Bing IndexNow: How to Get Your Pages Indexed Instantly

By Emily Redmond, Data Analyst at Emilytics · April 2026

TL;DR: IndexNow is a free Bing feature that tells Bing "crawl this URL now" instead of waiting days. Set it up in 5 minutes via API. Use it for new content, major updates, and time-sensitive pages.

What Is IndexNow?

IndexNow is a protocol that lets you tell search engines (Bing, Yandex, Google) about URL changes in real time.

Instead of waiting for Bing to find your page via crawling (3–7 days), IndexNow says "This URL exists. Crawl it now." Bing typically crawls within 24 hours.

Use cases:

• New blog posts (publish, submit via IndexNow, ranked in 24 hours)
• Major content updates (updated an old post, need Bing to recrawl)
• New product pages (launched a new product, need indexing ASAP)
• Time-sensitive content (news, events, limited offers)

How IndexNow Works (The Simple Version)

1. You publish a new page
2. You submit the URL to IndexNow via API
3. Bing receives the request
4. Bing crawls within 24 hours
5. Bing indexes (if the page is quality)

Note: IndexNow doesn't guarantee indexing. It only tells Bing to crawl. Bing still decides whether to index based on quality, duplicates, and relevance.

How to Set Up IndexNow

Step 1: Generate an IndexNow Key

Go to IndexNow.org and click Generate a new key.

You'll get a random string (like "a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8"). This is your authentication key.

Save it somewhere safe (password manager, team wiki). You'll need it for API calls.

Step 2: Add the Key to Your Site

Create a file on your site at the root directory:

Location: yoursite.com/.well-known/indexnow.key

Content: Just your key (e.g., a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8)

This file proves you own the domain.

Step 3: Test Your Setup

Visit IndexNow.org and submit a test URL with your key to verify everything works.

Step 4: Start Submitting URLs

There are three ways to submit URLs:

Option A: Manual Submission (One URL at a Time)

Go to IndexNow.org and fill out:

• URL: The full URL (e.g., yoursite.com/blog/my-new-post)
• Key: Your IndexNow key
• Key location: yoursitecom/.well-known/indexnow.key

Submit and wait. Bing will crawl within 24 hours.

Best for: Occasional submissions (once a week or less).

Option B: API Submission (Bulk)

Submit multiple URLs via API. Here's a sample request:

POST /indexnow HTTP/1.1
Host: api.indexnow.org
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "host": "yoursite.com",
  "key": "a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8",
  "keyLocation": "https://yoursite.com/.well-known/indexnow.key",
  "urlList": [
    "https://yoursite.com/blog/new-post-1",
    "https://yoursite.com/blog/new-post-2",
    "https://yoursite.com/blog/new-post-3"
  ]
}

Best for: Bulk submissions (10+ URLs at once).

Option C: Automated Integration

Some CMS platforms (WordPress plugins, Shopify apps) have IndexNow integration built in.

WordPress: Use a plugin like "IndexNow Integration" or add code to your theme's publish function.

Shopify: Some SEO apps submit automatically when you add products.

Check your platform's app store or settings.

💡 Emily's take: I integrated IndexNow into a client's WordPress site using a simple plugin. Now every new blog post automatically submits to Bing on publish. It's set-it-and-forget-it. No more manual submissions. Worth 30 seconds of setup.

When to Use IndexNow

Do Use IndexNow For:

• New blog posts (immediate)
• Major content updates (updated a pillar page with 50% new content)
• New product pages (e-commerce sites)
• New landing pages (campaigns, seasonal)
• Time-sensitive content (news, event pages)
• Critical fixes (broke a page, just fixed it)

Don't Use IndexNow For:

• Minor tweaks (fixing a typo doesn't need resubmission)
• Changing tags/categories (the URL isn't changing)
• Deleting pages (use robots.txt or noindex instead)
• Sitemaps (submit the sitemap in Bing Webmaster Tools instead)

Best Practices for IndexNow

1. Submit in Bulk When Possible

If you publish 5 blog posts on Monday, submit all 5 URLs at once rather than one at a time.

2. Don't Spam IndexNow

Don't submit the same URL 10 times hoping for faster indexing. Bing crawls once per day max. Submitting again won't help.

3. Make Sure the Page Is Live Before Submitting

If you submit a URL before it's published, Bing will crawl and find nothing. Wait until the page is live, then submit.

4. Use It for Your Most Important Content

If you have 100 new pages per day (like a news site or e-commerce), prioritize:

• High-value products
• Trending topics
• Content that needs to rank quickly

5. Monitor Bing Webmaster Tools After Submission

In the "URL Inspection" tool, check back 24–48 hours later to see if Bing crawled it.

Troubleshooting IndexNow

"Invalid Key"

• Check that you copied the key correctly
• Verify the .well-known/indexnow.key file exists and contains only the key (no extra spaces or line breaks)
• Wait 5 minutes after creating the file before testing

"Host/Domain Mismatch"

• Make sure the domain in your IndexNow request matches the verified domain in Bing Webmaster Tools
• If you verified www.example.com, use www.example.com (not example.com)

"URL Not Crawled"

• Wait 24–48 hours. IndexNow is not instant.
• Check the URL Inspection tool in Bing Webmaster Tools for crawl errors
• Verify the page isn't blocked by robots.txt

"Key Location Not Found"

• Check that the .well-known/indexnow.key file exists at yoursite.com/.well-known/indexnow.key
• Verify the file path is exact (capital letters, spelling, no trailing slash)
• Some hosting providers block .well-known directory. Contact support if needed.

IndexNow vs. Other Indexing Methods

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Google support IndexNow?

A: Google announced support for IndexNow in 2023, but it's not verified to have impact on Google rankings. Use it primarily for Bing and Yandex. For Google, use Google Search Console's "Request Indexing" feature.

Q: Can I use IndexNow for pages I want to hide from Bing?

A: No. IndexNow is for crawling. If you want to hide from Bing, use robots.txt or noindex instead.

Q: Is IndexNow free?

A: Yes, completely free. No limits on submissions.

Q: Will submitting old pages to IndexNow help them rank better?

A: No. IndexNow only tells Bing to crawl. It doesn't improve rankings directly. Use it for new or updated content only.

Q: Can I revoke my IndexNow key?

A: Yes. Go to IndexNow.org, generate a new key, and replace the old one. The old key becomes invalid.

Q: Do I need to submit every change to a page?

A: No. Submit when the change is substantial (new section, updated information, major rewrite). Don't submit for typos or formatting changes.

The Bottom Line

IndexNow is the fastest way to get new content indexed in Bing. Set it up once, integrate it with your publishing workflow, and you'll see new pages indexed within 24 hours instead of 3–7 days. The setup takes 5 minutes and the ROI is high for time-sensitive content.

Emily Redmond is a data analyst at Emilytics — the AI analytics agent watching your GA4, Search Console, and Bing data. 8 years of experience. Say hi →