Submitted URL not found (404): Fix checklist for sitemaps (GSC)

Start with the map:

• GSC Indexing Statuses Explained (guide)

Related:

• Not found (404): what to do
• 301 vs 410: GSC Cleanup After a Site Pivot

What "Submitted URL not found (404)" means

You submitted the URL (usually via sitemap), and Googlebot got a 404.

That is different from regular 404s.

A normal 404 can be just legacy noise.

A submitted 404 means: your sitemap is asking Google to crawl/index a URL that does not exist.

That is a quality signal problem.

Why this happens (common causes)

1) Old URLs still in your sitemap

Typical after:

• site rebuild
• CMS migration
• slug changes

2) Multiple sitemaps / cached sitemaps

Sometimes:

• you changed sitemap generation but old sitemap is still accessible
• external systems keep linking to old sitemap URLs

3) Internal links still point to deleted URLs

Even if you fix the sitemap, internal links can keep feeding dead URLs.

Fix checklist (fast)

Step 1: Remove dead URLs from the sitemap

Sitemap is "please index this".

If the URL is not real, it should not be there.

Step 2: Decide what the URL should be

For each submitted 404, choose exactly one outcome:

• restore (bring the page back) -> 200
• move (true successor exists) -> 301 to that page
• remove (no successor) -> 410 (or keep 404)

Deep dive on the decision:

• 301 vs 410: GSC Cleanup After a Site Pivot

Step 3: Fix internal links

If your own site links to the dead URL, you are sending mixed signals.

Step 4: Re-submit the sitemap

Once cleaned:

• submit sitemap again
• do not spam URL inspection on every URL

Validation

• In GSC -> Sitemaps: make sure the sitemap is processed.
• Spot-check 10 random URLs from the sitemap:
  • should return 200
  • should not redirect

FAQ

Should I request indexing again?

If you already requested indexing today, don't spam. Fix, deploy, and request again only for the top core pages if needed.

Is it OK to leave legacy 404s?

Yes. You cannot fix the whole internet. The goal is to stop you from submitting dead URLs.

How to find where the submitted URL came from

For a submitted 404, you want to identify the source:

• sitemap (most common)
• internal link
• an old sitemap URL that is still accessible

Practical workflow:

1. Export a sample list from GSC.
2. Look for patterns (old directories, old slugs, pagination).
3. Fix the generator (do not chase single URLs).

The fastest cleanup routine

1. Remove the URLs from sitemap.
2. Fix internal links if they exist.
3. If a true successor exists: 301.
4. If the content is gone: 410.

Timeline expectations

Even after fixes:

• GSC can show submitted 404s for days/weeks
• Google needs to recrawl and process the signals

The goal is not instant cleanliness. The goal is "no new submitted 404s".

Common mistakes

• keeping submitted 404 URLs in the sitemap "until Google forgets"
• redirecting everything to the homepage (often creates soft-404 patterns)
• 301-ing dead URLs to unrelated pages

Quick decision table

• URL should exist -> make it 200
• URL moved -> 301 to the true successor
• URL intentionally removed -> 410
• random junk/scanning -> 404

FAQ

Is it bad if I still see submitted 404s after I fixed the sitemap?

Not necessarily. GSC reports lag and Google needs recrawls to update classifications. The key KPI is: do you keep generating new submitted 404s?

Should I request indexing for the removed URLs?

No. Request indexing only for pages you want indexed (200 OK canonical pages). For removed URLs, the right move is sitemap cleanup + correct status codes.