Glossary · Beginner
What Is IndexNow? Definition and Example
IndexNow is an open protocol that lets a website notify participating search engines immediately when a URL is added, updated or deleted, instead of waiting for them to recrawl. You host a key file to prove ownership, then submit changed URLs to an IndexNow endpoint. It's used by engines including Bing, whose index also feeds Microsoft Copilot.
On this page
- How does it work?
- Which engines participate?
- Why does it matter for GEO?
- Best practices
- From MentionX data: why freshness matters in answers
- Worked example: Ledgerline's price change
- How do you set it up?
- What do the response codes mean?
- Does it replace sitemaps?
- When is it worth the effort?
- Common questions
- Related
Checked on 31 October 2026. "Our view" marks MentionX opinion. Ledgerline is a fictional company used for illustration.
How does it work?
According to the IndexNow FAQ:
- Generate a key (8–128 characters) and host it as a
.txtfile on your site. - When content changes, submit the URL to one endpoint, such as
api.indexnow.org. - The submission is shared with all participating search engines.
- Up to 10,000 URLs can be sent in one POST request.
Many CMSs and some CDNs, such as Cloudflare, support IndexNow natively, so you may not need to set it up by hand.
Which engines participate?
The FAQ lists endpoints for IndexNow, Amazon, Bing, Naver, Seznam.cz, Yandex and Yep. Google isn't listed; for Google, use sitemaps.
Why does it matter for GEO?
AI answers that rely on search indexes can only use what's been indexed. Faster discovery of updated pages, such as new pricing or corrected facts, may help them appear sooner in engines that use those indexes. IndexNow.org notes that it helps keep content current in AI-powered search results, but doesn't guarantee indexing.
Best practices
- Submit only meaningful changes, not cosmetic edits
- Wait at least 5 minutes before resubmitting the same URL
- Submit deleted and redirected URLs too
- Keep using XML sitemaps for full coverage
- Log response codes (200, 202, 400, 422, 429)
From MentionX data: why freshness matters in answers
Method. Read-only aggregate queries over MentionX scans from 22 August to 29 October 2026 (UTC): 2,217 engine runs (2,154 completed) across 18 anonymised projects and six engines.
IndexNow speeds discovery for engines that use the participating indexes. In MentionX data (22 Aug–29 Oct 2026, 2,217 runs, 18 projects), Copilot named the tracked brand in 26.0% of answers, and 47.0% of its answers had no citations. Full figures by engine:
| Engine | Brand mentioned | Answers with no citations |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini | 47.3% | 50.7% |
| OpenAI | 42.9% | 30.2% |
| Perplexity | 31.5% | 4.1% |
| AI Mode | 31.3% | 12.6% |
| Copilot | 26.0% | 47.0% |
| DeepSeek | 24.0% | 99.0% |
Copilot, Perplexity and DeepSeek figures come from a single day, 26 Oct, so treat them as a snapshot. Our view: when Copilot does cite sources, they need to be indexed and current. IndexNow won't make you cited, but it shortens the time an outdated page stays in the index after you fix it. We haven't measured that effect ourselves.
Limits. A convenience sample of mostly B2B software projects, run through engine APIs, which can behave differently from the consumer apps. Perplexity, Copilot and DeepSeek figures come from a single day (26 October 2026), so treat them as a snapshot, not a trend.
Worked example: Ledgerline's price change
Ledgerline is a fictional accounts-payable tool. Figures are illustrative.
Ledgerline, a fictional accounts-payable tool, changes its pricing and updates the pricing page, three help articles and its comparison pages. Its CMS has an IndexNow plugin, so each updated URL is submitted when it's published.
The team checks the plugin log for 200 or 202 responses, confirms the updated pages in Bing Webmaster Tools and keeps its XML sitemap with accurate lastmod dates for Google. A week later, it reruns its pricing prompts in Copilot to see whether answers use the new price.
How do you set it up?
Check your CMS or CDN first; many support IndexNow natively, including Cloudflare. If not, generate a key, host it as a text file on your site and send changed URLs to an endpoint with a simple request. The FAQ explains the key format, endpoints and limits (IndexNow).
What do the response codes mean?
A 200 means the submission was received. A 202 means it was received and the key is pending validation. A 400 means the request was malformed, 422 means the URLs don't match the key's host, and 429 means too many requests. Log the codes so you can spot problems quickly.
Does it replace sitemaps?
No. Sitemaps give engines a complete list of your URLs, and Google relies on them (Google). IndexNow tells participating engines what changed just now. Use both.
When is it worth the effort?
It's most useful for sites where facts change often: prices, stock, events, news or documentation. For a small site that rarely changes, sitemaps are usually enough, though enabling a built-in plugin costs little.
Common questions
Does IndexNow guarantee indexing? No. It notifies engines about changes; they still decide what to crawl and index.
Can I submit deleted URLs? Yes. Submitting deleted and redirected URLs helps engines drop or update them sooner.
Related
Questions
Which search engines use IndexNow?
IndexNow.org lists participating endpoints including Bing, Amazon, Naver, Seznam.cz, Yandex and Yep. A submission to one is shared with all participants.
Does Google support IndexNow?
Google isn't listed among the participating endpoints. Use sitemaps and Search Console for Google.
Does IndexNow guarantee indexing?
No. IndexNow.org says submitting a URL doesn't guarantee indexing; each engine decides whether to crawl and index it.