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Lightweight Newscast XML Sitemap For Google News
Generates a Google News compatible XML sitemap for WordPress sites to be submitted to Google Search Console for better news content indexing.
The facts
- Rating
- 4★ from 1
- Active installs
- 100+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 13 Aug 2026
- Added
- Oct 2025
- Requires WP
- 5.0
- Tested up to
- WP 7.1
- Requires PHP
- 7.4
- Downloads
- 1,411
Our analysis
AI-assistedLightweight Newscast XML Sitemap For Google News is a WordPress plugin that generates a Google News compatible XML sitemap for your website. This helps Google discover and index your news content more efficiently, which may enhance your visibility in Google News search results.
The plugin is designed for news websites, blogs, and publications, as well as content creators and SEO professionals managing news content. It integrates with popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math, ensuring that your sitemap is optimised for search engines.
Best for: This plugin suits news websites, blogs, and SEO professionals seeking to improve Google News visibility.
What it does well
- ✓Generates Google News compatible XML sitemaps
- ✓Works with Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and All in One SEO
- ✓Respects 'noindex' settings to exclude hidden content
- ✓Automatically updates when new content is published
- ✓Lightweight code that does not slow down your site
Where it falls short
- •Limited information on user feedback and support options
Verdict
Lightweight Newscast XML Sitemap For Google News offers essential features for generating sitemaps tailored for news content. It is a practical choice for those focused on enhancing their presence in Google News.
From the developer
Gunjan Jaswal's own description of Lightweight Newscast XML Sitemap For Google News, lightly tidied.
Lightweight Newscast XML Sitemap For Google News is a lightweight WordPress plugin that generates a Google News compatible XML sitemap for your website. This sitemap helps Google discover and index your news content more efficiently, potentially improving your visibility in Google News search results.
Key Features:
- Google News Compatible: Generates XML sitemaps in the exact format required by Google News
- SEO Plugin Compatible: Works seamlessly with Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and All in One SEO
- Respects “noindex”: Skips posts you have set to noindex in Rank Math or Yoast, so hidden content stays out of Google News
- SEO Title Support: Uses your custom Rank Math or Yoast title as the article headline when one is set
- Include and Exclude Control: Pick the categories to include, and exclude specific categories or tags such as Sponsored or Press Releases
- Featured Images: Adds the post’s featured image via the Google Image sitemap extension
- Automatic Updates: Sitemap updates automatically when you publish new content, with cached output for fast delivery
- Sitemap Health Panel: See exactly which articles are in the sitemap, how old they are, and when the cache was last built
- Dual URL Access: Available via pretty permalinks and query parameters
- Performance Optimized: Lightweight code that doesn’t slow down your site
- Translation Ready: Fully internationalized and ready for translation
Perfect for:
* News websites and blogs
* Magazine and publication sites
* Content creators who want better Google News visibility
* SEO professionals managing news content
This plugin is compatible with:
- Yoast SEO: Works alongside Yoast’s XML sitemaps
- Rank Math: Compatible with Rank Math’s SEO features
- All in One SEO: Works with AIOSEO sitemaps
- Other SEO plugins: Designed to avoid conflicts
Support
For support, feature requests, or bug reports, please visit the plugin’s GitHub repository or the WordPress.org support forum.
Author
This plugin is developed and maintained by Gunjan Jaswal.
If this plugin has been helpful, consider supporting on Ko-fi to back the development!
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