Hello,
I've created a sitemap using an online site, uploaded it to my public_html, and checked it with Google.
I got a strange error: 406. I used another site for creating the sitemap, (XML, and compressed XML.gz), and got the same result.
Something is wrong, and I cannot find the reason for the error. https://www.petrutech.com/sitemap.xml
I'll be very thankful for any help.
Thank you in advance

While the error may be directly related with your host, have you tried the zc plugin sitemap xml? The issue may also be related to the third party sitemap, but....

On review of the linked sitemap, I would definitely chalk this up to at least the third party generator, but even if not there is a lot of "useless" data (wrong path) in the file. For example:

https://www.petrutech.comincludes/templates/free_blue/buttons/english/button_next.gifNext Next https://www.petrutech.comimages/REC_B.jpgSENSITIVE PLL UHF RECEIVER QUARTZ CRYSTAL STABILIZED SENSITIVE PLL UHF RECEIVER QUARTZ CRYSTAL STABILIZEDhttps://www.petrutech.comhttps://petrutech.com/Holiday.jpg

Note how in one entry there is no divider between the domain and the folder images, and in another entry where the image is loaded under https, the line makes no network sense...

@mc12345678,
Thank you very much for your reply!
As far as I can see, I have an installed module, 3.2.6 17.06.2012 16:13
However, I am a "little bit" ignorant regarding using it. I saw the problems, but I thought that this is the way they are supposed to be.
I'll try to find a newer module, and I'll try to install it. I assume that there will be some explanations.
Many thanks,

First, I'll make a backup.
I did it several times, but every time I was "scarred" about the following sentence in Cpanel:

A full backup creates an archive of all of your website’s files and configuration. You can use this file to move your account to another server or to keep a local copy of your files. WARNING: You cannot restore full backups through the system’s interface.
Maybe I understand it wrong... If I cannot restore it, what am I supposed to do if something goes wrong???

Ridgh:

First, I'll make a backup.
I did it several times, but every time I was "scarred" about the following sentence in Cpanel:

Maybe I understand it wrong... If I cannot restore it, what am I supposed to do if something goes wrong???
Sounds to me like they are saying. We have a fileset that you can access, but you'll have to do "the hard work" to put it back on the server as functional files... call it a security "feature" call it lazy in not offering restoration of files from said fileset. But. On the other side, understand that putting files back on the server is not the same as putting file/folder structure back the way it was. Ie. If backup made, new file is created, then backup "restored" then if the fileset was overwritten with the backup the new file would still exist, but if file/folder structure were restored, the new file would be removed...

Ridgh:

@mc12345678,
Thank you very much for your reply!
As far as I can see, I have an installed module, 3.2.6 17.06.2012 16:13
However, I am a "little bit" ignorant regarding using it. I saw the problems, but I thought that this is the way they are supposed to be.
I'll try to find a newer module, and I'll try to install it. I assume that there will be some explanations.
Many thanks,
So the issue could also be related to the setup of the configure.php files, but ultimately each row should represent a full path to the destination. Search engines aren't smarter than the average bear, so they need the same information any browser does.

Based on the discussion of a third party plugin, it somewhat looks like they navigated the site and put the links together based on provided html information. Further, that the base did not include a final / and therefore when combining things like images from the images folder, the slash was missing before images. It is my understanding (haven't looked under the hood in a while) that the sitemap xml program uses the configure.php settings and the database to generate the information to be stored. It certainly cuts down to the essentials and helps search engines do a better/faster job.

@ mc12345678
Thank you very much for assistance!:smile:
I did a backup, and d/l it to my PC.
As I don't have much more knowledge in this field than a bear too, and I certainly don't want to have to make a "restore", I asked my son (software engineer) to take a look. He is not working in this field, but has more knowledge and... courage compared to me...
It seems that during the time, the updates, the "mobile issue" etc, the original sitemap module was truncated, and he fixed it today.
However, installing the new one... well, even he had no guts doing it. He told me that many files MAY (not "must" - just "may") change, for example SQL files. Therefore, he restored the original one.
Now I have the following changes:
A new folder named sitemap. Inside only one file: ht

@copyright Copyright 2003-2010 Zen Cart Development Team

@license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0

@version $Id: .htaccess 16111 2010-04-29 22:39:02Z drbyte $

This is used with Apache WebServers

The following blocks direct HTTP requests to all filetypes in this directory recursively, except certain approved exceptions

It also prevents the ability of any scripts to run. No type of script, be it PHP, PERL or whatever, can normally be executed if ExecCGI is disabled.

Will also prevent people from seeing what is in the dir. and any sub-directories

For this to work, you must include either 'All' or at least: 'Limit' and 'Indexes' parameters to the AllowOverride configuration in your apache/conf/httpd.conf file.

Additionally, if you want the added protection offered by the OPTIONS directive below, you'll need to add 'Options' to the AllowOverride list, if 'All' is not specified.

Example:

#<Directory "/usr/local/apache/htdocs">

AllowOverride Limit Options Indexes

#</Directory>
###############################

deny everything

<FilesMatch ".*">
Order Allow,Deny
Deny from all
</FilesMatch>

but now allow just certain necessary files:

<FilesMatch ".*.(xml|xml.gz)$" >
Order Allow,Deny
Allow from all
</FilesMatch>

IndexIgnore /

NOTE: If you want even greater security to prevent hackers from running scripts in this folder, uncomment the following line (if your hosting company will allow you to use OPTIONS):

OPTIONS -Indexes -ExecCGI

I also got 5 additional files (in public html):
sitemap.xml
sitemapezpages.xml
sitemapmainpage.xml
sitemapproducts.xml
sitemapreviews.xml

The sitemap.xml contains the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="https://www.petrutech.com/includes/templates/template_default/css/gss.xsl"?>

<sitemapindex xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9 http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9/siteindex.xsd"
xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">

<!-- generator="Zen-Cart SitemapXML" 3.2.6 17.06.2012 16:13 --> <!-- sitemap.xml created at 2016-07-12 04:18:34 --> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.petrutech.com/sitemapcategories.xml</loc> <lastmod>2016-07-12</lastmod> </sitemap> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.petrutech.com/sitemapezpages.xml</loc> <lastmod>2016-07-12</lastmod> </sitemap> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.petrutech.com/sitemapmainpage.xml</loc> <lastmod>2016-07-12</lastmod> </sitemap> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.petrutech.com/sitemapproducts.xml</loc> <lastmod>2016-07-12</lastmod> </sitemap> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.petrutech.com/sitemapreviews.xml</loc> <lastmod>2016-07-12</lastmod> </sitemap> </sitemapindex>

If I type: https://www.petrutech.com/sitemap.xml it shows the links to the above files.
If I type https://www.petrutech.com/sitemap - I get only a 403 error.

As well, google still sends me the 406 error.

Any suggestion please?

Thank you!

One more clue, maybe it may help:
On google's console, for testing the sitemap, I'm asked to "Add/Test Sitemap".
It shows like this:

I write in the window exactly as it appears on the left side.
Then, I get the following:

On the left bottom - the https://... appears twice!!! Strange, at last for me...

So the sitemap.xml and branched files look MUCH better...

I thought there may be an upgraded version (based on the dates of the copyright), but regardless would want to at least get Google to at least recognize what is currently there.

So in the first pop-up pictured above, you would want to enter just sitemap.xml in the text area. The "example" is showing what Google already knows about the site which is the domain name. It then needs to know the name of the file that represents the sitemap.

If that information is properly entered, then the 406 is most definitely from something related to your host. You would have to speak with your host about resolving that issue if Google at least knows the correct location of your sitemap.xml file.

@ mc12345678

SUCCEEDED!!! :smartalec:

Now it shows perfect in google's console, as it should be. :cool:

Many thanks, I really appreciate this perfect assistance!!!

Now, as "add-on" questions:

1. In many sites I saw a link to the sitemap on main page. I don't know if it is important, and I would like to know your opinion.
2. As this site is in 6 languages, and as google's console claimed:

Target your audience based on location and language settings. Learn more.
Language Country
Your site has no hreflang tags.
Google uses hreflang tags to match the user's language preference to the right variation of your pages.
I wonder if I have to use hreflang tags on each and every page.

Many thanks, again!

The link to the "sitemap" from the webpage presents basically the same information but typically in a way or another way that a customer can find what they want. Sure, it can also serve as a tool similar to what is now installed, but the sitemap.xml also offers other usable information and doesn't have other side links, etc. From which the search engine must "choose". It should not link to the sitemap.xml file though if that is your question.

As to the hreflang info, I have seen something in the forum about either 1) how to add it or 2) that it is in a plugin. I think there is a plugin with the name "markup" in it, I can't recall, but it adds many Google friendly tags to help, oh wait maybe it's has microdata in the name. Sorry, can't remember at the moment, but in the end, you don't have to "type" every language variant. The code helps you out and makes Google happy. :)