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 rather than 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 put 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 your IndexNow engines and Google both hear about a change in the same click.

Frequently asked questions

What is IndexNow?

An open protocol from Microsoft Bing and Yandex that lets a website tell participating search engines the instant a URL is added, updated, or deleted. Rather than waiting for crawlers to rediscover your pages, you push one small ping and every participating engine hears about it 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 (say https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow) carrying your host, your key, and the changed URLs. The engine fetches your key file to confirm you own the domain, then queues the URLs for crawling. Submit to any participating endpoint and all of them get it.

Is IndexNow supported by Google?

No. Google said in 2021 it would test IndexNow and never adopted it for web indexing. IndexNow notifies Bing, Yandex, Seznam, and Naver, and that's the list. For Google, you use sitemaps, Search Console, and the Google Indexing API instead. Our dedicated page on whether Google supports IndexNow goes deeper.

Is IndexNow the same as Bing IndexNow?

"Bing IndexNow" just means using IndexNow with Bing. Bing is the largest engine backing the protocol, so people swap the names around. It's the same open protocol either way, and one submission still reaches Yandex, Seznam, and Naver.

How do I check my IndexNow setup?

Run a free IndexNow checker over it. Your key file needs to be reachable at https://yourdomain/<key>.txt, return HTTP 200, arrive as plain text, and contain exactly your key. Miss any one of those and engines reject your submissions.

Why use IndexNow if Google ignores it?

Because Bing's index feeds ChatGPT Search and Microsoft Copilot, and is a major source for Perplexity. IndexNow is one of the fastest ways to put fresh pages in front of those AI assistants, and once your key is set up it costs you nothing to keep doing.

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 $2.99 packs.

Start indexing Check my IndexNow key