How news sitemaps differ
A news sitemap lists only recent articles — published in the last two days — and is updated as you publish. Each entry carries <news:publication> (name exactly as in Google News, and an ISO 639 language code), <news:publication_date> and <news:title>. The limit is 1,000 articles per file; older articles stay in your regular sitemap.
Most sites generate this file from their CMS on every publish. Use this tool to prototype the format, fix a broken feed, or produce one by hand for a small publication.
Questions
How often should a news sitemap change?
Every time you publish. Remove articles once they are older than two days; they remain discoverable through your main sitemap.
Which language code should I use?
An ISO 639 code such as en, hi, de or fr. Chinese uses zh-cn (simplified) or zh-tw (traditional).
Do I need to be approved for Google News?
Google News no longer requires an application; eligibility follows its content policies. A news sitemap helps discovery but does not guarantee inclusion.
Can I include images in a news sitemap?
Yes, image entries can be combined with news entries. Use the creator or edit the output to add image:image elements.