Complete Guide to IndexNow API Integration

Introduction to IndexNow

IndexNow is a protocol that allows website owners to instantly notify search engines when content is added, updated, or deleted. Supported by Bing, Yandex, and other search engines, it significantly reduces the time between content publication and indexing.

Prerequisites

Implementation Methods

curl -X GET "https://api.indexnow.org/IndexNow?url=https://www.example.org/new-article&key=d9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2"

const axios = require('axios');

const url = 'https://www.example.org/new-article';
const key = 'd9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2';

axios.get(`https://api.indexnow.org/IndexNow?url=${encodeURIComponent(url)}&key=${key}`)
  .then(response => {
    console.log('Submission successful:', response.status);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error('Error:', error.response.status);
  });

curl -X POST "https://api.indexnow.org/IndexNow" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
  "host": "www.example.org",
  "key": "d9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2",
  "keyLocation": "https://www.example.org/d9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2.txt",
  "urlList": [
    "https://www.example.org/new-page-1",
    "https://www.example.org/new-page-2"
  ]
}'

import requests

url = "https://api.indexnow.org/IndexNow"
payload = {
    "host": "www.example.org",
    "key": "d9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2",
    "keyLocation": "https://www.example.org/d9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2.txt",
    "urlList": [
        "https://www.example.org/new-page-1",
        "https://www.example.org/new-page-2"
    ]
}
headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json"}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print("Status Code:", response.status_code)
print("Response:", response.text)

{
  "host": "www.example.org",
  "key": "d9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2",
  "keyLocation": "https://www.example.org/d9a7e8f1b6c4d3e2f9a8b7c6d5e4f3a2.txt",
  "urlList": [
    "https://www.example.org/url1",
    "https://www.example.org/url2"
  ]
}

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Best Practices

• Submit only changed URLs - Don't resubmit unchanged content
• Prioritize important pages - Focus on new or significantly updated content
• Automate submissions - Trigger API calls when content is published/updated
• Monitor results - Check Bing Webmaster Tools for indexing status
• Combine with sitemaps - Use IndexNow for urgent pages and sitemaps for comprehensive coverage

Conclusion

Implementing IndexNow can dramatically improve your website's visibility in search engines by reducing the time between content updates and indexing. Whether you choose single URL submissions for occasional updates or bulk submissions for major changes, the API provides a simple yet powerful way to communicate directly with search engines.