.
- For CMS items:
- Go to CMS Collection Settings.
- Check if individual entries are being indexed. Disable “Indexing” per item or set global rules in collection templates (e.g., hide drafts or archived items using filters).
4. Republish the Site
- After making changes:
- Republish the website to regenerate the sitemap.
- Webflow updates the
sitemap.xmlautomatically with the new indexing settings.
5. Verify Redirects or Noindex Issues
- If the flagged URLs are redirected, remove them from the sitemap, as redirects shouldn’t be included.
- Pages that return a noindex tag should also be excluded from the sitemap, since search engines ignore them.
6. Wait or Submit Updated Sitemap
- SEMrush may take time to detect sitemap changes.
- Alternatively, submit the new sitemap manually to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to expedite indexing.
Go to:
- Google Search Console > Sitemaps > Enter
sitemap.xmland click Submit.
Summary
To fix incorrect pages in your Webflow sitemap, identify the URLs flagged by SEMrush, adjust their indexing settings in Webflow, republish the site, and resubmit the updated sitemap. This ensures only valid, indexable pages remain in search engines' crawl paths.