Plugin
Updated
Yoast SEO News
Yoast SEO News is a WordPress plugin by Team Yoast for news websites. It generates XML News Sitemaps and adds NewsArticle structured data so search engines like Google News can find and understand your articles. It works alongside both the free and Premium versions of Yoast SEO.
- Version
- 13.3
- Released
- Feb 4, 2025
- Developer
- Yoast
- Type
- WordPress plugin
- Licence
- GPL
- Included in
- Every plan, or $10.39 a year on its own
- Topics
- SEO Plugins
What’s new in Yoast SEO News 13.3
Version 13.3 · Feb 4, 2025
Latest
- ImprovedAllows for News Sitemap items to change the language via a new filter Yoast\WP\News\publication_language . Props to dgwatkins .
- FixedStops PHP notices on WordPress 6.7 about _load_textdomain_just_in_time loading incorrectly.
- ChangedSets the minimum required Yoast SEO version to 24.4.
- ChangedSets the minimum supported WordPress version to 6.5.
- ChangedSets the WordPress tested up to version to 6.7.
What it does
News sites publish fast, and search engines need clear technical signals to pick up fresh articles. Google News in particular relies on a dedicated news sitemap and proper structured data. Building and maintaining those by hand takes time away from reporting. This plugin handles that backend work for you, producing a News XML Sitemap automatically and marking up posts with NewsArticle schema.org data, so your editorial team can keep its attention on the stories.
The plugin sits on top of Yoast SEO, extending your existing setup with news-specific controls. Sitemaps are generated on the fly, so new articles appear without waiting for a rebuild. You decide which articles and categories are included, and you can exclude categories that are not news, such as evergreen guides or opinion archives. Financial publishers can add stock ticker references to articles. Developers can also adjust the language of sitemap items through a filter.
Best for
- Online newspapers and digital magazines
- News publishers aiming for inclusion in Google News
- Financial news sites covering stocks and markets
Features
Automatic XML News Sitemap
Generates a News XML Sitemap for your articles automatically, giving Google News and other search engines a dedicated list of your news content.
NewsArticle schema markup
Adds NewsArticle schema.org structured data to your posts so search engines can better understand what each article is and how it is organized.
Per-article sitemap control
Choose which individual articles appear in your News XML Sitemap, keeping editorial control over what is presented to news aggregators.
Category exclusions
Exclude selected categories from the news sitemap, so sections that are not timely news, such as archives or guides, stay out of it.
Stock ticker references
Add stock market ticker references directly to news articles, a useful option for financial publishers covering companies and market-related stories.
Real-time sitemap generation
Sitemaps are built on the fly, so newly published articles are included right away without waiting for a scheduled regeneration.
Sitemap language filter
Developers can change the language of News Sitemap items through a dedicated filter, which helps on multilingual or regional news sites.
Works with Yoast SEO
Runs alongside both the free and Premium versions of Yoast SEO, adding news-focused tools to your existing site SEO setup.
Yoast SEO News older versions
- 13.2Mar 6, 20241 change
- 13.1Apr 18, 20232 improvements, 1 change
Members and buyers of this product can download older versions.
Questions about Yoast SEO News
Do I need Yoast SEO installed to use this?
Yes, it is built to work with Yoast SEO and runs alongside both the free and Premium versions. It adds news-specific features such as the News XML Sitemap and NewsArticle markup on top of your existing Yoast SEO setup.
Can I keep some categories out of the news sitemap?
Yes. You can exclude specific categories from the News XML Sitemap and also choose individual articles to include. This lets you keep evergreen content, opinion archives or other non-news sections out of what you present to news aggregators.
How quickly do new articles show up in the sitemap?
The sitemap is generated on the fly, so a newly published article is included as soon as it goes live. There is no waiting for a scheduled rebuild before the sitemap reflects your latest stories.
Is this useful for a financial news site?
It can be. Along with the standard news sitemap and schema features, the plugin lets you add stock ticker references directly to articles, which suits publishers covering companies, earnings and other market-related news.
Is Yoast SEO News free?
The code of Yoast SEO News is licensed under the GPL, so anyone may use, change and share it. GPL Feast is a paid service: a plan or a single purchase gives you the download and automatic updates. The developer's own support, licence key and online services are not included.
Which version of Yoast SEO News is this?
Version 13.3, released Feb 4, 2025. New versions appear here when the developer publishes them, and members get them as automatic updates.
How do I update Yoast SEO News?
Install the free GPL Feast Updater on your site and connect it with your API key. It installs new versions of Yoast SEO News automatically and keeps a backup, so you can roll back.
More from Yoast
