Web Stories are a web-based version of the popular “Stories” format that blend video, audio, images, animation and text to create a dynamic consumption experience. This visual format lets you explore content at your own pace by tapping through it, or swiping from one piece of content to the next.
This guide explains how Web Stories can appear on Google across Search , Google Discover , and Google Images , and how to enable those appearances.If you’re a creator, visit the Web Stories on Google website for resources on creating stories, without any coding involved.
How Web Stories appear across Google
Note : The actual appearance across Google surfaces might be different. Google Discover Google Search Google Images
Create the Web Story
Web Stories are web pages under the hood and must follow the same guidelines and best practices that apply to publishing regular web pages. There are two ways to get started:
If you have engineering resources, you can get started with AMP . To ensure your Web Story renders appropriately, we suggest using Chrome Developer Tools to simulate different device sizes and formats.
Make sure the Web Story is valid AMP
After you’ve developed the story, make sure the Web Story is valid AMP. A valid AMP story is one that adheres to various AMP specifications . This allows the Story to be served via the AMP cache and ensures performance and the best experience for your users. You can use the following tools ensure that your Web Story is valid AMP:
URL Inspection Tool : Check that the Web Story is valid AMP and the Google indexing status of a URL.
Verify metadata
For your Web Stories to be eligible to appear on Google Search or Google Discover experiences, supply the necessary metadata to surface the Web Story in the preview.
Verify that your Web Story preview appears correctly in the Web Stories Google Test Tool .
Remember that the following fields are required on every Web Story: publisher-logo-src , poster-portrait-src , title , and publisher .
Check if the Web Story is indexed
Check to see if Google Search has indexed your Web Story. Use the URL Inspection Tool to submit individual URLs or review status using Index Coverage Report or Sitemaps report . If your Web Story isn’t indexed:
To make it easier for Google to discover your Web Story, link to your Web Stories from your site or add your Web Story URL to your sitemap.
All Web Stories must be canonical. Make sure that each Web Story has a link rel=”canonical” to itself. For example: Note : If there are multiple versions of the same story in different languages, make sure to tell Google about localized versions .
Check to make sure the Web Story URL isn’t blocked to Googlebot via robot.txt or the noindex tag.
Best practices for creating Web Stories
To keep your readers engaged, follow our best practices for creating Web Stories . We recommend focusing on the critical tasks first. If you have more time, follow the recommended best practices too.
Storytelling
Design
SEO
Note : The same SEO best practices for web pages also apply to Web Stories . A Web Story is still a web page.
Technical
Other resources
Enable Web Stories on Google Search : Developer-oriented guide on building Web Stories that meet the technical guidelines required to appear on Google Search.
Structured data guidelines : Details on adding structured data to help Google Search understand your content.
Web Story Content Policies on Google
For your Web Stories to surface on Google Discover and Search as single results, they must comply with Discover policies and the Google Search Essentials . For Web Stories to surface on richer experiences across Google (for example, the grid view on Search, Google Images, and the carousel on Google Discover), Web Stories must comply with the following additional content policies. In cases of egregious violations of the Web Stories Content Policies, a site may stop permanently appearing on the richer experiences across Google.
Copyrighted content
We don’t allow Web Stories that infringe anyone’s copyright. Web Stories are meant to reflect original works, so we don’t allow Web Stories that include someone else’s copyrighted work unless you have received permission. Google does not assume any obligation or responsibility with respect to obtaining rights for your Web Stories to appear across Google. If your Web Story infringes on someone else’s copyright, we may block it from appearing. For more information, review our copyright procedures .
Text-heavy Web Stories
We don’t allow Web Stories that are text heavy. Web Stories may not be eligible if the majority of pages have more than 180 characters of text. Usage of bite-sized video (less than 60 seconds per page) wherever possible is encouraged.
Low quality assets
We don’t allow Web Stories that contain images and video assets that are stretched out or pixelated to the point that the viewer’s experience is negatively impacted.
Lack of narrative
We don’t allow Web Stories that are missing a binding theme or narrative structure from page to page.
Incomplete stories
We don’t allow Web Stories that are incomplete or that require users to click links to other websites or apps to get essential information.
Overly commercial
We don’t allow Web Stories in which the sole goal is to advertise a service or a product, and especially if you may directly benefit from users consuming your Web Story. Affiliate marketing links are permissible as long as they are restricted to a minor part of the Web Story. Display ads may be placed following the Story Ad Guidelines . Good affiliate programs are supported based on spam policies for Google web search .