IndexNow: Get Changes Into Bing and Copilot Faster

IndexNow is an open protocol that lets a website instantly notify participating search engines when a URL is added, updated or deleted, instead of waiting for crawlers to discover the change on their own.

This page covers which search engines support IndexNow today, where Google stands, how to implement it with a key file and an API call, how it relates to Bing and Microsoft Copilot, and what it can and cannot do for your visibility.

What is IndexNow?

IndexNow launched in October 2021 as a joint effort from Microsoft Bing and Yandex. The idea is simple: rather than search engines repeatedly recrawling sites to check for changes, sites send a short ping saying "this URL changed." Search engines can then prioritize crawling the URLs that actually matter.

According to IndexNow.org, participating search engines currently include Microsoft Bing, Naver, Seznam.cz, Yandex and Yep. The protocol's FAQ also lists an endpoint for Amazon, and its published list of participants includes Amazonbot and the Internet Archive. Bing announced in May 2025 that Amazon would begin adopting the protocol.

A key design feature is sharing. You submit to one endpoint, and the submission is shared with all participating engines. Each engine still decides on its own whether to crawl and index the URL.

Why IndexNow matters

Speed and efficiency. Without a ping, search engines may take days or weeks to notice a new page or an update. IndexNow shortens that gap for the engines that support it, which matters for price changes, stock updates, news, event pages and fixes to outdated information.

It also matters for AI visibility through Bing. Microsoft documents that Copilot's web search sends queries to the Bing search service and uses the results to ground its answers. OpenAI's help center notes that ChatGPT search may use third-party search providers such as Bing. Bing's own guidance on sitemaps in AI-powered search says freshness signals affect how quickly updates appear in search results and AI-generated answers, and recommends combining IndexNow with accurate sitemaps.

The honest limits: Google does not support IndexNow. Google said in 2021 that it would test the protocol, according to Search Engine Land, but it has never joined, and Google is not listed as a participant. Also, a successful ping does not guarantee indexing. It only tells engines something changed.

How IndexNow works

Step 1: Generate and host a key

The IndexNow documentation requires a key of 8 to 128 characters using letters, numbers and dashes. You host it as a UTF-8 text file named after the key (for example, yourkey.txt) at the root of your site, containing just the key. This proves you control the host. You can also host the key file elsewhere and point to it with a keyLocation parameter, but then it only covers URLs under that folder.

Step 2: Submit URLs

For a single URL, you send a simple GET request to an endpoint such as api.indexnow.org/indexnow with the url and key as parameters. For many URLs, you send a POST request with a JSON body listing your host, key and a urlList. Each POST can include up to 10,000 URLs.

Step 3: Read the response

A 200 response means the submission was received. A 202 means it was received but the key is still being validated. Errors include 400 (bad format), 403 (key not found or invalid), 422 (URLs don't match the host or key) and 429 (too many requests, which can look like spam).

What to submit

Submit URLs when pages are added, meaningfully updated or deleted. The FAQ advises against resubmitting unchanged URLs and suggests waiting at least a few minutes before resubmitting the same URL. IndexNow does not replace your XML sitemap. The FAQ is clear that sitemaps remain the complete inventory for long-term discovery.

IndexNow in practice: an example

Imagine a hypothetical online retailer that updates prices on 2,000 products every Monday. Before IndexNow, Bing might show last week's price for days, and a Copilot answer citing the product page could repeat it.

The retailer adds IndexNow to its platform so each price change triggers a ping. Its Monday update now sends one bulk POST with the changed URLs. Bing and the other participating engines learn about the changes right away and can recrawl those pages first. Google still relies on its normal crawling, so the retailer also keeps its sitemap lastmod values accurate.

How to implement IndexNow

Check whether your platform already supports it. Many CMSs, plugins and CDNs offer built-in IndexNow support. Bing has noted that Shopify supports it. Turning on an existing integration is easier than building your own.
Generate a key and host the key file. Create a key that meets the length and character rules and place the matching .txt file at your site root.
Choose one endpoint. Submit to the global api.indexnow.org endpoint or any single participating engine. Submissions are shared, so you don't need to ping each engine separately.
Trigger pings on real changes. Hook submissions to publish, update and delete events. Skip unchanged URLs.
Keep your sitemap accurate. Maintain a complete sitemap with honest lastmod dates for Google and for long-term discovery.
Monitor in Bing Webmaster Tools. Bing Webmaster Tools includes IndexNow reporting so you can confirm URLs are being received.

Common mistakes and misconceptions

"IndexNow gets pages indexed instantly." It speeds up discovery, not indexing decisions. The protocol's own documentation says a 200 response only confirms receipt. Search engines still judge whether a page deserves to be indexed.

"IndexNow works with Google." It doesn't. Google tested it in 2021 but never adopted it. For Google, rely on sitemaps, internal linking and Google Search Console.

"Submitting every URL every day helps." Resubmitting unchanged pages wastes crawl resources and can trigger errors or rate limits. Only ping URLs that actually changed.

"IndexNow replaces sitemaps." IndexNow handles recent changes. Sitemaps give search engines the full list of URLs. You need both.

IndexNow vs. XML sitemaps

An XML sitemap is a file listing all the URLs you want indexed, which search engines fetch on their own schedule. IndexNow is a push notification sent at the moment a URL changes. Sitemaps are about completeness, IndexNow is about speed. Use sitemaps everywhere, and add IndexNow for faster updates in Bing and the other participating engines.

How Butter approaches IndexNow

Indexing strategy is part of every Butter GEO plan, which starts at $399/month. For most sites, we treat IndexNow as a low-effort, worthwhile addition: it helps Bing pick up changes faster, and Bing feeds Microsoft Copilot and other AI tools that use its results.

We keep it in perspective. IndexNow does not touch Google, and it does not make weak pages worth indexing. We pair it with clean sitemaps, sound technical SEO and on-page recommendations, then use monthly AI prompt testing to see whether updated pages are showing up in AI answers.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google support IndexNow?

No. Google said in 2021 that it would test the protocol, but it has not adopted it and is not listed as a participating search engine. Google discovers changes through its own crawling, sitemaps and links.

Which search engines use IndexNow?

IndexNow.org lists Microsoft Bing, Naver, Seznam.cz, Yandex and Yep as participating search engines, and its FAQ also lists an Amazon endpoint. Submitting to one endpoint shares the URL with all of them.

Is IndexNow worth setting up?

For most sites, yes, especially if your CMS or CDN offers it with a simple toggle. It costs little and helps Bing, and the AI tools that use Bing, pick up changes faster. Just don't expect it to affect Google.

How many URLs can I submit with IndexNow?

A single bulk POST request can include up to 10,000 URLs. The protocol advises submitting only URLs that were added, updated or deleted, and not resubmitting unchanged pages.

Sources and further reading

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