[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #61293: Display an empty sitemap instead of 404

[WordPress Trac]

#61293: Display an empty sitemap instead of 404
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 Reporter:  Cybr         |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal       |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Sitemaps     |    Version:
 Severity:  normal       |   Keywords:
  Focuses:               |
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 The sitemap can be empty when something filters its contents (I do that
 with The SEO Framework via indexability checks, such as "noindex").

 When the sitemap is empty, `WP_Sitemaps::render_sitemaps()` currently
 bails to a 404.
 I recommend sending an empty sitemap instead.

 This change aligns with the user's expectations: They can actually see the
 sitemap and understand it is empty instead of "not working, eh, where do I
 start?".

 Also, with the change, Google Search Console will say, "Sitemap can be
 read, but has errors" instead of "Sitemap could not be read". The former
 is a bit more descriptive of the situation.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/61293>
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