What is IndexNow?
IndexNow is an open protocol that lets websites instantly notify participating search engines, including Bing, when URLs are added, updated or deleted.
By the AIO Automatic team · Last updated
What is IndexNow?
IndexNow is a simple ping protocol. You host a key file on your domain, then send changed URLs to an IndexNow endpoint. Participating engines such as Bing, Yandex, Naver and Seznam share the notification and can recrawl right away instead of waiting to discover the change. Google does not participate.
Why does IndexNow matter for AI visibility?
Bing's index feeds Microsoft Copilot and is one of the sources behind ChatGPT search. Getting new and updated pages into Bing quickly means those engines can retrieve them sooner. For sites publishing or refreshing content often, IndexNow shortens the gap between publishing and being citable.
See the Copilot guide and ChatGPT guide.
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Generate key | 8–128 character hex key |
| Host key file | yoursite.com/<key>.txt containing the key |
| Submit URLs | POST the URL list to api.indexnow.org/indexnow |
| Verify | Check Bing Webmaster Tools for IndexNow submissions |
Frequently asked questions
Does IndexNow guarantee indexing?
No. It guarantees the engine is notified quickly. Indexing still depends on quality and crawl rules.
Should I ping every URL daily?
No. Submit URLs when they are new, changed or removed.