Free IndexNow Submitter
Tell Bing, Yandex, Naver, Seznam and the other IndexNow search engines about new or changed pages in one go. Generate a key, upload one small file, paste up to 100 URLs, and we'll check your key file and submit them for you.
At a glance
- IndexNow tells search engines a page changed, so they can crawl it sooner instead of waiting.
- One submission reaches every participating engine: Bing, Yandex, Naver, Seznam, Yep and more.
- You prove the site is yours with a key file at your site's root. This tool generates it.
- Google doesn't take part. Use Search Console and your sitemap for Google.
IndexNow in plain words
IndexNow is a ping: "these URLs just changed, come and look". Without it, a search engine finds changes on its own schedule, by recrawling pages or rereading your sitemap. With it, you tell the engines yourself, the moment you publish, update or delete something. Microsoft and Yandex launched the protocol in 2021 (Bing Webmaster Blog), and the IndexNow FAQ confirms that a submission to one engine "will be shared across all IndexNow-enabled search engines" (IndexNow FAQ).
It doesn't push a page into the index. The same FAQ says plainly that submitting "does not guarantee immediate indexing": it's a signal that can speed up crawling, and the engine still decides whether the page is worth keeping.
Which search engines receive your URLs
| Engine | Where it matters |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Bing | Bing search, plus the products that draw on Bing's index |
| Yandex | Russia, Turkey and other markets where Yandex is popular |
| Naver | South Korea's largest search engine |
| Seznam | Czech search |
| Yep | Ahrefs' search engine |
| Internet Archive | The Wayback Machine's archive of the web |
| Amazonbot | Amazon's crawler |
That list comes from IndexNow's own participating engines file, checked on 23 October 2026. Google isn't on it. For Google, use the URL Inspection tool's "Request indexing" button and an up-to-date sitemap, which is what Google recommends for recrawls.
How to submit URLs to IndexNow, step by step
- Generate a key. Click Generate a key above. It makes a random 32-character key in your browser; nothing is sent to us.
- Download the key file and upload it to the root of your site, the same folder as your homepage or robots.txt.
- Open it in a browser at https://yoursite.com/yourkey.txt to check it shows only the key.
- Paste your URLs, one per line, all on the same host (www and non-www count as different hosts).
- Click Check key and submit. We fetch your key file first; if it isn't live or doesn't match, nothing is submitted and we tell you why.
- Keep the key. Use the same key every time; the tool remembers it in this browser.
These are the same four steps Bing lists in its getting started guide: generate a key, host it, submit, then verify. The key rules come from the IndexNow documentation: 8 to 128 characters of letters, numbers and dashes, in a UTF-8 file named after the key.
What each IndexNow response means
| Code | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 200 OK | The URLs were submitted | Nothing. Engines can now crawl them sooner |
| 202 Accepted | Received; key validation still pending | Nothing. Common the first time a key is used |
| 400 Bad request | The request format was invalid | Check every URL is a full address |
| 403 Forbidden | The key isn't valid: file missing or doesn't match | Fix the key file, then submit again |
| 422 Unprocessable | URLs aren't on the key's host, or the key format is wrong | Submit one host at a time |
| 429 Too many requests | Too many submissions, possibly flagged as spam | Submit only changed URLs, and slow down |
The codes and meanings are from the IndexNow documentation. The tool translates whichever one comes back into a plain message.
A real submission: our own tools hub
On 23 October 2026 we ran this tool's server code against our own site. We pasted https://www.cmoowls.com/tools/, used the key that already lives at our root, and the tool opened the key file, found an exact match, sent one POST to api.indexnow.org and got 200 OK. Then we tested the guard rails: a made-up key on a site without the file returned "Key file not found, so nothing was submitted", URLs from two different domains were refused before sending, and a key file in /tools/ was refused for a URL in /blog/, because a key in a folder only covers that folder.
When to ping IndexNow, and when not to
| Situation | Submit? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New page or blog post published | Yes | The engines learn about it straight away |
| Meaningful update: new section, new prices, corrected facts | Yes | Fresh content gets recrawled sooner |
| Page deleted or redirected | Yes | The engines drop or update the old URL faster |
| Typo fix or tiny style change | No | Not a meaningful change |
| The same URL again the same day | No | IndexNow advises against repeated submissions |
| Your whole site, every day | No | Looks like spam and can earn 429 responses |
Set it and forget it: automatic IndexNow
If your platform pings IndexNow already, you don't need to do it by hand. Bing's integration list says Wix and Duda sites use IndexNow with no setup. On WordPress, the free Rank Math plugin's Instant Indexing module "will automatically submit URLs to IndexNow API, whenever a new post is published or modified" (Rank Math). Cloudflare's Crawler Hints sends change signals through IndexNow and is available on every plan, including Free. Yandex also accepts submissions directly (Yandex Webmaster).
This tool is for the rest: static sites, custom builds, Shopify or Webflow without an app, and one-off batches such as a site migration or a big content refresh.
IndexNow, sitemaps and Search Console together
| IndexNow | XML sitemap | URL Inspection (Google) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Pings engines about specific changed URLs | Lists every page you want indexed | Asks Google to recrawl one URL |
| Who reads it | Bing, Yandex, Naver, Seznam, Yep and more | All major engines, including Google | Google only |
| When | At the moment of change | Read on the engine's schedule | When you request it |
| Effort | One request per batch | Generate once, keep updated | One URL at a time |
They work best together: keep a complete sitemap (our XML Sitemap Generator builds one and Google explains how to submit it), ping IndexNow when pages change, and use URL Inspection for the few Google pages that matter most.
Why IndexNow submissions fail
- The key file is in the wrong place: a 404 at https://yoursite.com/yourkey.txt means it isn't at the root.
- The file holds more than the key: extra text, HTML or a byte-order mark from some editors. It should contain the key and nothing else.
- Mixed hosts: www.example.com and example.com are different hosts. Submit the version your canonical tags use.
- A security tool blocks the file: some firewalls block .txt files or unknown bots. Open the file from a phone off your network to check.
- Submitting pages that can't be indexed: noindex pages, redirects that aren't meant to stay, or blocked URLs. Check them first with the Indexability Checker.
What the IndexNow Submitter doesn't do
- It doesn't reach Google. Google isn't an IndexNow participant.
- It can't make a page rank or get indexed. It speeds up discovery; quality decides the rest.
- It doesn't store your key or URLs. Your key is remembered only in this browser.
- It submits up to 100 URLs at a time and 10 times per site per day. For bigger sites, use a CMS plugin or the API directly.
IndexNow on one map
Your next step
Generate your key now, upload the key file, and submit the pages you published or changed this week. Then switch on automatic IndexNow in your CMS or Cloudflare if you can, keep your sitemap current for Google, and come back here for one-off batches.
Find out why pages aren't getting indexed
Owl-gorithm Hacker runs a technical SEO audit with a specialist for every layer, from indexing and on-page basics to keywords close to page one.
Frequently asked questions
What is IndexNow?
An open protocol that lets a website tell search engines the moment a page is added, updated or deleted, instead of waiting for them to recrawl. One submission is shared with every participating engine.
Which search engines use IndexNow?
IndexNow's own list includes Bing, Yandex, Seznam, Naver and Yep, plus the Internet Archive and Amazonbot. Google isn't on the list; for Google, use Search Console and your XML sitemap.
Is the IndexNow Submitter free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up. Each submission can include up to 100 URLs, and each site can be submitted up to 10 times a day through our tool so the service stays fast for everyone.
How do I get an IndexNow key?
Click Generate a key in the tool. It creates a random 32-character key in your browser and lets you download the key file. Upload that file to the root of your website, then submit.
Where do I put the IndexNow key file?
At the root of your site, so it opens at https://yoursite.com/yourkey.txt. The file must contain only the key, in UTF-8. You can put it in a folder instead, but then it only covers URLs in that folder.
Does IndexNow guarantee indexing?
No. IndexNow says submitting a URL doesn't guarantee indexing; it tells engines the page changed so they can crawl it sooner. Pages still need to be worth indexing.
Does Google support IndexNow?
Google isn't listed as a participating engine. Ask Google to recrawl a page with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console, and keep your sitemap up to date.
How often can I submit URLs to IndexNow?
Submit a URL when it's added, meaningfully updated or removed. IndexNow advises against sending the same URL many times a day, and engines set their own limits for each site.
What does a 202 response mean?
The URLs were received and the engine is still validating your key. That's normal the first time you use a new key; there's nothing else to do.
Do I need this if I use WordPress, Wix or Cloudflare?
Maybe not. Wix and Duda send IndexNow pings automatically, Rank Math's free WordPress plugin can submit on every publish or update, and Cloudflare's Crawler Hints uses IndexNow on all plans. This tool is for everyone else, and for one-off batches.
Sources
- IndexNow documentation, IndexNow.org, 2026
- IndexNow FAQ, IndexNow.org, 2026
- Participating search engines (searchengines.json), IndexNow.org, 2026
- Get started with IndexNow, Microsoft Bing, 2026
- IndexNow: instantly index your web content in search engines, Bing Webmaster Blog, 2021
- IndexNow in Yandex Webmaster, Yandex, 2026
- How to use IndexNow (Instant Indexing), Rank Math, 2026
- Crawler Hints, Cloudflare Docs, 2026
- Ask Google to recrawl your URLs, Google Search Central, 2026
- Build and submit a sitemap, Google Search Central, 2026
Agents that do this for you
Related reading
Open source on GitHub