Description
Simple News XML Sitemap Generator creates an XML sitemap optimized for news services like Google News, making it easier for your content to be indexed by news search engines.
The plugin is easy to use: once activated, the sitemap is automatically generated and updated every time you publish a new post.
Features
- Generates an XML sitemap compliant with news service specifications
- Automatically updates when new posts are published
- Full support for standard WordPress posts
- Automatically includes articles from the past 2 days
- Automatically pings Google and Bing when new content is published
- Optimized for performance and security
How to use the plugin
- Activate the plugin
- Go to the “News XML Sitemap” page in the dashboard menu
- Copy the sitemap URL
- Add the URL to your Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools panel
Pro Tip
After updating the plugin, it’s recommended to go to Settings > Permalinks and click “Save Changes” to ensure the sitemap works correctly.
External Services
This plugin automatically notifies Google and Bing whenever a new News XML sitemap is generated or updated.
- Data sent: the URL of the News XML sitemap.
- Data is sent via HTTP GET requests to the following addresses:
- https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=
- https://www.bing.com/ping?sitemap=
- This helps search engines discover newly published news content more quickly.
Service policies:
– Google: https://policies.google.com/terms, https://policies.google.com/privacy
– Microsoft Bing: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement/, https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement
Screenshots
FAQ
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How can I check if the sitemap is working correctly?
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Just click the sitemap link in the plugin’s admin page. You should see an XML page with your recent posts.
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How many articles are included in the sitemap?
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The sitemap includes only articles published within the last 2 days, as required by Google News guidelines.
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My sitemap is empty. What should I do?
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Make sure you’ve published posts within the last 2 days. If the problem persists, go to Settings > Permalinks and click “Save Changes”.
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Does the plugin support custom post types?
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In the current version, the plugin only supports standard WordPress posts. Support for custom post types may be added in future releases.
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Can I change the time range of the articles included in the sitemap?
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In the current version, the period is fixed at 2 days, as required by Google News guidelines.
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How can I check if my sitemap has been successfully submitted to search engines?
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The plugin automatically pings Google and Bing when you publish or update a post. You can check the status in your Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
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Does the plugin slow down my site?
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No, the plugin is designed to be lightweight and efficient. The sitemap is generated dynamically only when requested, and search engine pings are non-blocking.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Simple News XML Sitemap Generator” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
“Simple News XML Sitemap Generator” has been translated into 1 locale. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate “Simple News XML Sitemap Generator” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.2
- Set English as default language
- Added Italian
.pottranslation file - Updated readme.txt structure and service documentation
1.1
- Security and performance improvements
- Added automatic ping to Bing
- Minor fixes
1.0.0
- First public release
- Automatic sitemap generation for news services
- Automatic ping to Google