NewsArticle Schema: Top Stories and Google News Eligibility
Last Updated: February 25, 2026 · 11 min read
Appearing in the Google Top Stories carousel is one of the most valuable SERP positions for news publishers — it sits above organic results with a large image and gets significantly higher click-through rates than equivalent organic rankings. NewsArticle schema, combined with Google News eligibility, is a prerequisite.
1. NewsArticle vs Article — Which to Use?
| Type | Use when | Top Stories eligible |
|---|---|---|
| NewsArticle | Breaking news, current events, journalism, press coverage published as news | ✅ Yes |
| Article | Blog posts, evergreen content, tutorials, opinion pieces | ⚠️ Limited |
| BlogPosting | Personal blog posts, editorial opinion | ❌ Generally No |
| TechArticle | Technical documentation, how-to guides | ❌ Not applicable |
2. Complete NewsArticle Schema Template
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "City Council Approves $2B Infrastructure Plan",
"description": "The city council voted 8-3 to approve the
largest infrastructure investment in the city's history,
targeting roads, bridges, and public transport.",
"image": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://example.com/news/infrastructure.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 630
},
"datePublished": "2026-02-25T14:30:00+00:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-25T16:00:00+00:00",
"author": [
{
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Sarah Mitchell",
"url": "https://example.com/authors/sarah-mitchell"
}
],
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://example.com/#organization",
"name": "City Tribune",
"url": "https://example.com",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://example.com/logo.png",
"width": 600,
"height": 60
}
},
"mainEntityOfPage": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"@id": "https://example.com/news/infrastructure-plan"
},
"articleSection": "Politics",
"keywords": ["infrastructure", "city council", "budget"],
"isAccessibleForFree": true,
"dateline": "NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2026"
}3. Image Requirements for Top Stories
4. NewsMediaOrganization vs Organization
For news publishers, use NewsMediaOrganization rather than plain Organization as the publisher type. It is a more specific subtype that signals journalistic intent to Google and is required for some Google News programmes.
5. Paywalls: isAccessibleForFree + hasPart
If articles are behind a paywall, declare it correctly using isAccessibleForFree and hasPart — misleading Google with false isAccessibleForFree: true on paywalled content is a policy violation and can result in manual action.
// For metered paywall articles
"isAccessibleForFree": false,
"hasPart": {
"@type": "WebPageElement",
"isAccessibleForFree": false,
"cssSelector": ".paywall-content"
}6. Google News Publisher Eligibility Requirements
NewsArticle schema is a necessary but not sufficient condition for Top Stories. The publishing organisation must also meet Google News content policies:
7. NewsArticle Schema Common Errors and Fixes
| Error | Why It Matters | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| headline over 110 characters | Google truncates headlines in Top Stories display | Keep headlines under 110 characters. Shorter, punchy news headlines perform better anyway. |
| datePublished in wrong timezone | Google displays the published time. Wrong timezone shows incorrect timestamps. | Use ISO 8601 with explicit timezone: 2026-02-25T14:30:00+00:00 (not just 2026-02-25) |
| image missing or wrong dimensions | Top Stories requires 1200x630px+ image | Ensure your CMS auto-generates a 1200x630px featured image for every article. Make it mandatory. |
| Author array instead of single author | Multiple authors require array syntax | Use author: [{ @type: Person, name: ... }, { @type: Person, name: ... }] |
| publisher logo wrong size | Google requires logo width/height is specified | Logo ImageObject must include width and height properties. Max 600x60px, must be on white background. |
8. AMP and Top Stories in 2026
📌 AMP is no longer required for Top Stories (since 2021)
Google removed the AMP requirement for Top Stories inclusion in 2021. Standard HTML pages now qualify, provided they pass Core Web Vitals thresholds. If you still maintain AMP pages:
- • AMP NewsArticle schema must be in the canonical (non-AMP) HTML page, not only in the AMP version
- • If you have both AMP and non-AMP versions, Google uses the canonical for structured data evaluation
- • Consider deprecating AMP — maintenance cost often exceeds benefit now that it's not required
- • If deprecating AMP, ensure Core Web Vitals pass on your standard pages first (AMP's main advantage was load speed)
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need AMP to appear in Google Top Stories?▼
No. Google removed the AMP requirement for Top Stories in 2021. Standard HTML pages are fully eligible provided they pass Core Web Vitals thresholds. Focus on improving Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and First Input Delay (FID) on your existing pages.
What is the difference between NewsArticle and Article schema?▼
NewsArticle is a subtype of Article specifically indicating news journalism — breaking stories, current events, press coverage. Use Article or BlogPosting for evergreen content, opinion, tutorials. NewsArticle signals to Google that the content is timely journalism, which is required for Top Stories carousel inclusion.
Does adding NewsArticle schema guarantee Top Stories inclusion?▼
No. Schema eligibility is necessary but not sufficient. Google also requires: original reporting, correct image dimensions, byline transparency, Core Web Vitals passing, and sufficient news authority based on citation patterns across the web.
How important is the datePublished field for news?▼
Critically important. Google uses datePublished to decide whether an article is fresh enough to show in Top Stories. The date must be in ISO 8601 format with timezone (e.g., 2026-02-25T14:30:00+00:00). An incorrect or missing date can cause the article to appear stale and miss the Top Stories window.
Can I use NewsArticle on opinion pieces or editorials?▼
Yes — opinion pieces are considered news content. Add "articleSection": "Opinion" to clearly signal the content type. Google's News policies require opinion content to be clearly labeled as such to users, which your schema articleSection property supports.
How do I handle corrections to a published news article?▼
Update dateModified to the correction timestamp. Document the correction clearly in the article text. Consider adding a correction note using schema.org's correction property if it is a significant factual change. Google uses dateModified to signal freshness separately from datePublished.
Should I use single author or author array for multi-byline articles?▼
Use an array for multiple authors: "author": [{"@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Mitchell"}, {"@type": "Person", "name": "James Wong"}]. This is important for E-E-A-T — each named author contributes their credential signals to the article.
What logo size should my publisher use?▼
Google requires the publisher logo to be at most 600px wide and 60px tall, on a white background, and not larger than 112500px² total. Always include the width and height properties in the ImageObject. The Google Rich Results Test will flag logo dimension errors.
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