Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team
Outlet guide
How to get published on MSN
MSN has no submission form. It licenses articles from publishers in MSN Partner Hub, which is invitation-only, and its rules prohibit paid guest posts unless Microsoft agrees, and advertorial content. You get on MSN through a partner's coverage, a partner invite or a paid placement: on Essentras, the MSN listing costs $833, live in 3 to 5 business days.
Sources: Microsoft's own Partner Hub pages, Google's and the FTC's rules, and our 5 MSN listings
What you will do
- See how articles reach MSN, from Microsoft's own Partner Hub pages.
- Learn what Microsoft's rules say about guest posts and paid content.
- Compare every route, including our 5 MSN listings, with price, time, label and link.
- Pick a route, order or pitch, and check the live page.
- Describe a paid placement honestly, and avoid what Google treats as link spam.
Start here in 1 click
The Essentras MSN listing, with everything it states before you pay, and the lowest priced listing that syndicates to MSN.
MSN
$833
- Turnaround
- 3 to 5 business days
- Goes live on
- msn.com
- Link
- Dofollow
- Indexed
- Maybe, per the listing
- Label, as the listing states it
- Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label.
- Included
- Writing available, you approve the draft, dated screenshot, live URL on delivery
- If it does not publish
- Refunded if not published, or if the turnaround is missed.
SelfEmployed.com, syndicates to MSN
$650
- Turnaround
- 3 to 5 business days
- Goes live on
- selfemployed.com, syndicated to MSN
- Link
- Dofollow
- Indexed
- Yes, per the listing
- Label, as the listing states it
- Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label.
- Included
- Writing available, you approve the draft, dated screenshot, live URL on delivery
- If it does not publish
- Refunded if not published, or if the turnaround is missed.
A paid placement. It is not earned coverage, and it runs with the label the listing states.
The mechanics
How do articles get onto MSN?
MSN publishes what its partners send. It licenses articles from publishers and creators in MSN Partner Hub, who keep ownership and send them through feeds, and MSN's systems choose what to show.
Partners send feeds
A partner connects a WordPress site, an RSS feed or an Atom feed, and chooses which feeds to send. Microsoft's WordPress plugin lets a partner pick posts individually or send every new post.
MSN chooses what to show
Microsoft says publishing an item does not guarantee it is selected for the home page, the info pane or a section page, and that duplicates are rejected even when re-dated.
The partner is credited
Microsoft tells readers to look for the publisher's logo at the top of every article, just above the headline. Links back to the original article can only appear at the bottom.
What partners must meet
Writers' full names as bylines, an About page with the owner and contact details, terms and privacy pages, external funding disclosed on the article page, and at least 10 articles a day for news sites or 5 a month for others.
Brands are vetted too
Microsoft says professional publishing standards are essential to evaluating any brand entering and staying in MSN, and its guidelines exclude content mainly designed to promote products or services.
Ads are separate
Microsoft says sponsored stories and native ads on MSN carry an Ad label, and its ad network shows audience ads on MSN, Microsoft Edge and Outlook.com. On 2 msn.com articles we opened, the ad units read "Sponsored".
Guest posts
Can you write a guest post for MSN?
Not for a fee, unless Microsoft agrees. Microsoft's guidelines for MSN partners prohibit content by a person not directly affiliated with a partner, guest posting for a fee included, and they prohibit advertising, advertorial and marketing-focused content.
- An article by a partner's own writers about your company. Earned, by pitching.
- Your own articles on MSN, if Microsoft invites you as a partner and you meet its publishing rules.
- An ad in the MSN feed through Microsoft Advertising, marked as an ad.
- A paid placement through a partner, such as our MSN listing at $833. MSN still decides what it shows and keeps.
- A guest post sent to MSN itself: MSN has no public submission form.
- A spot on the MSN home page: Microsoft says publishing does not guarantee it.
- A permanent copy: items expire 365 days after ingestion by default.
- A paid link that Google counts: its spam policies call that link spam.
Freelance and link marketplaces we read on 19 Oct 2026 list "MSN guest posts" from $46 to $1,500, some promising a "permanent" dofollow link. Microsoft's own pages say items expire after 365 days by default, and that paid guest posts need its agreement. Ask any seller which partner publishes the article, with the questions template below.
Essentras sells paid placements that reach MSN through partner sites: the 5 listings in the next section. They are paid, and they state their label and link before you pay.
Microsoft's rules apply to them like any other partner content: MSN chooses what it shows and keeps, so no seller can promise an msn.com copy stays up. If the publisher removes a placement within 90 days, Essentras gives a free re-placement or a full refund.
Routes and prices
Which routes get you on MSN, and what does each cost?
Pitching a partner and joining as a partner cost nothing but promise nothing. On Essentras, 5 listings reach MSN: the MSN listing at $833, and 4 sites that syndicate to MSN, from $650 to $8,800 (read 19 Oct 2026).
| Route | What it costs | Time to go live | What the reader sees | Who decides |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage by an MSN partner | $0 | No date: the editor decides | An article by that partner, its logo above the headline | The partner's editor, then MSN |
| Join MSN Partner Hub | $0 to join; you need an invite code | No stated time for an invite; brand review up to 24 hours | Your own logo and bylines | Microsoft, which vets every partner |
| Microsoft Advertising audience ads | Set by your bids and budget | When your campaign runs | An ad, labeled as an ad | Microsoft's ad system |
| Essentras: MSN listing | $833 | 3 to 5 business days | "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." | You pick the listing and approve the draft; MSN decides what it keeps |
| Essentras: a site that syndicates to MSN | $650 to $8,800 | 1 to 3 business days to 1 week | "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." | You pick the site; the partner and MSN decide on the msn.com copy |
| A marketplace "MSN guest post" | From $46 | The seller's word | Not stated | The seller; Microsoft's rules require its agreement for paid guest posts |
- Marketplace prices are the lowest and highest "MSN guest post" offers we read on 4 marketplaces on 19 Oct 2026 ($46 to $1,500). Verify at the source before you buy.
| Listing | Price | Turnaround | Where it is published | Link | Indexed | Label, as the listing states it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $833 | 3 to 5 business days | msn.com | Dofollow | maybe | "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." |
| SelfEmployed.com | $650 | 3 to 5 business days | selfemployed.com; the listing name says it syndicates to MSN | Dofollow | yes | "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." |
| Distractify | $1,333 | 1 to 3 business days | distractify.com; the listing name says it syndicates with MSN | Dofollow | yes | "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." |
| Due.com | $8,800 | 1 week | due.com; the listing name says it syndicates to Entrepreneur, Nasdaq and MSN | Dofollow | yes | "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." |
| Green Matters | $1,667 | 1 to 3 business days | greenmatters.com; the listing name says it syndicates with MSN and Apple News | Dofollow | yes | "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." |
- A listing name that says "syndicates to MSN" describes the site. Ask whether your article gets its own msn.com page before you order: the questions template below covers it.
- Due.com takes finance articles of 1,500 words or more, written by the publisher's team, with no home page or product page links, and 1 order per client every 6 months, per the listing's terms.
Which route gets you on MSN?
3 questions. The answer names the route, its price and what it will not do.
Answer the questions to see your route.
Every answer, in a table
| If | Route | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| You want your own articles on MSN | Ask Microsoft for an MSN Partner Hub invite | $0 to join | No stated time for an invite |
| You want an editor to write about you | Pitch an editor at an MSN partner | $0 | No date can be promised |
| A finance story and more than $2,000 | Due.com, which syndicates to Entrepreneur, Nasdaq and MSN | $8,800 | 1 week |
| An entertainment story and $1,000 or more | Distractify, which syndicates with MSN | $1,333 | 1 to 3 business days |
| A finance story under $1,000 | SelfEmployed.com, which syndicates to MSN | $650 | 3 to 5 business days |
| You need msn.com itself by a date | The Essentras MSN listing | $833 | 3 to 5 business days |
Optional add-ons, and cheaper starts
Optional. You can publish without any of these.
Often added
Apple News in the same order
$1,500
An article syndicated from Grit Daily to Apple News, 3 to 5 business days. The listing states: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label."
Publish on Apple NewsMSN and Apple News from 1 article
$1,667
Green Matters, which the listing says syndicates with MSN and Apple News, 1 to 3 business days. The listing states: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label."
Publish on Green MattersVolume discount
10% off 3 or more, 15% off 5 or more
Taken off the basket at checkout when you order 3 or more placements.
Browse outlets
Not ready yet?
The lowest priced MSN listing
$650, 3 to 5 business days
SelfEmployed.com, which the listing says syndicates to MSN. The listing states: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label."
Publish on SelfEmployed.comA page on Medium
$97, 1 business day
A feature article on Medium, a publishing platform, not a news outlet and not MSN. The listing states: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label."
Publish on MediumPress Monthly
$97 a month
1 press placement every month, on an outlet matched to your niche and shown to you before we write. Cancel any time; plan months carry no turnaround guarantee.
See Press Monthly
Label, link and lifespan
What does a placement on MSN look like, and does the link count?
The label
All 5 listings state: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." It is still a paid placement, written by you or our editors, not by MSN or the partner's newsroom. Describe it accurately when you share it.
The credit
On MSN the partner's logo sits above the headline. On the 2 msn.com partner articles we opened on 19 Oct 2026, the page also named the publisher's original as its canonical URL.
Your duty to disclose
The FTC's native advertising guide says an ad should not suggest it is anything other than an ad, that a disclosure may be needed when it looks like editorial content, and that this applies to advertisers too. Microsoft also asks partners to disclose external funding on the article page. Add the disclosure your market requires when you promote it.
The link
All 5 listings are dofollow. Google's spam policies list paid articles with links that pass ranking credit as link spam, unless the links carry rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored". Do not buy it for the link: link to a guide or a study, with your brand name.
Indexing
The MSN listing marks indexing as maybe; the 4 syndicating sites mark it yes. A canonical that points to the partner's original asks Google to index the partner's copy instead. Our refund policy does not cover a later Google decision.
How long it stays
Microsoft expires an item 365 days after ingestion unless the partner sets another date, and the MSN listing's terms say its msn.com copies come down after 365 days. If the publisher removes a placement within 90 days, Essentras gives a free re-placement or a full refund.
AI assistants
Our MSN listing page read msn.com's robots.txt on 19 Oct 2026: 6 of 6 answer engines allowed, so assistants can read and cite msn.com pages.
Step by step
How to get published on MSN in 5 steps
1. Decide what you need
A page that reaches MSN by a date, an article a partner's editor chooses, or your own articles as an invited partner. Only the page can be bought, and it carries the label its listing states.
2. Pick the listing that fits your topic
MSN for msn.com itself. Due.com takes finance articles only, per its terms. The catalog lists SelfEmployed.com under Financial and Distractify under Entertainment. A story that fits the site reads as an article, not an ad.
3. Confirm the deliverable in writing
Ask whether you get an msn.com page, which partner name it shows, its label and its link, using the questions template below.
4. Write it as an article
News, a guide or data, with a link to a guide or a study rather than a product page. You approve the draft before it goes live.
5. Check the live page and keep proof
Open the msn.com page and the partner's page, check the date and the link, and save the URL and a screenshot. Essentras sends both on delivery.
When to order to be live by your date
Pick the date the article must be live. The table shows the latest day to start, from each route's stated time.
| Route | Window | If you start today | To be live by your date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentras: MSN | 3 to 5 business days, per the listing. | ||
| Essentras: SelfEmployed.com | 3 to 5 business days, per the listing. | ||
| Essentras: Distractify | 1 to 3 business days, per the listing. | ||
| Essentras: Due.com | 1 week, per the listing. | ||
| Essentras: Green Matters | 1 to 3 business days, per the listing. | ||
| MSN Partner Hub brand review, after an invite | Up to 24 hours, per Microsoft Support. The invite itself has no stated time. | ||
| Pitching an editor at an MSN partner | No date: the editor decides. | No date can be promised | No date can be promised |
Pick a date to see the latest day to start. Business days are Monday to Friday. Public holidays are not counted, so allow for them.
Essentras windows are business days, paused while we wait on you, with a 3 business day grace period before the automatic refund.
Copy-ready
Templates for getting on MSN
5 templates. Replace everything in [brackets].
Questions before you buy an "MSN" placement
Any vendor or listing that says MSN, before you pay.
Hi [Name], Before I order [listing or package], please confirm in writing: 1. Will the article have its own page on msn.com, or only on the partner's site? 2. Which publication is the MSN partner, and will its logo show above the headline? 3. What label will the msn.com page show, and what will the partner's page show? 4. Is the link nofollow, sponsored or followed? 5. How long does the msn.com copy stay up? 6. Can you send 2 recent msn.com links from orders like mine? 7. What happens if the msn.com copy never appears, or is removed? Thanks, [Your name]
What to have ready before you order
Any of the MSN listings.
Company name and website: [ ] The angle in 1 sentence (news, data or a guide, not an ad): [ ] Which listing, and why your story suits that site: [ ] Date it must be live by: [ ] Article text, or a request for us to write it: [ ] Link to include: [a guide, a study or a newsroom page; not a product page] Image, if any: [link, with credit] How you will describe it when you share it: [ ]
Pitch to an editor at an MSN partner
When you want coverage a partner's editor chooses.
Subject: [The number or finding] for your [section] readers Hi [First name], Your [date] piece on [topic] covered [specific point]. We have [new data, a study, a case or an expert] that adds to it: [the story in 1 sentence]. [1 figure with its source.] [Spokesperson, title] can talk [days, time zone]. Charts and the full data: [link]. [Your name] [Title, company, phone]
MSN Partner Hub checklist
Before you ask for an invite, if you publish your own content.
Invite code from Microsoft: [ ] Account type: [Organization, with a corporate email on your own domain / Individual] Feed to connect: [WordPress site, RSS URL or Atom URL] Bylines: writers' full names, no pseudonyms, no "Admin" About page with the owner and contact details: [URL] Terms of use and privacy policy: [URLs] External funding disclosed on article pages: [yes / no] Volume: news sites 10 articles a day; other sites 5 a month Original articles, not advertising or product promotion: [yes / no] Payment account details: [ready / not ready]
A disclosure line for your own channels
When you share a paid placement on your site or social accounts.
On your website or a social post: "Our article on [Publication], published as a paid placement: [link]" In a press kit or an As Seen On strip: "Paid placement on [Publication], [Month Year]"
Avoid
Mistakes that waste an MSN placement
Buying an "MSN guest post"
MSN has no guest post route, and Microsoft's rules need its agreement for paid guest posts. Ask which partner publishes it and whether an msn.com page is in the deliverable.
Calling it MSN coverage
It is an article from a partner publication. Say "published on [Publication], on MSN" or "paid placement", not "featured by MSN".
Buying it for the link
Google's spam policies list paid articles with links that pass ranking credit as link spam, unless the links carry rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored".
Linking to a product page
Some listings refuse it, and a guide or a study reads as an article. Link with your brand name, not a keyword.
Ignoring topic fit
Due.com takes finance only. A story that does not fit the site is more likely to be sent back for edits.
Expecting it forever
MSN copies expire 365 days after ingestion by default. Keep your own newsroom version as the page you link to.
Counting on Google to index the msn.com copy
The MSN listing marks indexing as maybe, and the partner's original is usually the canonical copy. Google decides.
Ordering too late
The listings run from 1 to 3 business days to 1 week. Order at least 5 business days before your date.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit a guest post to MSN?▾
Not for a fee, unless Microsoft agrees. Microsoft's guidelines for MSN partners prohibit content by a person not affiliated with a partner, guest posting for a fee included, and they prohibit advertorial content. MSN has no public submission form.
How do I become an MSN content partner?▾
Through MSN Partner Hub, which is invitation-only: you sign up with an invite code Microsoft emails you, and partners are vetted. You need a WordPress, RSS or Atom feed, bylines with full names, an About page, and at least 10 articles a day for a news site or 5 a month otherwise.
How much does it cost to get published on MSN?▾
On Essentras, the MSN listing costs $833 and the 4 sites that syndicate to MSN cost from $650 to $8,800 (read 19 Oct 2026). Pitching a partner's editor and joining Partner Hub cost nothing but promise nothing.
Is a paid placement on MSN labeled as sponsored?▾
Our 5 MSN listings state: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label." It is still a paid placement, so describe it as one. Microsoft says its own sponsored stories and native ads carry an Ad label.
Is the link in an MSN article dofollow?▾
All 5 listings state a dofollow link. Google's spam policies list paid articles with links that pass ranking credit as link spam, unless the links carry rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored". Link to a guide or a study with your brand name.
Does Google index articles on MSN?▾
The MSN listing marks indexing as maybe. The msn.com partner articles we opened named the publisher's original as canonical, which asks Google to index that copy. Google decides.
How long does an article stay on MSN?▾
Microsoft expires an item 365 days after ingestion unless the partner sets another date. If the publisher removes an Essentras placement within 90 days, you get a free re-placement or a full refund.
What does "syndicates to MSN" mean?▾
The publication is an MSN partner that sends its articles to MSN through a feed. Microsoft says partners choose their feeds and that MSN does not guarantee where an item shows, so ask whether your article gets its own msn.com page.
How long does it take to get published on MSN?▾
On Essentras, the MSN listing runs 3 to 5 business days, counted in business days and paused while we wait on you, and the syndicating sites run from 1 to 3 business days to 1 week. Pitches and partner invites have no set time.
Can AI assistants cite an article on MSN?▾
Our MSN listing page read msn.com's robots.txt on 19 Oct 2026 and showed 6 of 6 answer engines allowed, so assistants can read and cite msn.com pages.
Next steps
- 01
Decide: coverage, a page or a partnership
An article a partner's editor chooses is pitched; a page by a date is bought; your own articles need a Partner Hub invite.
- 02
Pick the listing that fits your story
MSN for msn.com itself; SelfEmployed.com, Distractify, Green Matters or Due.com when your topic fits the site.
- 03
Confirm the msn.com page in writing
Use the questions template for any offer that says MSN.
- 04
Order at least 5 business days ahead
The MSN listing runs 3 to 5 business days; Due.com runs 1 week.
- 05
Check the live page and describe it honestly
Save the URL and screenshot, and call it a paid placement when you share it.
Ready for the page itself?
$833, 3 to 5 business days, live URL and screenshot, or a full refund.
Publish on MSN Or SelfEmployed.com, syndicates to MSN, for $650Checked on . Every rule on this page is quoted from Microsoft's own pages, and every price, turnaround, label and link policy comes from a listing, each read on the date shown in the sources below.
Sources, with the date we read each one
- MSN Partner Hub, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, How to set up your MSN Partner Hub account, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, Publishing guidelines for MSN partners, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, Auto-publishing requirements and FAQ in MSN Partner Hub, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, How to set up your MSN brand in MSN Partner Hub, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, How to set up RSS and Atom feeds in MSN Partner Hub, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, MSN feed item metadata requirements, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, MSN feedback frequently asked questions, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, How MSN ranks content, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support, Publishing standards and best practices for brands on MSN, read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Advertising, About the Microsoft Advertising Network (updated 19 Jun 2026), read 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft, MSN Partner Hub plugin for WordPress, read 19 Oct 2026
- Google Search spam policies (last updated 28 Aug 2026), read 19 Oct 2026
- FTC, Native Advertising: A Guide for Businesses (December 2015), read 19 Oct 2026
- Essentras catalog API: MSN listings, read 19 Oct 2026
- Essentras MSN listing (robots.txt reading), read 19 Oct 2026
- Essentras refund policy (last updated 8 Oct 2026)
Essentras sells paid placements, including the MSN listings on this page. Essentras is not affiliated with Microsoft or MSN. Microsoft's rules are quoted as read on the date shown. Paid placements are not earned coverage.
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