A Google News Sitemap lets you control which content you submit to Google News. If you already have a web Sitemap, Google recommends that you create a separate Sitemap for news content.
What is a Google News Sitemap?
A Google News Sitemap is geared toward time-sensitive content. Unlike a standard sitemap that may include all pages, the News Sitemap focuses on only your news articles, usually those published recently. It helps search systems efficiently crawl your news content by signaling which articles are new, their titles, publication dates, and language.
By providing a News Sitemap, you effectively help Google News (and related news indexing systems) find your most recent articles faster and with clarity. When done correctly, this improves your chances of having articles surface in the “News” tab or other news features in search.
However, a News Sitemap is a signal, not a guarantee. Inclusion requires meeting Google News’s content and technical policies. Even with a perfect News Sitemap, articles might still not be indexed or featured.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What content should I include in a News Sitemap?
Include only articles that count as news (timely, factual, original) and that were published recently (often within the last 48 hours or according to Google’s freshness window).
2. Is there a limit to how many URLs a News Sitemap can have?
Yes. For large news sites, you may need multiple sitemaps or a sitemap index because a single News Sitemap should be kept under a certain URL count limit (e.g. 1,000 URLs).
3. What metadata is required in a News Sitemap entry?
Each URL entry typically must include elements like title, publication date, publication name, and language.
4. Should I mix news content and regular pages in the same sitemap?
No. It’s recommended to keep your news content separate from your general sitemap so that news crawlers can focus on your fresh articles.
5. How do I submit a News Sitemap?
You can submit it via Search Console (or the equivalent publisher tools). Also, reference it in your robots.txt file so crawlers can discover it.
6. Can older news articles stay in the News Sitemap?
Generally not. Older articles should be removed to keep the sitemap focused on current, relevant content.
7. Will a News Sitemap improve my ranking?
A News Sitemap helps with discovery and crawling speed but doesn’t directly boost rankings. It’s a tool to improve indexability, not a ranking guarantee.