Why read: how to quickly deliver updates to search engines, when to use changed-only, how IndexNow differs from sitemap ping, and how to avoid common mistakes.
1) What is IndexNow
IndexNow is a protocol that allows you to instantly notify search engines about URL changes (creation, update, deletion). Supported by Bing, Yandex, Seznam and other services. The advantage is minimal indexing delay and less crawl noise.
2) Key setup and basic ping
- Generate a key (GUID) and place the
YOUR_KEY.txtfile in the site root (/.well-known/or domain root) with the key string. - Ping the endpoint with the URL and key. Example (single URL):
POST https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow
Content-Type: application/json
{
"host": "serpmonn.ru",
"key": "YOUR_KEY",
"urlList": [
"https://serpmonn.ru/frontend/knowledge-base/articles/utm-complete-guide.html"
]
}
For batches, specify up to 10,000 URLs in one request or use a file feed with a change log file URL.
3) Changed-only mode
The idea is to ping only the files that have actually changed in the last commit/deployment. This reduces noise and quota usage.
- Get the list of changed paths from VCS (git diff) or build artifacts.
- Filter by public routes (excluding
node_modules,.git, private folders). - Group by domains/languages to avoid sending irrelevant URLs.
In production, it is useful to have a fallback: if changed-only is empty (for example, a hotfix for configurations), ping important sitemaps.
4) IndexNow vs sitemap ping
- Speed: IndexNow delivers updates faster, does not wait for the crawl cycle; sitemap ping signals the presence of a sitemap but not changes to a specific URL.
- Noise: IndexNow - targeted at changed URLs; sitemap - scan of the entire map (more expensive for crawl budget).
- Reliability: Sitemaps remain the base; IndexNow complements and speeds up. It's better to use both.
5) Common errors
- The key is not accessible via a public URL or does not match the
keyparameter. - Pinging private/404 pages, parameters without canonicalization.
- Too frequent repetitions of the same URLs (throttle repetitions).
- Ignoring multilingualism (need to ping the corresponding localized version).
6) FAQ and checklist
How many URLs to send at a time?
Up to 10,000 in a batch - optimally group by type/language.
Should I ping deletions?
Yes - pass the URLs of deleted pages to speed up deindexing.
How to confirm it's working?
API response logs (200/202), crawl spikes in server logs, faster appearance of new URLs.
- The key is placed and accessible via HTTPS.
- Collect changed-only paths from CI/CD.
- Deduplication and throttling of repetitions.
- Fallback to sitemap ping on empty batch.
: IndexNow significantly speeds up the indexing of new and changed pages. Combined with traditional sitemaps, it is a powerful tool for SEO optimization.
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Updated: 09/15/2025 • Category: SEO