About ENP
The Extended News Previews program (ENP) is Google's initiative responding to the requirements of Article 15 of the 2019 European Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. Under this law, some uses of press publication content by online platforms require authorization by the publisher of the content. The use of links and very short extracts of press publications does not require authorization.
Google offers ENP agreements to news websites covered by the law in order to show preview content such as snippets and thumbnails that may be covered by the law, in exchange for a licensing fee from Google.
News website owners can decide whether they want to sign an ENP agreement with Google. Sites may remain in Google Search and other products without participating in ENP.
What is a press publication?
A "press publication" is defined by the Copyright Directive as a collection composed mainly of literary works of a journalistic nature, but which can also include other works or other subject matter, and which:
- Constitutes an individual item within a periodical or regularly updated publication under a single title, such as a newspaper or a general or special interest magazine;
- Has the purpose of providing the general public with information related to news or other topics; and
- Is published in any media under the initiative, editorial responsibility and control of a service provider.
Periodicals that are published for scientific or academic purposes, such as scientific journals, are not press publications.
ENP licensing is available for eligible publications in countries that have transposed Article 15 into their national law. Every European Union member state will eventually enact such a law, although they may not have done so yet. It takes time for the ENP program to be set up in a country, so there may be a delay between the country’s law passing and the introduction of ENP into Search Console for publishers in that country.
Using Search Console to manage ENP enrollment
Search Console is a Google service that helps site owners manage and monitor their site's presence on Google. Eligible publishers can use Search Console to manage your site's enrollment in the ENP program.
Search Console guides you through the ENP enrollment process and reports any errors encountered. Search Console also shows your current ENP status and important dates, such as the agreement signing date and agreement end date, and also provides a copy of the agreement for viewing or downloading.
If you do not use Search Console to enroll in ENP, you will not be able to use Search Console to monitor your ENP status or see your agreement.
If you think that someone else should sign the agreement instead of you, either add the person as an owner or full user of the site in Search Console, or else send a link to the signup steps to a person that you think should sign the agreement.
Add your site to Search Console
If you are already using Search Console for an eligible site, you should have received an invitation to sign an agreement.
If you haven't registered your site yet in Search Console:
- Determine the domain-level property URL to claim in Search Console. Only top-level domains can sign an agreement in Search Console.
- Open Search Console's Add property dialog.
- Enter the property URL from step 1 in the Domain section.
- Click Continue to create the property.
- ⚠︎Verification will fail, but you'll see a popup with further instructions about how to verify your ownership. Follow the instructions in the popup to verify ownership of your property or read more detailed instructions. Note that verifying ownership of a domain process can be a little technical, so you might want to ask for help if you are not technically inclined.
- Once you've verified ownership of your property, open the ENP settings page for that property and read the enrollment instructions.
FAQs
What is ENP?
The Extended News Previews program (ENP) is Google's initiative responding to the requirements of Article 15 of the 2019 European Directive on Copyright in the Single Market. Under this law, some uses of press publication content by online platforms require authorization by the publisher of the content. The use of links and very short extracts of press publications does not require authorization. ENP, or Extended News Previews, refers to the use of preview content in search results that goes beyond those short extracts and hyperlinks.
Am I eligible for ENP? How do I sign up?
ENP is open to press publications that meet the criteria established in national laws implementing Article 15. If you are eligible for ENP, and if you have claimed your website in Search Console, Google will send you an invitation to review and sign an agreement. Note that Google offers agreements only to publishers located at the root domain of a URL (that is, only to example.com, not example.com/some/news/site or newsroom.example.com).
If you believe you should be eligible but have not signed up for Search Console, all you need is a Google account, and then follow these instructions to sign up for ENP.
How do I see my current ENP status?
- If you are using Search Console to manage your ENP participation, open the ENP settings page in Search Console.
- If you signed up for ENP offline, contact your Google representative to learn your status or any applicable deadlines.
Can someone else sign my ENP contract for me?
Search Console uses login account credentials to identify the person signing the agreement. You can designate someone else as having the right to sign the agreement, but you can't have someone else sign on your behalf. If you are using Search Console, then you must be an owner or full user of the property to sign the agreement. To enable someone else to sign your agreement, make them an owner or full user in Search Console.
How do I give someone else access to review and sign the agreement?
If you think someone else should be managing ENP enrollment instead of you, they must be an owner or full user of the site in Search Console. Either add the person as an owner or full user of the site in Search Console, or send that person a link to the sign-up instructions.
Note that only one person will sign the agreement, but any user with access to the site in Search Console can then view or manage agreement information. You can also download a PDF of the agreement to share with your team and discuss offline.
How do I get paid?
Payments are deposited monthly in the account that you provide to the third-party payment processing provider. Google does not currently manage the payment system for ENP participants. If there is a problem with your payment account, please reach out to the third-party payment processing provider.
Whom do I contact about a payment problem?
Google does not currently manage the payment system for ENP participants. If there is a problem with your payment account, please contact the third-party payment processing provider.
What is Search Console?
Search Console is a Google service that provides monitoring, managing, and debugging information about your site's behavior on Google Search, Discover, and News. Search Console is used by ENP to manage signup, alerts, and timelines, as well as verifying ownership of the site in order to sign up for ENP. See Using Search Console for more information.
I want to see my agreement
You should have received a downloadable copy of your agreement at the time you signed it. Additionally, to obtain a copy of your agreement:
- If you are using Search Console to manage your ENP participation, open the ENP settings page in Search Console.
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If you signed up for ENP offline, contact your Google representative to obtain a copy of your contract.
How is payment calculated?
Google pays you in equal monthly installments. The number of monthly installments is calculated based on the amount of days between your signing date and expiration date.
If you sign before or after the start date of the payment year, your monthly amount will be increased or decreased appropriately, depending on the number of days you signed before or after the start date of the payment year. This extra amount will be added to the annual total and divided evenly among the monthly payments.
Payment is calculated as a fixed annual amount in the agreement. Payment will be disbursed monthly in equal amounts.
If you have entered into an ENP agreement previously and are now signing a new ENP agreement, the payments due under the new agreement will be calculated from the effective date shown in the new agreement. This new agreement will not affect payments due under any previous agreement.
What if I don't sign up?
If you choose to not participate in the ENP program, we will continue to respect any of your indexing preferences expressed via mark-up without payment from Google, unless we advise you otherwise. Your site will continue to be included in Search, unless you choose to limit or remove your site's presence in Google Search.Can I opt out later?
If you signed your agreement in Search Console you can typically terminate your agreement at any time with 30 days' notice (but check your agreement to confirm). If you wish to cancel your ENP agreement, contact Google (select I have an issue with Search Console > Other, and provide details).
What if I sign the agreement before the Start Date of the Payment Year?
You can sign the ENP agreement before the Start Date of the Payment Year. In that case, your annual amount will be based on the number of days between your signing date and the expiration date. If you have entered into an ENP agreement previously and are now signing a new ENP agreement, the payments due under the new agreement will be calculated from the effective date shown in the new agreement. This new agreement will not affect payments due under any previous agreement.
What if I sign the agreement after the Start Date of the Payment Year?
You can sign the ENP agreement after the Start Date of the Payment Year. In that case, your annual amount will be reduced by the number of days between the Start Date of the Payment Year and your signing date.
Something went wrong–what do I do?
First--don't panic.
Second--search this document for answers to your question. If you are using Search Console to manage your ENP status, visit that page and notice any notes or warnings on the page: we describe possible alerts there.
Finally, if you can't resolve the issue using Search Console, contact Google.
Must I use Search Console to manage my ENP agreement?
If you signed your ENP contract offline you will not be able to check your current status, upcoming deadlines, or get a copy of your contract using Search Console. If you signed your contract offline through a Google representative, then all information and actions must continue to be handled through a Google representative.
Why did I get an invitation email from Google? Can I change or add recipients?
If you received an invitation to participate in ENP, it is because your website has been identified as a press publication within the meaning of Article 15 of the 2019 European Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. You have been invited to sign an agreement with Google to enable Google to show full snippets from your site on Google in exchange for payment.
You received the email because you are (or we think you might be) an owner or full user of this site in Search Console. If you think someone else should be managing this process instead of you, either add the person as an owner or full user of the site in Search Console, or send them a link to the signup steps. Note that only one person can sign an agreement, but any verified owner or full user can view or manage the agreement.
Can I override snippet settings per page?
Yes. You can instruct Google to show, not show, or limit previews for individual pages. This is done by adding an HTML tag or directive.
I don't want to change how my site appears on Google
If you are using Search Console, you can let us know that you don't want anything to change. If you are not using Search Console and don't want anything to change, please reach out to your Google representative.
How can I remove my site from Google?
You can use meta tags or noindex directives if you want to block individual pages, or your entire site, from appearing on Google.
