- Free, no sign-up
- Key file checked first
- 10,000 URLs a request
Free IndexNow Submitter and Key Checker
IndexNow tells Bing, Yandex, Naver, Seznam and Yep the moment a page is added, changed or deleted, so they can crawl it sooner; one ping reaches all of them, and through Bing it keeps Copilot's answers current. Make a key and its file here, check the file is where the engines look, and send your changed URLs, pasted or from your sitemap, up to 10,000 at a time, with each answer explained. Google is not part of IndexNow, so keep your sitemap in Search Console too. No sign-up.
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How to use it
Key, key file, send
Make or paste your key
A key is made for you; download its file and upload it to your site's root. If an SEO plugin already sends IndexNow, paste its key instead: the plugin serves the file.
Check the key file on each host
We open the file the way the engines do. A missing file, a redirect or a page dressed as the file is the reason most first pings fail. Each subdomain needs its own copy.
Send what changed
Paste URLs, or read your sitemap and keep only pages changed since a date. Each host goes as one request, and you get its answer explained. URLs sent less than five minutes ago are held back.
Built forShops with daily changesNews and blogsCustom sitesBing and Copilot
Quick answer
What is IndexNow?
IndexNow is a free, open protocol for telling search engines that a URL was added, updated or deleted. You host a key as a text file named {key}.txt at your site's root, then send changed URLs with that key, one at a time or up to 10,000 in one request, to api.indexnow.org. Bing, Yandex, Naver, Seznam and Yep take part and share every URL; Google does not. A 200 answer means received, not indexed.
What it does, and doesn't
Faster discovery, not a ranking boost
The engines that join IndexNow share every submitted URL, so one ping reaches all of them; the participant list also includes the Internet Archive and Amazon. Bing's webmaster guidelines say timely IndexNow notifications keep Copilot's answers current. A submission doesn't promise a crawl or indexing: the engine still decides, and every submitted URL counts towards your crawl quota. Google is not a participant, so IndexNow does nothing for Google and doesn't replace your sitemap or Search Console.
The key file
Where the engines look
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| The key | 8 to 128 characters: letters, digits and dashes. |
| The file | A UTF-8 text file named after the key, {key}.txt, whose only content is the key. |
| The place | The site's root, so it opens at https://yoursite.com/{key}.txt with a 200 and no redirect. Another folder works if you send its address as keyLocation, but then it only covers URLs in that folder. |
| Subdomains | Each one is a separate host and needs its own copy of the file. |
| Plugins | Rank Math, Yoast Premium, AIOSEO, SEOPress and Microsoft's IndexNow plugin make and serve the key for you. |
Answer codes
What the engines answer
| Code | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | URLs received | Nothing. Check Bing's IndexNow report a day later. |
| 202 | Received, key not yet checked | Normal on your first ping; later ones should get 200. |
| 400 | Bad request | Check the URLs are complete addresses. |
| 403 | Key not valid | Open the key file's address: it is missing, redirects or holds something else. |
| 422 | URLs not on the host, or key mismatch | Send each host's URLs with a key file on that host. |
| 429 | Too many requests | Slow down; don't resend unchanged URLs. |
Good habits
Send only what changed
Send pages when they are added, updated, deleted or redirected, not your whole site each time: your sitemap with accurate lastmod dates covers the rest. Wait at least five minutes before sending the same URL again. If your SEO plugin, Microsoft's plugin and Cloudflare's Crawler Hints all send IndexNow, each change goes out two or three times: keep one. Then open Bing Webmaster Tools, IndexNow, and look at Submitted URLs and Important URLs Missed.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Does Google support IndexNow?
No. Keep your sitemap in Search Console for Google; IndexNow covers Bing, Yandex, Naver, Seznam and Yep.
How do I get an IndexNow key?
Step 1 makes one. Download its file and upload it to your site's root.
Why does IndexNow return 403?
The key file is missing, redirects, or holds something other than the key. Step 2 shows which.
What does 202 mean?
Received, key not yet checked. It's normal on the first ping from a new key.
How many URLs can I submit?
Up to 10,000 per request, per host. Send only the ones that changed.
Do I need this if my plugin has IndexNow?
No. Use it to check the plugin's key file, or to send a page by hand after a big fix.
Does IndexNow guarantee indexing?
No. It only tells the engines a URL changed; they still decide what to crawl and index.
How do I check Bing received my URLs?
Bing Webmaster Tools, IndexNow: Submitted URLs lists them with the time and the source.
Does IndexNow help with Copilot?
Bing says timely IndexNow notifications keep Copilot's answers and grounding results current.
Is my key stored?
No. The key and the list of URLs you sent stay in this browser; the server only checks the key file and passes your URLs to IndexNow.
Keep going
More free tools and guides
- Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow guide: the key, the plugins and the IndexNow report (chapter 4).
- XML Sitemap Validator: check the sitemap and its lastmod dates.
- HTTP Status Checker: what any URL answers.
- AI Crawler Checker: whether Bingbot and the AI bots may crawl.
- Crawling at scale (Advanced, chapter 1): where IndexNow fits.
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