FIXED: Unable To Add Sitemap In Webmaster Tools

1. 0

   Snakesmumposted 9 years ago

   For a couple of weeks now, I've been trying without success to add a sitemap to Google Webmaster Tools.   Every time I test or submit the map, I get a 404 error.
   
   I've done this process before for other sites with no problem, and have read a couple of hubs on how to do it here at HP.   Following all the procedures suggested gives the same result.
   
   How do I find out if HP has actually given me a sitemap?   Where is it hiding?
   
   Any help would be appreciated. :-)    I'm going nuts!

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   1. 78

      LuisEGonzalezposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Glad you asked I've trying to do the same for a while too..

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   2. 71

      Matthew Meyerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      There is a known issue currently affecting WMT and the sitemap.
      http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/125898

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      1. 0

         Snakesmumposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Matthew, I've read through that thread, and understand that I
         can't use WT now.
         
         Another question:   If I go to my robots.txt file, and copy the url of the
         sitemap, I cannot access it.    I get the 404 error message.
         
         Why is this? 
         
         http:/snakesmum (dot) hubpages.com/robots.txt is what I'm using.
         
         Thanks

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         1. 71

            Matthew Meyerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            If you look in the robots.txt file you can see the URL for the sitemap there.
            Here is the general format.
            http://hubimg.com/sitemaps/hub/current/ … AME.xml.gz
            (the last part ...current/sitemap-hub-USERNAME.xml.gz)
            replace USERNAME with your username, snakesmum
            
            As indicated in the robots.txt file, sitemaps are made available for authors with at least 10 published questions or Hubs.

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            1. 0

               Snakesmumposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               AHA - Now I have it.   I'm supposed to save it to my computer, as it
               won't come up on screen.
               
               Thanks Matthew, I did have the URL right, I just wasn't getting the
               fact that even though I got the 404 error, the site map was still
               downloading.  :-)
               
               I now have a copy on my PC to check out at my leisure.

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            2. 0

               JoelMcLendonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               My user name is JoelMcLendon (like one long name)
               but my wife's hubpages name is Deborah Sexton (2 names)
               Would she leave a space between Deborah and Sexton, bring the names together as one, or insert another character ?
               Thank you for your help

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   3. 71

      Matthew Meyerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The location of the sitemap has been changed, so you should be able to use it with Google Webmaster Tools again.
      Thanks for your patience.

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2. 88

   Novel Treasureposted 9 years ago

   I wrote a hub on how to add the sitemap with webmaster tools. [redacted] It worked for me and it worked for the majority of others who used it. A handful did get the 404 error. Here are a couple of the solutions they found when they got the 404 error.
   
   Copy and paste the text as values so there is no bold
   Make sure their are no spaces in your name
   Website may have been down at the time so they came back and tried it the next day
   They did not have at least 10 hubs, so once they had 10 or more hubs they were allowed
   They did not have any Editor's Choice hubs, but once they got one they were able to add it
   
   Hopefully, this helps you.

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   1. 0

      Snakesmumposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, and I think  your article was one of those I used - thanks!
      
      However, I've done all of those things you suggested, except getting
      an Editor's choice, and I don't think that's likely at present.
      Shouldn't be something you have to have anyway, as I'm sure not
      everyone who's managed to enter their sitemap has an EC.
      
      Appreciate the response though, and if you think of anything else,
      please let me know.  :-)

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3. 61

   LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

   Novel Treasure:  Remove your hub link. Not allowed.   You can mention that you wrote a hub on How To Add A Sitemap, but cannot have  link to profile or hub.

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   1. 0

      JoelMcLendonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Where does it say you can never link to one of your hubs in
      the forums?
      I've been here about five years, and have run into many situations where they were allowed, especially when there was a question about the hub
      
      When we find something that seems like an offence, we are suppose to
      flag it, and that's all

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4. 81

   CuAllaidhposted 9 years ago

   I thought in cases like this where the hublink actually answers a question and isn't just self promotion that it is actually allowed.

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5. 61

   LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

   The Forums are for discussion, not self-promotional link-posting. We encourage you to avoid posting promotional or irrelevant links, be they to Hubs or external sites in which you have a vested interest. The two places where we do encourage you to post links to your Hubs are in the HubChallenges section and the Improving Your Hub section.
   http://hubpages.com/help/forum_rules

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   1. 89

      liladybugz26posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I did not find that as self promotion, rather it was helpful. Self promoting is when somebody is posting their link specifically for the purpose of gaining visibility. That is not the case here.

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6. 81

   CuAllaidhposted 9 years ago

   Regardless I am pretty sure the info from that posted hub is outdated and does not work anymore. Novel Treasure have you checked the status of your sitemap in webmaster tools to see if it was working, I thought because of the way the subdomains work that the location of the sitemaps no longer works.

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7. 61

   LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

   When I did the site map a few weeks or so ago, only 30 something hubs were listed for it. I had at least 50 hubs at the time I did the site map.

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8. 61

   LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

   The Forums are for discussion, not self-promotional link-posting. We encourage you to avoid posting promotional or irrelevant links, be they to Hubs or external sites in which you have a vested interest.
   
   http://hubpages.com/help/forum_rules

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   1. 0

      JoelMcLendonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That’s not always a cut and dried rule
      It says:
      “The Forums are for discussion, not self-promotional link-posting. We encourage you to avoid posting promotional or irrelevant links, be they to Hubs or external sites in which you have a vested interest.
      
      Matthew (Staff) has answered twice in this thread, and obviously didn’t see it as a violation
      It doesn't seem to be a promotional link.
      Plus we’ve had this thread going for five (5) years now.
      http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/24079
      So violations in question should be best flagged instead of ordering around another hubber

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   2. 89

      liladybugz26posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Who are we? Are you the hubpage staff? I certainly am not, and would not like to be included in this we thing if you are placing hubbers on the same level as staff.
      
      I did not find that as self promotion, rather it was helpful. Self promoting is when somebody is posting their link specifically for the purpose of gaining visibility. That is not the case here.

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9. 61

   LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

   People do as they please. Self-promotional is your own hubs, blogs, etc.

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   1. 0

      JoelMcLendonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Every link to your hub isn't self promotional
      Though I guess technical problems with links to hubs
      are best if written in this forum
      http://hubpages.com/forum/category/3001

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10. 61

    LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

    5 years ago, people posted earnings too, but it is a rule breaker now.

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    1. 0

       JoelMcLendonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I'm still here today, as well as five years ago.
       How does this change things ? I read the rules then, and
       periodically for the past five years. I didn't read them once five years ago
       But these are the same rules, and they haven't changed

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    2. 0

       Deborah Sextonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       The thread Joel is speaking of that was started five years ago, is still active today, and rules still apply to it
       http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/24079

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11. 61

    LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

    That is your opinion.  We are not allowed to post our own hubs, blogs, websites etc.

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    1. 89

       liladybugz26posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       For self promotion that is. Self promotion is very different from helpful guidance.

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12. 61

    LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

    http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/125508   Hubber got banned for posting links.

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    1. 0

       JoelMcLendonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       It says "Please note that forum posts that promote your own Hub will be deleted .........
       Do not start threads for the sole purpose of promotion or posting links.""
       Read again "for the sole purpose of", or for the only purpose"
       
       I'm sure the thread was started just to promote their hub, and nothing more.
       The poster in this thread didn't post a link for that reason

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    2. 89

       liladybugz26posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       The hubber does not state to what extent the links were posted. My guess is they were neither helpful or useful to the thread.

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