BEGINNER GUIDE
How to Implement IndexNow on Bing Complete Guide
This guide takes you from zero to a fully working IndexNow implementation. Estimated time: 15–20 minutes. No prior experience required.
Before You Start
- Access to upload files to your web server or CDN
- Ability to make HTTP requests (curl, browser, or code)
- Bing Webmaster Tools account (free for verification)
1
Generate Your IndexNow API Key
Your IndexNow API key is a unique identifier that proves domain ownership. It must be an alphanumeric string between 8 and 128 characters. Use our free generator for a cryptographically secure 32-character key:
Example key: d47a82bc1e9f4a3b8c2d5e6f7a8b9c0d
2
Create and Host the Key Verification File
Create a plain text file named after your key with a .txt extension. The file must contain only your key string nothing else.
# File name: d47a82bc1e9f4a3b8c2d5e6f7a8b9c0d.txt
# File contents (exactly this, no extra characters):
d47a82bc1e9f4a3b8c2d5e6f7a8b9c0d
Upload the file to your domain root. The file must be accessible at:
https://yourdomain.com/d47a82bc1e9f4a3b8c2d5e6f7a8b9c0d.txt
Verify it works: Open the URL in your browser. You should see only the key string. If you see a 404, the file is in the wrong location. If you see HTML, the file has the wrong extension or the server is processing it incorrectly.
3
Submit Your First URL
Test your setup by submitting a single URL using one of these methods:
Option A: Browser (GET request)
https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyourdomain.com%2Fnew-page&key=d47a82bc1e9f4a3b8c2d5e6f7a8b9c0d
Option B: curl (command line)
# Single URL via curl POST
curl -X POST https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"host":"yourdomain.com","key":"d47a82bc1e9f4a3b8c2d5e6f7a8b9c0d","urlList":["https://yourdomain.com/new-page"]}'
Option C: Use Our Free Tool
Open URL Submitter Tool4
Interpret the API Response
| Response | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 200 OK | Success URL queued for indexing | Nothing. Wait 1–4 hours for Bing to index. |
| 202 Accepted | Success processing asynchronously | Nothing. Same as 200. |
| 403 Forbidden | Key file verification failed | Re-check key file URL and contents. |
| 422 Unprocessable | URL doesn't match host | Ensure URL domain matches host field. |
5
Verify Indexing in Bing Webmaster Tools
- 1Log in to Bing Webmaster Tools (webmaster.bing.com)
- 2Select your website property (or add it if you haven't already)
- 3Navigate to URL Inspection in the left sidebar
- 4Enter the submitted URL and click Inspect
- 5Check the "Index status" it should show "Indexed" or "URL is known by Bing"