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EXT: newssitemap

Author:Kasper Skårhøj
Created:2002-11-01T00:32:00
Changed:2010-02-16T12:29:19
Author:Andre Jochim
Email:info@meteogroup.de
Info 3:
Info 4:

EXT: newssitemap

Extension Key: newssitemap

Copyright 2008, Andre Jochim (wetter24.de – aktuelles Wetter)

This document is published under the Open Content License

available from http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml

The content of this document is related to TYPO3

- a GNU/GPL CMS/Framework available from www.typo3.com

Table of Contents

EXT: newssitemap 1

Introduction 1

What does it do? 1

Further information 2

Screenshots 2

Users manual 2

  1. Install the extension 2
  2. Make TypoScript settings 2
  3. Configure RealURL 2
  4. Clear the Typo3 cache 3
  5. Test the URL 3
  6. Make it known to Google 3
  7. Report bugs/improvements 3

Configuration 3

TypoScript Reference 3

Changelog 4

Introduction

What does it do?

Creates an XML sitemap for Google News. It helps Google in index your news. So your pages faster become known by google and can faster be found by users.

Sitemaps are standardized (see http://www.sitemaps.org ). But news sitemaps are a special form of them and are until now only used by Google (for detailed information just search in http://www.google.com for “news sitemap”).

The news sitemap can be configurated so as example it can be called via http://www.wetter24.de/news_sitemap.xml .

The Extension RealUrl should be installed to use such nice URLs.

A news sitemap looks like that:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset      xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
                xmlns:news="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-news/0.9">

        <url>
                <loc>
                        http://www.meteogroup.de/de/home/wetter/wetter_news/article/nasser_sonntag.html
                </loc>
                <news:news>
                        <news:publication_date>
                                2008-03-14T08:24:00Z
                        </news:publication_date>
                        <news:title>Nasser Sonntag</news:title>
                        <news:publication>
                                <news:name>Meteogroup Deutschland</news:name>
                                <news:language>de</news:language>
                        </news:publication>
                        <news:keywords>
                                regen,starkregen,sonntag,wochenende,lara,tief,wettervorhersage
                        </news:keywords>
                </news:news>
        </url>
        <url>
                <loc>
                        http://www.meteogroup.de/de/home/wetter/wetter_news/article/einfluss_auf_meere.html
                </loc>
                <news:news>
                        <news:publication_date>
                                2008-03-13T08:34:00Z
                        </news:publication_date>
                        <news:title>Einfluss auf Meere</news:title>
                        <news:publication>
                                <news:name>Meteogroup Deutschland</news:name>
                                <news:language>de</news:language>
                        </news:publication>
                        <news:keywords>
                                meer,ozeanographie,karte,weltkarte,menschlich,einfluss,klima,klimawandel
                        </news:keywords>
                </news:news>
        </url>
</urlset>

Further information

Google restricts such an sitemap to be published only under one category (publishing label) per sitemap. For example:

  • all news in a sitemap should have the same language
  • all news should concern for the same country
  • all news should fit in the same category (given by google)

The categories you can choose if you submit it to Google.

A news sitemap is not allowed to contain more than 1000 URL.

The extension is built as frontend extension (plugin).

In Google's specification it is only allowed to list news not older than 3 days.

Screenshots

There are no screenshots available.

Users manual

1. Install the extension

Do it via “Extension Manager” in Typo3. It works like installing any other extension in Typo3.

2. Make TypoScript settings

news_sitemap = PAGE
news_sitemap {
        typeNum = 210   // same number like in RealURL configuration (see next installation step)
        10 >
        10 < plugin.tx_newssitemap_pi1       // main function of the extension

        ## parameters for the sitemap:
        10.itemLimitUser                = 100   // how many news shall the sitemap contain
      10.cachingEnable                = 1     // if the generated sitemap should be cached in a file
      10.cachingLifetime      = 600   // in seconds
      10.cachingFolder                = /var/tmp/     // save path for the caching file
      10.pid_news_page                = ...   // Page ID for the single news page
      10.pid_news_folder      = ...   // Page ID of the folder where the news are stored
        10.publication_name = ''         // See the Googles's specification
        10.publication_language  = en    // See the Googles's specification

        ## further configuration:
        config {
                disableAllHeaderCode = 1
                additionalHeaders = Content-type:application/xml
                no_cache = 1            // not cached by Typo3 (extension has own caching handling)
                xhtml_cleaning = 0
        }
}

3. Configure RealURL

Important is the section near “news_sitemap.xml”. It means that all calls to the file “news_sitemap.xml“ refer to the page type 210 which is configured in installation step 3.

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['EXTCONF']['realurl'] = array(

   ...
        'www.domain.de' => array(
                'init' => array(
                        ...
                ),
                'preVars' => array(
                        ...
                ),
                'pagePath' => array(
                        ...
                ),
                'fileName' => array(
                        ...
                        'index' => array(
                                ...
                                'news_sitemap.xml' => array(
                                        'keyValues' => array(
                                                'type' => 210,
                                        ),
                                ),
                                ...
                        )
                )
        )
);

4. Clear the Typo3 cache

Clear the frontend and backend cache.

5. Test the URL

Now you should be able to call your sitemap in the browser:

http://www.domain.de/news_sitemap.xml

6. Make it known to Google

Create a Google Account (if you haven't one yet) and in the Webmaster Tools choose “Add Sitemap” and select as type “News Sitemap”.

Additional you should request Google to add your website to the list of news delivery service sources. That step should improve Google's indexing behaviour for your website.

7. Report bugs/improvements

Feel free to inform me if you find minor or major errors, if you have problems to use the extension or if you have made improvements.

Configuration

TypoScript Reference

itemLimitUser

Property

itemLimitUser

Data type

integer

Description

How many news shall the sitemap contain. Maximum is 1000.

Default

100

cachingEnable

Property

cachingEnable

Data type

integer

Description

If the generated sitemap should be cached in a file via the integrated caching handling.

0: off

1: on

Default

1

cachingLifetime

Property

cachingLifetime

Data type

integer

Description

Defines how long the cached file should be preserved.

Default

600

cachingFolder

Property

cachingFolder

Data type

string

Description

The save path for the caching file. There you can find the cached sitemaps. The caching file has the format:

cache_newssitemap_[Server name]_[language].tmp

Default

/var/tmp/

pid_news_page

Property

pid_news_page

Data type

integer

Description

The page ID for the single news page. Needed for the link creation.

Default

0

pid_news_folder

Property

pid_news_folder

Data type

integer

Description

The page ID of the folder where the news are stored.

Default

0

Changelog

2010-02-16 Meteogroup (Andre Jochim)

support of new Google format (publication tag)

2008-03-14 Meteogroup (Andre Jochim)

added a manual

2008-03-13 Meteogroup (Andre Jochim)

fixed minor bugs

2008-02-14 Meteogroup (Andre Jochim)

Initial release

img-1 EXT: newssitemap - 4