IndexNow, explained

In one line

IndexNow is an open protocol that instantly tells search engines when your URLs change. Created by Microsoft Bing and Yandex, one ping notifies Bing, Yandex, Seznam, and Naver at once — so new and updated pages get crawled in minutes instead of days. (It does not notify Google.)

How the IndexNow API works

Generate a key — any 8–128 character string of letters, numbers, and dashes.
Host the key file at https://yourdomain/<key>.txt, containing only the key.
Submit changed URLs with an HTTP request to an IndexNow endpoint (e.g. api.indexnow.org/indexnow) listing your host, key, and URLs.
Engines verify and crawl — they fetch your key file to confirm ownership, then queue your URLs.

Check your IndexNow setup How IndexNow works in depth

Which engines support IndexNow

Microsoft Bing

Bing's index also powers ChatGPT Search and Microsoft Copilot.

Yandex

Co-creator of the protocol with Microsoft.

Seznam.cz

The leading Czech search engine.

Naver

South Korea's dominant search engine.

Yep (DuckDuckGo)

DuckDuckGo's own index participates in IndexNow.

Google — not supported

Google doesn't use IndexNow. Here's what to do for Google →

Why IndexNow matters for AI search

Bing's index powers ChatGPT Search, Microsoft Copilot, and feeds Perplexity. Pushing URLs through IndexNow is one of the fastest ways to get fresh content in front of those assistants — see how to show up in AI search.

IndexNow + Google, together

IndexerNow submits through Bing's IndexNow and Google's Indexing API from one place, so both your IndexNow engines and Google hear about changes in one click.

Frequently asked questions

What is IndexNow?

IndexNow is an open protocol, created by Microsoft Bing and Yandex, that lets a website instantly notify participating search engines whenever a URL is added, updated, or deleted. Instead of waiting for crawlers to rediscover your pages, you push a small ping and every participating engine learns about the change at once.

How does the IndexNow API work?

You generate a key, host it as a text file at https://yourdomain/<key>.txt, then send an HTTP request to an IndexNow endpoint (for example https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow) with your host, your key, and the list of changed URLs. The engine fetches your key file to verify ownership, then queues your URLs for crawling. A submission to any participating endpoint is shared with all of them.

Is IndexNow supported by Google?

No. Google said in 2021 it would test IndexNow but has never adopted it for web indexing. IndexNow notifies Bing, Yandex, Seznam, and Naver — not Google. For Google you use sitemaps, Search Console, and the Google Indexing API instead. See our dedicated page on whether Google supports IndexNow.

Is IndexNow the same as Bing IndexNow?

"Bing IndexNow" just means using IndexNow with Bing — Bing is the largest engine that supports the protocol, so people often use the names interchangeably. It's the same open protocol, and one submission also reaches Yandex, Seznam, and Naver.

How do I check my IndexNow setup?

Use a free IndexNow checker to confirm your key file is reachable at https://yourdomain/<key>.txt, returns HTTP 200, is served as plain text, and contains exactly your key. If any of those fail, engines will reject your submissions.

Why use IndexNow if Google ignores it?

Because Bing's index feeds ChatGPT Search, Microsoft Copilot, and is a major source for Perplexity. IndexNow is one of the fastest ways to get fresh pages in front of those AI assistants — and it's effortless once your key is set up.

Submit to IndexNow and Google in one click

Sign in with Google, paste your URLs, and push them through Bing's IndexNow and Google's Indexing API at once. Free daily quota, then $9.99 packs.

Start indexing Check my IndexNow key