IndexNow

Key Takeaways

• IndexNow is an open-source protocol that lets websites notify participating search engines when URLs are added, updated, redirected, or deleted.
• Unlike traditional pull-based crawling, IndexNow provides a push signal that can speed discovery and help prioritize changed URLs while reducing unnecessary crawling.
• A successful submission confirms notification receipt, not crawling, indexing, or improved rankings; participating search engines make those decisions independently.
• IndexNow submissions can be automated through supported platforms or sent in bulk, and one participating endpoint generally shares URLs across participating search engines.

IndexNow is an open-source protocol that enables website owners to quickly notify participating search engines about new, updated, or deleted URLs. Created by Microsoft Bing and Yandex, it gives websites a direct way to signal content changes rather than relying on search engine crawlers to discover every update independently.

Traditional crawling largely follows a pull model, in which search engine bots revisit websites according to their own schedules to look for changes. IndexNow introduces a push mechanism: the website sends a notification identifying the URL that changed. This can help search engines discover fresh or modified content sooner and reduce unnecessary exploratory crawling.

IndexNow does not guarantee crawling, indexing, or rankings. Each search engine still determines if and when the submitted URL will be crawled and indexed.

Key Features of IndexNow

IndexNow is designed to make communication between websites and search engines faster and more efficient.

1. Faster Discovery of Content Changes

A website can notify participating search engines as soon as a page is published, substantially updated, redirected, or removed. This can shorten the time required for search engines to discover meaningful changes compared with relying solely on scheduled crawling.

A successful IndexNow submission means that the search engine has received the URL notification, not that the page has automatically been crawled or indexed. Search engines evaluate submitted URLs according to factors such as crawl quotas, scheduling, and quality signals.

2. Cross-Search-Engine Sharing

IndexNow reduces the need to submit the same changed URL separately to every participating search engine. Search engines adopting the protocol agree to share submitted URLs with other IndexNow participants.

For example, a URL sent to the generic IndexNow endpoint can be distributed across participating search engines. This makes automated submission simpler for websites and content management systems.

3. Crawl Resource Optimization

Search engines normally need to recrawl pages periodically to determine whether anything has changed. IndexNow provides a direct change signal, helping crawlers prioritize URLs known to have been updated and potentially reducing unnecessary requests to unchanged pages.

This can benefit both search engines and website servers by making crawl activity more targeted. Microsoft has described reducing exploratory crawling and improving crawl efficiency as important objectives of the protocol.

4. Automated Publishing Integrations

IndexNow can be integrated with content management systems, SEO plugins, hosting platforms, CDNs, and publishing workflows. Submissions can then occur automatically when meaningful content changes are detected rather than requiring manual URL submission after every update.

IndexNow lists support through platforms and extensions associated with WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Joomla, Drupal, and several other systems.

Push vs. Pull: How IndexNow Works

Traditional search engines mainly use a pull-based discovery model, in which crawlers revisit websites according to their own schedules to detect new or changed content. IndexNow adds a push-based notification mechanism, allowing a website to immediately notify participating search engines when a URL is added, updated, or deleted.

1. Generate an API Key

A manual IndexNow implementation begins with an API key that proves control of the website submitting URLs. The key must contain 8 to 128 characters using supported letters, numbers, and hyphens.

When IndexNow is implemented through a compatible CMS, hosting provider, or plugin, key management may be handled automatically.

2. Host the Verification Key

For a manual implementation, the preferred method is to save the key in a UTF-8 text file at the website’s root directory. A key such as abcd1234 would normally be available at:

https://example.com/abcd1234.txt

The file itself contains the key. A different publicly accessible location on the same host can also be used, but its location must then be supplied through the keyLocation parameter.

3. Send the URL Notification

When a URL is created, meaningfully updated, redirected, or deleted, the website sends an HTTP request containing the changed URL and its authentication information to an IndexNow endpoint.

IndexNow recommends automating submissions around meaningful content changes rather than repeatedly submitting URLs for insignificant design or cosmetic modifications.

4. Verification and Crawl Decision

The participating search engine verifies the submitted key and receives the changed URL. It then determines whether and when the URL should be crawled.

An HTTP 200 response indicates that the request was successfully received. It does not confirm that the URL has been indexed. A first submission can also return a 202 response while key validation is pending.

How to Implement IndexNow for a Website

IndexNow can be implemented automatically through supported platforms or directly through its API.

Method 1: Automated Integration

Automated integrations allow IndexNow submissions to happen in the background whenever meaningful content changes, without requiring manual API requests for each URL.

WordPress

WordPress websites can use the official IndexNow Plugin developed by the Bing Webmaster team or compatible SEO plugins that support the protocol.

The official plugin creates the IndexNow API key and hosts it on the website. It can detect when pages are created, updated, or deleted and automatically submit the affected URLs to the generic IndexNow endpoint.

A typical setup involves:

1. Opening Plugins → Add New in WordPress.
2. Installing and activating a compatible IndexNow plugin.
3. Enabling automatic URL submission if required by that plugin.
4. Allowing the integration to submit URLs when content changes.

Plugins such as All in One SEO and Rank Math also support IndexNow, although their interfaces and configuration options may differ.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare provides IndexNow support through Crawler Hints. The feature uses Cloudflare cache signals to identify a likely content change and sends appropriate hints to supported search services, including through IndexNow.

Crawler Hints is currently available on Free, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans. It can be enabled from the relevant site’s Caching configuration in Cloudflare.

Method 2: Bulk URL Submission With HTTP POST

An HTTP POST request can be sent through command-line tools such as cURL, as well as scripts, applications, or backend publishing systems.

On Windows, open Command Prompt or PowerShell from the Start menu; on macOS, open Terminal from Applications → Utilities.

The generic endpoint is:

https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow

A simplified cURL request can take this form:

curl -X POST https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-d '{
  "host": "example.com",
  "key": "your_generated_api_key",
  "keyLocation": "https://example.com/your_generated_api_key.txt",
  "urlList": [
    "https://example.com/product-a",
    "https://example.com/product-b",
    "https://example.com/product-c"
  ]
}'

Custom websites and large publishing systems can send multiple changed URLs in a single JSON request. IndexNow permits up to 10,000 URLs in one POST request.

Bulk submission is particularly useful after legitimate large-scale changes, such as product inventory updates, migrations, or modifications affecting many URLs. It should not be used simply to resubmit unchanged pages repeatedly. For routine updates, IndexNow recommends submitting URLs as changes occur rather than waiting to send them in large batches when possible.

Current IndexNow Participants

IndexNow submissions can currently be sent through several participating endpoints. The current IndexNow endpoint list includes:

• Microsoft Bing: Bing was one of the original creators of IndexNow and uses the protocol to receive URL-change notifications that can help prioritize crawling.
• Amazon: Amazon provides an IndexNow endpoint associated with Amazonbot.
• Naver: Naver, a major South Korean search platform, supports IndexNow to receive notifications about newly added, updated, or deleted URLs.
• Seznam.cz: Seznam.cz, a Czech search engine and web portal, participates in IndexNow to improve discovery of changed website content.
• Yandex: Yandex co-developed IndexNow with Microsoft Bing and uses the protocol to receive direct notifications about URL changes.
• Yep: Yep, the search engine developed by Ahrefs, supports IndexNow submissions to help its crawler identify fresh or updated pages more efficiently.

The generic api.indexnow.org endpoint can also be used instead of choosing an individual participating engine. Because IndexNow participants share submitted URLs, notification through one participating endpoint is normally sufficient.

Yahoo and DuckDuckGo are not listed as direct IndexNow participants. However, Yahoo states that its algorithmic search results are generated by Microsoft Bing, while DuckDuckGo says that many of its traditional search links are sourced from Bing. Changes reflected in Bing can therefore indirectly affect results appearing on these services, but this is different from Yahoo or DuckDuckGo directly implementing the IndexNow protocol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google support IndexNow?

No, Google is not currently listed among IndexNow’s participating endpoints, so IndexNow should not be treated as a way to notify Google directly.

Does IndexNow work for Yahoo and DuckDuckGo?

Yahoo and DuckDuckGo are not currently listed as direct IndexNow participants. However, Yahoo’s algorithmic search results are provided by Bing, and DuckDuckGo states that many of its traditional search links are sourced from Bing. Indexing changes in Bing may therefore indirectly appear in their search results.

How is IndexNow different from submitting a traditional sitemap?

IndexNow actively notifies participating search engines about recently added, updated, redirected, or deleted URLs, while an XML sitemap provides a broader inventory of URLs that search engines can use for ongoing discovery and crawling.

The two methods are complementary rather than interchangeable. IndexNow recommends continuing to use XML sitemaps alongside IndexNow, particularly for comprehensive URL discovery and pages that change infrequently.

Do URLs need to be submitted to every search engine individually?

No. Search engines participating in IndexNow agree to share submitted URLs with other participating search engines. A website therefore generally needs to submit a changed URL to only one IndexNow-enabled endpoint.

Is there a daily submission limit for IndexNow?

IndexNow does not document a universal 10,000-URL daily limit. Instead, the protocol allows up to 10,000 URLs per POST request. Search engines can also apply rate limits, and excessive submissions can generate an HTTP 429 Too Many Requests response.