IndexNow

Definition

IndexNow is a push protocol: instead of waiting for a crawler to revisit, a site sends a short request naming the URL that changed. A submission to one participating endpoint is shared with the other IndexNow-enabled engines. The endpoints listed in the IndexNow FAQ are the global api.indexnow.org, Amazon, Bing, Naver, Seznam.cz, Yandex and Yep. Google does not appear in that list.

In practice

Setup has two steps. The owner generates a key of 8 to 128 characters (letters, digits and hyphens) and publishes it as a text file on the host, usually https://example.com/{key}.txt. Submissions then include the key so the engine can confirm the sender controls the site.

https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fpage&key={key}

Bulk submissions use a JSON POST with host, key and urlList, up to 10,000 URLs per request. A 200 response means the submission was accepted; a 202 on the first request means the key is still being verified.

Many platforms send IndexNow pings automatically, including WordPress (through plugins), Shopify, Wix and Cloudflare's native integration. The FAQ notes several limits:

• Submitting does not guarantee immediate indexing; each engine still applies its own crawl scheduling and quality checks.
• Submitted URLs count toward the site's crawl quota.
• It is meant for recent changes, not a full inventory; an XML sitemap covers that.
• The same URL should not be resubmitted within about 5 minutes without a real change.

The protocol also accepts deleted and redirected URLs. Submitting a page that now returns 404 or 410, or one that redirects, helps participating engines drop or update the stale entry sooner than a routine recrawl would.

Relation to backlink indexing

Two constraints keep IndexNow from being a backlink tool. The key file must sit on the host whose URLs are submitted, so a link builder cannot ping pages on a publisher's site. And because Google is not a participant, it does nothing for Google indexation directly.

For Google, owners use sitemaps and Search Console; the Indexing API is restricted to job and livestream pages. For third-party pages, a backlink indexing service works from the outside. IndexChex, which publishes this glossary, focuses on Googlebot crawling and Google index checks rather than IndexNow engines.

Related terms

• Indexing API, Google's restricted notification channel
• XML sitemap, the full URL inventory
• Crawl budget, which submissions draw on
• URL indexer, a generic term for submission tools

All entries are in the glossary directory.