An editorial calendar is a schedule that lists which content gets published, on which date, in which channel and who is responsible for it. Publishers have long used it for print issues. Websites, blogs and newsletters use it to keep publishing regular and to coordinate writers, editors and approvals.
What does an editorial calendar contain?
Common fields are topic or working title, owner, status (idea, in progress, in review, published), due date, publishing date, channel and format. SEO teams often add the target keyword, the URL and a date for the next review, so updates to existing pages get planned alongside new pieces.
The terms “editorial calendar” and “content calendar” are used inconsistently. Some tool vendors call the editorial calendar the high-level quarterly plan and the content calendar the daily production view, while others use the terms the other way round.
Example
| Publish date | Topic | Target query | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3 | Hreflang errors | hreflang errors | Anna | In review |
| Nov 10 | Update: XML sitemap guide | xml sitemap | Ben | Idea |
Sources
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