IndexNow: How to speed up search engine discovery for your latest content

What is IndexNow?

IndexNow is a lightweight, open protocol that lets websites proactively ping participating search engines the moment a page is added, updated, redirected, or deleted. Instead of waiting for crawlers to stumble across changes, your site sends a simple notification so search engines can fetch the URL quickly and refresh their results.

Why this matters

• Faster visibility: New pages and updates are discovered sooner, helping time‑sensitive content (news, offers, stock updates) appear quicker.
• Cleaner results: Pings for redirects and removals help search engines replace or drop outdated URLs faster.
• Greener crawling: Fewer “blind” crawl attempts means less unnecessary bot traffic and bandwidth waste.
• Shared signals: URLs submitted to one participating search engine are shared with other participants via the protocol.

How O’Brien Media implements IndexNow for you

We bake IndexNow into our search and SEO workflows so your content gets discovered quickly and cleanly. Here’s what we do on sites we build or manage:

1. Set up and verify your API key: We generate and publish an IndexNow key on your domain and verify it in Bing Webmaster Tools.
2. Auto‑ping on publish and update: When you publish or update posts, pages, products, or categories, we automatically submit those URLs to the IndexNow endpoint.
3. Handle redirects and removals: When content is redirected (301/302) or deleted, we notify search engines so results update faster.
4. Bulk submission for big changes: During migrations or large product imports, we batch‑submit URLs to accelerate re‑indexing.
5. Integrate with your stack: On WordPress we configure reputable IndexNow plugins or server‑side pingers; on other platforms (e.g., Shopify, Webflow, custom) we use native integrations or our own API calls.
6. Optional CDN assists: If you’re on Cloudflare, we can enable Crawler Hints to complement IndexNow by signalling freshness to participating crawlers.
7. Structured data alignment: For shops and listings, we pair IndexNow with the right Schema.org markup so search engines have both the signal (a change happened) and the context (what changed).

What happens behind the scenes

Each ping is just a tiny request that includes your changed URL(s) and your site’s key. Search engines receive the ping, fetch the page, and—when appropriate—refresh their index. The protocol also encourages participating search engines to share submitted URLs with one another, widening your reach from a single submission.

Where IndexNow fits in your SEO

IndexNow doesn’t replace technical SEO, quality content, internal linking, or sitemaps—it complements them. Think of it as the “doorbell” for your content: your sitemaps describe the whole house, and IndexNow rings to say, “there’s something new here right now.”

Getting started with O’Brien Media

If we already manage your website or SEO, chances are IndexNow is either live or on our rollout plan. If you’re new to us, we can:

• Audit your site and hosting for IndexNow readiness
• Set up the API key, platform integration, and monitoring
• Enable supporting features (e.g., Cloudflare Crawler Hints, structured data enhancements)
• Create a change‑submission policy for your content team

Want quicker listings for your new content? Drop us a line at [email protected] or call 01793 239 239. We’ll implement IndexNow as part of a sensible, sustainable SEO setup that fits your business.

Quick FAQ

Does IndexNow replace my XML sitemap?
No—keep your sitemap(s). IndexNow is for changed URLs; sitemaps provide the complete inventory.

Which search engines use IndexNow?
IndexNow is a protocol adopted by participating search engines (with adoption growing over time). Submissions to one participant are shared with other participants via the protocol.

Do I need WordPress?
No. We support WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, custom builds and more—either via native integrations or our own API pingers.

Will this get me to #1?
No single feature guarantees rankings. IndexNow speeds up discovery; rankings still depend on technical health, relevance, and authority.