IndexNow Key GeneratorAnd Instant URL Submitter
Create your IndexNow key, download the key file, confirm it's live on your site, and tell participating search engines about new, updated, or deleted pages ; all from one page.
Generate → Publish → Verify → Submit
Generating a key does not install anything on your website. Download its text file, upload it to your site root, then verify it.
1. Generate your key and key file
Use the exact host your URLs use ; www.example.com and example.com count as different hosts.
Your domain and key are remembered in this browser only, so you can reuse the same key later.
Submit new or updated URLs
Submission unlocks after your current host and key are verified. A 404 means the key file is missing, not that your whole website is broken.
Submitting tells participating search engines these pages changed. It doesn't guarantee indexing or rankings.
Step-by-step
How to set up IndexNow and submit URLs with this tool
Six steps from generating a key to notifying search engines about your latest changes.
1.Enter your domain and generate a key
Type the exact host your pages use, such as www.example.com, then click Generate. The tool creates a random 32-character key in your browser. You can also paste an existing key if you already have one.
2.Download the key file and upload it to your site root
Download the .txt file ; its name is your key and it contains only the key. Place it at the root of your site so it opens at https://your-domain/your-key.txt. On a Next.js site, that means putting the file in the public folder and deploying.
3.Check that the key file is live
Click "Check key file" after deploying. The tool requests the file and confirms its contents match your key. Fix any redirect, 404, or HTML response before submitting, because search engines use the same file to confirm you own the site.
4.List the URLs that were added, updated, or removed
Paste one URL per line. The tool checks that each one is valid and on the same host as your key, removes duplicates, and flags anything that would be rejected.
5.Submit to IndexNow
Click Submit. A 200 or 202 response means IndexNow received your URLs. A 202 simply means key validation is still pending. Prefer your own scripts? "Copy as cURL" gives you the same request to run yourself.
6.Repeat whenever content changes
Submit again when you publish, substantially update, or delete a page. Check your server logs or the webmaster tools of participating search engines to see that their crawlers are visiting.
IndexNow best practices
- Submit only URLs that actually changed. New pages, meaningful updates, and removed pages are worth sending. Re-sending unchanged URLs repeatedly adds nothing.
- Keep the key file in place permanently. Search engines may re-check it. If you delete it or move it, later submissions can fail with a 403.
- Use your canonical https:// URLs. Submit the version of each URL you want indexed, matching your canonical tags and sitemap.
- Report deleted pages too. Removed pages that now return 404 or 410 can be submitted so engines can drop them sooner.
- Automate it once it works. After a manual test succeeds, send the same request from your publishing workflow so every new post is announced automatically.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Putting the key file in a subfolder or behind a redirect, so the URL search engines request doesn't return the key.
- Submitting URLs from a different host ; www.example.com and example.com are separate hosts and can't be mixed in one request.
- Expecting guaranteed indexing or a ranking boost. IndexNow is a change notification; each search engine still decides what to crawl and index.
Learn the method
What is IndexNow and how does it work?
IndexNow is an open protocol that lets a website tell participating search engines when a URL has been added, updated, or deleted, instead of waiting for them to discover the change on their own. You prove you own the site by hosting a small key file, then send the changed URLs along with that key. Engines that support the protocol share submitted URLs with one another, so one notification can reach several of them. Google is not a participating engine at the time of writing ; check indexnow.org for the current list.
IndexNow vs. sitemaps vs. URL Inspection
These methods work together rather than competing. Most sites benefit from a sitemap for completeness and a push method for speed.
| Method | How it works | Who it reaches | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndexNow | You push a notification the moment pages change. | Participating search engines such as Bing and Yandex. | Frequent publishing, updates, and deletions. |
| XML sitemap | Search engines read your list of URLs and last-modified dates when they choose to. | Any search engine that supports sitemaps, including Google. | A complete, always-available map of your site. |
| Search Console URL Inspection | You request indexing for one URL at a time inside Google Search Console. | Google only. | A handful of important pages. |
Why faster discovery matters
When you publish a time-sensitive article, fix an error, or retire a page, the quicker a search engine learns about it, the sooner its results can reflect the change. That is most useful for news, product and price updates, job listings, and sites that publish often. It does not replace good content or a crawlable site, and it doesn't guarantee that a page will be indexed or ranked.
Make sure crawlers can reach the pages you submit. Review your robots.txt rules first, and consider helping AI systems understand your site with an llms.txt file.
Is the IndexNow key a secret?
Not in the password sense. The key sits in a public text file so search engines can read it. Its job is to prove you control the site, so use a random value, host the file only on sites you own, and don't reuse one key across unrelated domains. If you ever want to rotate it, generate a new key, upload the new file, and start using it for new submissions.
After you've submitted, check that your pages are worth the crawl with the AI Citation Readiness Checker.
IndexNow response codes explained
200Received
Your URLs were accepted.
202Accepted
Received; key validation is still pending.
400Bad request
The request format was invalid.
403Key not valid
Key file missing, or its contents don't match.
422Unprocessable
URLs don't match the host, or the key doesn't fit the schema.
429Too many requests
You've been rate-limited ; slow down and retry later.
Keep improving the pages you submit
Fast discovery works best when the page is worth finding. Strengthen titles and snippets with the Meta Title Generator, then plan new content with the SEO Content Brief Generator.
Browse all toolsQuestions and answers
IndexNow key generator FAQ
Can I review the results before using them?
Yes. Review the output and highlighted issues before making changes to your website.
Does IndexNow work for Google?
Google is not a participating IndexNow engine at the time of writing. For Google, keep an up-to-date XML sitemap and use Search Console. The current list of participating engines is published at indexnow.org.
Does submitting a URL guarantee it will be indexed?
No. IndexNow only notifies search engines that a URL changed. Each engine decides whether and when to crawl, index, and rank it.
Where exactly should the key file go?
At the root of your host, so it opens at https://your-domain/your-key.txt and returns only the key. This tool's "Check key file" button confirms that before you submit.
Is my key or domain stored on your server?
The tool's server route forwards your request to IndexNow and does not store it. Your domain and key are saved only in your own browser so you can reuse them, and you can clear them by clearing site data.
How many URLs can I submit at once?
The IndexNow protocol allows up to 10,000 URLs per request. This tool limits each submission to 1,000 to keep requests quick and reliable.