IndexNow is an open-source protocol created by Microsoft Bing that allows websites to instantly notify search engines whenever content is updated. Instead of waiting days for a crawler to rediscover your page, your server pushes the updated URL in real time — the moment it is published.
What is IndexNow?
IndexNow is an indexing notification protocol launched in 2021 by Microsoft Bing and quickly joined by Yandex and other search engines. The concept is straightforward: rather than waiting for a search engine's crawler to stumble upon your updated page — a process that can take days or weeks — your server proactively sends an HTTP request signalling the modified URL. The search engine then schedules a priority re-crawl.
Before IndexNow, indexing relied on a pull model: search engines dispatched their crawlers on their own schedule. For an e-commerce store with thousands of product pages changing daily (prices, stock levels, promotions), this model was inherently inefficient. IndexNow inverts this logic with a push model: the website proactively signals changes as they happen.
Open standard, multi-engine relay
Which search engines support IndexNow?
Not all search engines participate in the IndexNow protocol. Google, holding ~90% of the global market, maintains its own indexing systems (Search Console, sitemaps, proprietary APIs). Here is the current support status as of 2026:
| Search Engine | IndexNow Support | E-commerce Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Bing | ✅ Founding partner | ~5–8% (EU/US) |
| Yandex | ✅ Founding partner | Dominant in Russia |
| Seznam (Czech Republic) | ✅ Active member | Dominant in Czech market |
| Naver (South Korea) | ✅ Active member | Dominant in South Korea |
| ❌ Not supported | ~90% globally |
Google does not use IndexNow
While Bing accounts for roughly 5–8% of e-commerce traffic in Western Europe, this figure underestimates the real impact. Bing is the default search engine in Microsoft Edge, pre-installed on every Windows PC. In B2B segments and professional audiences, Bing can represent up to 15% of organic traffic. Every percentage point of organic traffic has real commercial value.
How IndexNow works technically
IndexNow relies on an API key authentication mechanism and a simple HTTP request. Here is the complete flow from setup to notification:
- 1Generate a unique API key
You generate an API key (a unique hexadecimal string, e.g. a1b2c3d4e5f6...). This key identifies your site and proves you control the domain.
- 2Deploy the verification file at your domain root
A text file named after your key (e.g. a1b2c3d4e5f6.txt) containing your key is placed at your domain root: https://yoursite.com/a1b2c3d4e5f6.txt. This proves domain ownership without going through Search Console.
- 3Send a POST notification to the Bing API
When a URL changes, your server sends an HTTP POST request to https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow containing the list of modified URLs (up to 10,000 URLs per request in JSON format).
- 4Automatic relay to all participating engines
Bing automatically relays the notification to Yandex, Seznam, Naver and all other participating engines. A single API call is sufficient to notify the entire ecosystem.
- 5Priority crawl scheduled
The search engine adds the URL to its priority crawl queue. Indexing typically occurs within hours of the notification, compared to several days without IndexNow.
API request format
The POST request sent to the IndexNow API is in JSON format. It contains your host, your API key, the location of the verification file and the list of URLs to index. Search engines accept up to 10,000 URLs per request, making this perfectly suited to large e-commerce catalogues experiencing bulk updates.
IndexNow benefits for e-commerce SEO
E-commerce content changes constantly: new product launches, price updates, stock variations, flash promotions, seasonal landing pages. Without IndexNow, these changes can remain invisible to search engines for days, causing lost ranking opportunities. With IndexNow, every relevant change is signalled immediately to Bing and its partners.
New products indexed instantly
A product launched today can appear in Bing search results tomorrow. Without IndexNow, new pages on large catalogues can wait 1–3 weeks before being discovered.
Real-time prices and promotions
A 24-hour flash sale can now be indexed before it expires. Updated prices in search results match the actual reality of your store — improving click-through rates and reducing bounce.
Out-of-stock management
Pages for sold-out products can be flagged for rapid de-indexing, preventing poor user experiences when visitors arrive from search results to a dead end.
Seasonal content windows
Your Christmas, Sale, and Black Friday pages are indexed before the traffic peak arrives, not after. IndexNow maximises the visibility window for your commercial campaigns.
How Lexiik integrates IndexNow for your store
Lexiik fully automates IndexNow integration, requiring zero manual configuration on your part. Here is how the integration works end to end:
- 1Automatic API key generation
When you connect your store, Lexiik automatically generates a unique IndexNow API key derived from your domain. No Bing Webmaster Tools account setup required.
- 2Automatic verification file deployment
The verification file ({your-key}.txt) is automatically created and deployed to the root of your PrestaShop or WooCommerce site via the Lexiik Bridge module.
- 3Submission after sitemap generation
After each sitemap XML generation or update, Lexiik extracts the modified URLs and automatically submits them to the IndexNow API. The process is triggered by the Lexiik cron job.
- 4Quota management by plan
IndexNow submissions are counted according to your Lexiik plan. Starter includes 500 URLs/month, Pro includes 5,000 URLs/month, Expert is unlimited. Lexiik optimises submissions to stay within your quota.
Zero configuration required
IndexNow vs XML Sitemap: complementary approaches
IndexNow and XML sitemaps are not competitors — they are complementary tools. The XML sitemap gives search engines a global view of your site structure, particularly valuable for Google. IndexNow, on the other hand, is designed to signal urgent, punctual changes to engines that support it. Lexiik generates both automatically: your sitemap is submitted to Google Search Console while modified URLs are pushed via IndexNow to Bing and its partners.
| Criterion | XML Sitemap | IndexNow |
|---|---|---|
| Target engines | All (Google, Bing, Yandex...) | Bing, Yandex, Seznam, Naver |
| Notification mode | Pull (engine crawls on its own schedule) | Push (instant notification) |
| Indexing delay | 1–14 days depending on crawl budget | A few hours to 24h |
| Scope | All site URLs | Modified URLs only |
| Authentication | None (public file) | API key + verification file |
Activate IndexNow for your store
Lexiik configures IndexNow automatically with your Bridge module. New product pages and promotions are submitted to Bing the moment they are published.
Read the XML Sitemap guide →